COREY TAYLOR / WARGASM / OXYMORONS - BOSTON, MA 9.13.2023

Sep 13

Photos By Maria A. Mata

Metal frontman Corey Taylor took over the Citizens House of Blues on a rainy Wednesday night, joined on the road by Wargasm and Oxymorrons. The stacked lineup had something for everyone, with a solid mix of rap, punk and metal.

New York rap rock band Oxymorrons was up first, coming in with fiery energy right off the bat. Running around the stage, the band immediately got the crowd going, initiating mosh pits and getting them to light up the room with their phones. Witty and humorous, Oxymorrons’ charismatic performance would be the last one of the tour, as they were surprised on stage by a few members of the other two bands to celebrate. It was clear they had captured not only the fans, but also everyone else on the tour.

After a brief intermission, it was now time for Wargasm to take over. The british punk rockers were chaotic, unhinged, and highly energetic. Kicking things off with “Super Fiend”, Wargasm would unleash their wild performance onto the audience, managing to get everyone riled up; frrom a summoned circle pit to crowdsurfers, the energy in the room was vibrant. They would also be joined by Oxymorrons on stage towards the end of the set, for a fun cover of N.E.R.D’s “Lapdance”, which also made evident the camaraderie between both bands. After a wild and sweaty ride, it was time for Wargasm to depart.

Taylor took over shortly after, donning a Mistress Carrie t-shirt as a nod to Boston’s iconic radio personality. We were now in his territory, as he proclaimed that the city was his for the night, in true Corey Taylor fashion. He would kick off with a track off his most recent release CMF2, the powerful “Post Traumatic Blues”. Right away, the Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman had the audience in his hands, treating them to a well balanced mix of his different projects, as well as his solo work. Accompanied by a hard rocking band, Taylor’s performance was as intense as you would expect, with plenty of audience interaction. It was as if you were sitting down having a drink with an old friend: candid, funny and entertaining. He would jokingly say the words “before I forget…” as he was about to introduce the first of the handful of Slipknot tracks on the set, shortly after also bringing in a couple of Stone Sour’s big hits.

In what is now a tradition for Corey, he would sit down with his acoustic guitar for a hilarious, yet endearing rendition of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song, to the delight of the many millennials in the crowd. From Slipknot’s “Snuff” to Stone Sour’s “Through Glass”, there was something for every single fan to enjoy. He would also make sure to express his gratitude towards Wargams and Oxymorrons, once again highlighting the great chemistry on this lineup. The cathartic “Duality” made way to the grand finale, a powerful cover of Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades”, bringing the evening to a close.

OXYMORONS