Slipknot are currently touring around the US and have around three months left including dates in Dallas, Denver, Virginia Beach, and Salt Lake City. In addition to this, the tour is set to end in a flourish with visits to Australia, New Zealand, Peru and Japan. Whilst many fans are fearing that this will be the last time that they get the opportunity to see Slipknot in action, Corey Taylor, lead singer, has said that he ‘has been a better vocalist’ during this tour.
After undergoing surgery not so long ago, many feared that it would spark cancellations across the board but Taylor hasn’t let fans down. Although three weeks with Marilyn Manson were cancelled as a result of ‘unplanned spinal surgery’, Taylor has been performing recently with a neck brace. As a result, he was advised against head banging and jumping around by his doctors. With Dave Grohl finishing a performance with a broken leg last year and now this, artists’ dedication to music really shines through and the fans seem to love it.
After surgery, Taylor noted how he had to reassess how he lives especially whilst on stage. He went on to say that it is easy to take for granted how demanding each show can be and when it occurs multiple times over a period of a month, it can be extremely tiring both mentally and physically. Furthermore, Taylor said that he noticed that he punctuates physically when singing which is something he had never realised before. Despite all this, Taylor said ‘I’m loving the challenge’ and that he is enjoying his attempts at offering something new to the fans who turn out to see the band.
Not only is Taylor enjoying the test that the injury has brought, he also believes that his voice is a lot stronger than ever before and that he is hitting notes perfectly; after saying that his stamina had improved recently, it seems to be having a number of positive effects on his singing. Being on top of your game while performing brings obvious benefits but one of the biggest is noticing sections of music that can be filled in and Taylor believes that he is doing this more than ever before.
In addition to the shows that Slipknot have left to play, they will also be lining up alongside Black Sabbath at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest which is a two day event due to be held towards the end of September in California.
~RW
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