Slipknot—{sic}nesses: Live at Download

Although masked metal band Slipknot seems designed for dimly-lit venues, their 18-track set here starts out in daylight in front of 80,000 English fans (some with latex masks of their own) at Donington's Download Festival in 2009 (although, by the end, the sun had sunk below the horizon). From their distorted, angry sound to their serial-killer look, Slipknot's performance is basically a horror movie as rock concert, minus any humorous Alice Cooper touches (if the Des Moines nine-piece does have a sense of humor, they definitely keep it under wraps for this outing). For their imposing look, the band appears to have taken cues from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, and Hellraiser, while song titles include such day-brighteners as "Dead Memories" and "People = Shit." Throughout the set, the guitarists head-bang, frontman Corey Taylor mumbles and grumbles, and three percussionists—including Shawn "Clown" Crahan—pound away on a combination of regulation gear and oil cans (when he isn't tossing around cans, Clown drums atop a moving hydraulic riser). Programmer/keyboard player Craig "133" Jones and bassist Paul Gray (who died the following year) also join in as pyrotechnics blaze behind the band. The camerawork is effective, but the ADHD editing is exhausting, with no shot lasting for more than a few seconds. Presented in DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include three music videos and behind-the-scenes footage assembled by Clown. A strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)