Even before the kabuki curtain drop, the crowd is chanting in the dark, calling for nine masked men.
Taking the stage as the headlining band of the inaugural Mayhem Fest, pioneering alt-metal band Slipknot unleashed their special brand of nightmare on the rabid horde of fans who had braved the day-long event.
After tremendous performances by Disturbed, DragonForce, and Mastodon on the main stage, Slipknot came to deliver the deathblow with an all out assault, complete with pyrotechnics and all the showmanship fans of the band have come to expect from their explosive live performance.
The Grammy-award winning band gave fans a selection of new and old material alike, including tracks from their upcoming release All Hope Is Gone, due out later this month.
Photographer's Notes:
This band was a fantastic group to photograph. While I initially had reservations about the use of masks and the potential impact they might have in connecting with the subjects, I found that the greater body language of the performers left no deficit of interest.
Just as with all shows, pose and gesture were critically important for this shoot, and the consideration for these factors drove many of my shooting decisions.
The lighting for this set was a fantastic mix of atmospheric effects and harder, more directional light on the performers. Aside from the pyro blowing up behind the band, there was a heavy use of smoke and background lighting that created a fantastic mood for the show.
End Notes:
I'd like to once again thanks Roadrunner Records and Amanda from 4Fini for the fantastic access for this shoot. Also, a big thanks and shout out to Iggy R. for the fantastic lighting effects on this tour. I've photographed several tours this man has worked on, all of them were beautifully lit, but this one takes the cake.
