The Knotfest had the good taste of a tasty starter before the main course for the metalheads of the Hellfest. Thursday from 16: 30, the speaker of the Jerusalem of the metal spat already the first riffs of guitar. A warm-up lap, which attracted between 35,000 and 40.000 festival goers Thursday.

headliner and organiser of this itinerant festival, Slipknot was waited on hand and foot farm. The american group of a thousand masks-scary breath this year its twenty candles with the release of her album We Are Not your Kind, scheduled for 9 August. For the first in Europe of the event, the fans have been spoiled. Under a tent, a museum exclusively dedicated to the legendary group has been opened, bringing together their famous masks of scene, but also guitars, and a host of relics of various tours.

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Ballet costumes, Valentine’s day, 26-year-old has made-to-measure one of the masks of Slipknot. Michael Naulin

Louis and Valentin, 25, and 26 are leaning for a good ten minutes in front of this treasure of the heritage of metal. “It’s amazing to say that all these objects have a significance for the group. We would need a guide!”, enthusiasm Louis. Jacket sewn hand with the logo of Slipknot and makeup, Valentine’s day is a fan of the first hour. To his belt, one of the masks mythic group with a long nose latex. “I have it custom made, it cost me 200€,” says proudly the young man.

Like him, they are many wandering in the alleys of the Hellfest with the historical costumes of the group of Corey Taylor. Near the scene, Noninoë is taken precisely in a photo with one of these look-alikes. He is accompanied by his parents. Normal, it is 11 years old. “It is he who has brought us here to see Slipknot,” admits his father. “Since 3 years he is a fan of this group. But at school, the teachers don’t understand why he likes the metal,” says his mother, who listened to Slipknot in the twenties.

Drakkar viking and chorus evil

But here while the world preaches to the same congregation: the passion of metal. Prior to the arrival of Slipknot, and a dozen other groups have succeeded one another on the two “Mainstage” – the greatest scenes. Among them, the stainless steel Papa Roach and their title Last Resort . Slowly then begins the dance of the festival-goers. The arms (for some already well-reddened by the sun) rise, fingers raised in the shape of a horn, and the heads begin to gesticulate. And then the flames go wild on the chords evil groups Behemoth and Powerwolf.

To best prepare the terrain to Slipknot, it was necessary to rely on the Swedes of Amon Amarth and their drakkar inflamed. The Scandinavians with long blond hair and beard have turned the pit into a real battlefield. It only remained to metal vikings to pass on the baton with their traditional “Skoll!” (health in Swedish). The letters tortured Slipknot appear, it is time to leave the place.

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Slipknot and their new masks, The new mask of Corey Taylor does not have unanimous support. Degemer Photos

Twenty years of age and not a wrinkle on stage. From the first notes, and the first strokes of the drums, Slipknot reverses everything. Pogo, slam, the crowd is transcended by a Corey Taylor excited even if, at times, the voice will not vibrate as much as before. For this new album, the masks have changed. If the bassist makes the unanimity, the new version of the singer leaves some perplexed. “I preferred the former,” says a spectator.

A good Before I Forget delivers all the world agree. An hour and a half of pure stress relief evil that ends in a fury of flames. The appetizer was hearty. Hellfest can begin.