Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.0

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 20, 2017

According to some text superimposed on images of a lot of creepy crawly bugs on this new Blu-ray, Day of the Gusano translates as Day of the Maggot. “Maggot” is furthermore offered as a synonym for “fan” somewhat later in this unexpectedly endearing combo platter (hopefully maggot free) of concert footage shot in Mexico City and some very appealing candid stuff featuring both the band and a slew of Mexican fans. One would hardly think of Slipknot and “touchy, feely” in the same sentence (at least I wouldn’t), but Day of the Gusano turns out to be unexpectedly emotionally resonant, at least in its “documentary” side. The actual musical elements are not exactly paradigms of subtlety, but they present the band’s manic tendencies in all their thrashing, head banging power.

The concert parts of this feature document Slipknot's first ever Knotfest in Mexico City, something that is commented on both by the band and a number of fans, some of whom are later shown meeting their heroes. There's something quite genuine about the fervor of some of the kids lining up to meet the band members, and some of the talking heads segments are among the overall feature's most appealing elements. The music is just kind of nonstop, riff driven and bombastically percussive stuff fueled by the kind of "horror movie" meets Satan worshiper ethos that has become something of a Slipknot hallmark. While interstitially offered in between the more "documentarian" aspects of Day of the Gusano, the Blu-ray offers the following musical performances:

• Sarcastrophe
• Eeyore
• Custer
• (Sic)
• Me Inside
• Psychosocial
• Duality
• Before I Forget
• The Devil in I
• Vermilion
• Prosthetics
• Metabolic
• Spit It Out
• The Heretic Anthem
• Wait and Bleed
• Surfacing / Til We Die

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Vision, an imprint of Eagle Rock Entertainment, and Universal Music Group with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. This is generally one of the sharpest and most consistent looking live music concerts I've personally reviewed lately, with nice detail levels and an absence of typical bugaboos like banding and/or posterizing even when the stage is positively bathed in deep hues like reds or blues. The candid material looks great, too, with the possible exception of several aerial shots which (based on a shadow seen in one of them) may have been taken with a drone equipped with a lower res GoPro or something like that. In a few isolated instances there's just a hint of image instability in some of these "flyovers". Otherwise, though, this is a very impressive looking presentation, though the overused quick cut editing technique means it can be hard to actually see much.

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 tracks. The surround track has incredibly impressive low end, something that supports the band's penchant for massed low frequencies pumping out unison riffs, as well as the frenetic percussive assaults that accompany most of the tunes. If you can call some of Corey Taylor's growl-screams "singing", that element is surprisingly well prioritized despite the onslaught coming from the rest of the forces. The interstitial talking heads segments are all delivered cleanly and clearly as well, albeit with less surround presence.

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While there's no supplemental material on the Blu-ray disc, this package does come with a Bonus CD offering different tracks than the Blu- ray concert sections offer:

• Sarcastrophe
• The Heretic Anthem
• Psychosocial
• The Devil in I
• Me Inside
• Vermilion
• Wait and Bleed
• Prosthetics
• Before I Forget
• Eeyore
• Duality
• Custer
• Spit It Out
• Metabolic / 742617000027
• (Sic)
• People-Shit
• Surfacing / Til We Die

Slipknot: Day of the Gusano Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I wouldn't consider myself a major fan of Slipknot, but I have to say Day of the Gusano appealed to me in a rather surprising fashion. If you are a fan of Slipknot's music, you know what's in store for you. Newcomers may in fact not take to the band's furious energy, but even some of them may find themselves unexpectedly warmed by some of the rather sweet interview segments featuring both the band and a bevy of their ardent fans. Technical merits are first rate, and Slipknot: Day of the Gusano comes Recommended.