In an interview that DJ Lou Brutus conducted with Corey Taylor, frontman of Slipknot, the following new information was revealed
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Stone Sour/Slipknot guitarist Jim Root announced his decision to stay home to write Slipknot music rather than tour with the next round of Stone Sour dates. He said on an interview with Hard Driver Radio that Slipknot was finally going to get down to business:
"It’s looking like we’re probably gonna be doing some random touring throughout the next year, but we’re also gonna really try to get an album going, you know. I mean, I know I want to. I know it’s past time. I know we need to for ourselves, we need to for the fans and most importantly, for the legacy of Paul Gray. I mean, he would be looking at us right now going, ‘What are you idiots doing? Get in the studio. Start writing."
Rock 108 Amarillo is reporting that Stone Sour will be putting out a live DVD next year:
There will be a live DVD from the upcoming tour, Taylor notes, but he also has in mind two full-length feature films based on House of Gold and Bones which he hopes will have a unique visual style.
Hell or Highwater, a band featuring the drummer of Atreyu now on vocals, were up first. It was a bit weird seeing Brandon rocking a mic and not a drumset but he knew how to get the crowd going; maybe Alex gave him some tips. During one of the songs, Brandon came down in the crowd and walked around a few times, high fiving several fans and taking quick photo ops while singing. The band, in my opinion, is basically Atreyu minus screaming, in my opinion which isn’t a bad thing at all.
In This Moment, a melodic metal band from California took the stage soon after setting up with some bizarre stuff. Vocalist Maria Brink came out in a revealing which seems to be the norm for her stage performances. She opted to use a wireless headset rather than a mic and sat in the middle of the stage on her “throne" of sorts. Corey Taylor came out dressed in a tuxedo with a bunny mask on to help out Maria with one of the songs. This was my first time seeing the band, so I wasn’t too familiar with the band’s material, but it’s easy to see why they’re one of the biggest female-led metal bands.
Stone Sour have been around for a good while. A majority of the crowd was older, middle aged people; some of which included married couples. Of course, there was that one guy who brought his kids and was being overprotective when a mosh pit started around them; I guess that’s what they get for standing right up around the front. The opening riff of “Gone Sovereign" played over the PA shortly before the rest of the band came out and played the rest of the song under the stars before launching right into "Absolute Zero”. Some might argue that Stone Sour’s new material sounds like Slipknot (aside from the fact of them sharing the same vocalist) but the truth is, they’ve always been heavy.
The new song, “Do Me A Favor" from the band’s latest effort, House of Gold & Bones – Part 2 fit in perfect with their set. I only wish they had performed more songs from the album. The highlight of the night for the crowd was when Corey asked them to help sing their next which happned to be “Say You’ll Haunt Me”. Later in the set, Corey came out by himself with an electric played a cover of Alice In Chains’ “Nutshell" before transitioning into "Bother" and my personal favorite, "Through Glass”. Corey mentioned that his comic book, “House of Gold & Bones" has just come out and urged people to go to their local comic shop and pick it up. All in all, it was a great night with each band being a new experience for me; I suggest hitting up this tour if comes near your town!
House of Gold & Bones Part 1 is the first half of two-part concept album that singer Corey Taylor has engineered for Stone Sour’s latest release. Along with the concept coming in the form of two albums, there will also be visual representations. Taylor has teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to create a miniseries to go along with the albums. The first is said to be due out in April before the second album is released. With so much riding on one concept fans are eager to see how it all pans out and House of Gold & Bones Part 1 definitely does not disappoint.
What Taylor calls a “morality play,” the album tells the story of a man on a search to find himself and who he wants to be and all the obstacles he faces on this journey. The opening track, “Gone Sovereign,” sets the stage for where the man in question is at in his life. With the line “If only the contented will survive, is anybody here left alive?” the man’s condition is made obvious. This track starts off the album strong with thrashing guitars and powerful drumming to get your blood pumping. “Absolute Zero” carries the same ideas into the next track with Taylor’s vocals never faltering in intensity.
“RU486” is probably my favorite song from the album. Taylor’s vocals are the fiercest yet in this song as he commands, “Assume your nemesis, RU486.” RU-486 is actually a steroid used to terminate pregnancy and, I’m assuming, the subject of this particular track. The following track entitled “My Name is Allen” describes the title character’s schizophrenic-like internal conflict. The band has released visuals to go along with this song, including one for the “Allen” character and “The Human” that is mentioned in the song (“Why does it matter when The Human is gone?”). Things slow down a bit with the acoustic “Taciturn,” but that doesn’t last too long. The album ends on a strong note with “The Last of the Real” that paves the way for the second half of the story.
Not many bands would be able to pull off what Corey Taylor and company is attempting with this double concept album, but they does so flawlessly. This album secures a place for Stone Sour as a force to be reckoned with and not just a side project for Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and James Root. The growth of the band is evident with this album and I can’t wait to hear how this journey ends.
- Emily Bunn