Stone Sour - Brixton Academy, London - 10th December 2012 (Live Review)
Thursday, 13 December 2012
Written by Heather McDaid
Stone Sour are a force unto themselves. Finally hitting the road to promote their new record 'House of Gold and Bones Part 1', the first instalment of their double concept record, the band thought they'd make their London shows that extra bit special - why not throw Sacramento rap-rock kings Papa Roach in as support?
It proved a welcome addition. Hitting the UK for the first time since their triumphant release of 'The Connection', the band took to the stage as their albums eerie intro echoed through the room, bleeding seamlessly into lead single 'Still Swinging'. The track dropped, the band through themselves wholeheartedly into it and a mass of the crowd danced without a care in the world. Performance wise, the band are a force, as they always have been. Jacoby is a charismatic frontman, laying atop his adoring fans on numerous occasions as every member threw themselves into their music without hesitation.
Dropping into their next newbie 'Silence is the Enemy', their electronics leapt to the forefront. Pre-show Tobin had commented that the new stuff might throw off Stone Sour fans, many of whom are there for the heavier set; admittedly, the new tracks caused a mass of dancing, but to those not there for Papa Roach, the responsibility of luring them in lay primarily in the classics.
'Between Angels and Insects' was the first big step back into the early 2000s, with singalongs cranking up sevenfold. Here on in you saw the band consciously tailor their set to their audience, opting for the heavier new track 'Where Did The Angels Go?', old school 'Dead Cell' and the natural finale of 'Last Resort'. Papa Roach found that fine balance in promoting their new tracks, performing their hits and bending to fit the heavier audience at the tail end of their set, and from fans to doubters alike it seemed the set had been tailored to please everyone, and the band's energy and enthusiasm sold every single moment.
Though a fan of both Papa Roach and Stone Sour, the latter completely blew everyone else out of the water. In a similar suit, the band came on to the opener of their latest record, leaping into the unruly 'Gone Sovereign' with the crowd going wild from the off. See, Stone Sour just dominate their stage without forcing anything; they have that sheer presence that's difficult to give justice to.
Rattling through tracks from 'Mission Statement' and 'Made of Scars' to the live debuts of 'The Travelers, Pt. 2' and 'Last of the Real', Stone Sour held Brixton Academy in the palm of their hand and refused to relinquish their grasp. You're simply drawn into their performance, though often they could be doing nothing more than walking around the stage. Returning for their encore, fans were treated to an acoustic 'Bother' and 'Through The Glass', the former even making Corey emotional as he spoke.
More so, Corey confirmed that though he and Jim will already be playing Download Festival with Slipknot, there would be a double dose of the duo as Stone Sour are also on the bill. Naturally, that sent roars through the entire venue.
Night one of their two London shows proved a complete success. Papa Roach set the bar high and balanced their need to promote new music and their need to please the audience just right, while Stone Sour simply dominated every step, every nuance, every note of their performance. One of the best shows of the year without a doubt, and what a way to end the gigging year!
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It proved a welcome addition. Hitting the UK for the first time since their triumphant release of 'The Connection', the band took to the stage as their albums eerie intro echoed through the room, bleeding seamlessly into lead single 'Still Swinging'. The track dropped, the band through themselves wholeheartedly into it and a mass of the crowd danced without a care in the world. Performance wise, the band are a force, as they always have been. Jacoby is a charismatic frontman, laying atop his adoring fans on numerous occasions as every member threw themselves into their music without hesitation. 
