:: Stone Sour - The Palace, St.Kilda - May 2007

By: Melissa Buttigieg

A complete shift in pace and sound for Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, unmasked here as Stone Sour's main man, Corey led an emotive showcase of powerful ballads and melodic rock, acknowledging the crowd with each song and engaging them constantly throughout the whole show. While an entirely separate project to the fast-paced and edgy rock that is Slipknot's trademark, it's difficult not to draw comparisons between the two bands, particularly when the crowd made it obvious Corey was the reason they were there.

With just two albums on their CV, Stone Sour filled the hour-and-a-hour set with practically every track off their latest album Come What(ever) May, a handful of highlights from their self-titled debut, plus a bunch of songs that aren‘t theirs, including renditions of 'Don't Change’ by Corey‘s self-proclaimed favourite Australian band INXS, Johnny Cash's 'Ring Of Fire’ and the Chris Isaac classic made famous by HIM, ‘Wicked Game’. Stone Sour got away with playing their latest 12-track offering almost in its entirety because from first to last, each song is pure quality, without added ‘fillers’ commonly used to pad-out an album. It was surprising to hear Corey constantly taken-aback by the audience's energy and enthusiasm, clearly under-estimating the band's strong Australian following.

Opening with the faster-paced, introduction on their latest album, Stone Sour kicked-off the show with 30/30-150 by establishing a high right from the start. A format resembling nothing like a typical Slipknot gig, Stone Sour shifted its pace and mood constantly throughout the set, alternating between metal riffs with hard choruses, and emotive ballad-esque moments. Come What(ever) May and Reborn were classic examples, hovering between the two extremes - metal chorus, contrasted by soulful verses. While in no way to be taken lightly, the sombre yet powerful Through Glass and Bother were equally as encapsulating and widely appreciated as their harder rock counterparts. Sillyword represented what Corey acknowledged as “real freedom”, sharing with fans that while Australians thinks the US Prime Minister has it all wrong, “We're embarrassed!” he shouted. Made Of Scars picked up the pace as Corey belted out heartfelt wails complemented by powerful riffs that were widely appreciated.

Following the chant of “Corey, Corey, Corey” demanding an encore, The Corey Taylor Show' continued as he asked the hungry crowd “Do you wanna come with us? Then Get Inside!” before breaking into the edgy Get Inside. With a promise that they'll be back to play again soon, combined with the lingering memory of an awesome show, it can safely be said that not a single person left the Palace unsatisfied.