9.0: Live is the first live album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The band recorded the two-disc album during their 2004–2005 world tour that promoted their third studio album Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Released by Roadrunner Records on November 1st, 2005, 9.0 Live features tracks from Slipknot's first three studio albums: Slipknot, Iowa, and Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Many of the included tracks are rarely played live; the album's song "Skin Ticket" was its first live performance. 9.0: Live peaked in the top twenty in album sales for Austria and the United States, and was certified gold in the United States. Critical reception was generally positive, with Adrien Begrand of PopMatters calling it a "very worthy live album".[1]
While producing their second DVD Disasterpieces in 2001, the band members of Slipknot were inspired to produce a live album after noticing how well they performed when they knew they were being recorded.[2] Two years later, in 2004, Slipknot promoted Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) during a world tour which included 233 concerts across 34 countries in 28 months;[3][4] music for the live album was recorded during the tour.[2] The tracks on 9.0: Live were compiled from performances in Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka, Las Vegas, Phoenix, New York City, and Dallas.[5]
Percussionist Shawn Crahan said the band made an effort to pay more attention to detail than usual during the tour, noting, "when you've got a microphone hanging onto your every note, you tend to give maybe 115 percent instead of 110 percent."[2] The album begins with a staged vocal introduction which was recorded before a concert, informing the audience that the band would not be performing, in an effort to incite anger in the crowd.[1] 9.0: Live includes tracks from the band's first three studio albums, and the banned track "Purity" which was removed from the band's debut album, Slipknot, due to copyright issues.[6] It also contains tracks that are rarely played live, such as "Iowa" and "Get This",[7] as well as the first live performance of "Skin Ticket".[8]
Promotion
Before the album's release, a sample from the live recording of "The Nameless" was made available on the Internet through the band's record label.[9] Slipknot attended a signing session at a Best Buy store in New York City the day of 9.0: Live's release, on November 1, 2005.[3] A music video featuring the live recording of "The Nameless" was created to promote the album.[2] Head of marketing at Roadrunner Records, Bob Johnsen, stated that the price of 9.0: Live was reduced in an effort to give "added value", resulting in the double-disc album being "two hours of music for the price of one". Johnsen continued, stating that as with most live albums, 9.0: Live targeted the "band's most hard-core fans. It's a complete immersion in the band." The album booklet includes 24 pages, most with pictures of band members.[10]
Track Listing
All songs credited to Slipknot and were recorded live.
9.0: Live — Standard Edition (Disc 1)
No.
Title
Writer(s)
Original album
Length
1.
"The Blister Exists" (Freeman Coliseum, San Antonio, TX, USA; April 1st, 2005)
