Slipknot gig offends Greek church

Slipknot are famous for their masked performances

Greece's Orthodox Church has tried to stop rock band Slipknot from playing in Athens, accusing them of promoting devil worship.

The church urged organisers of the concert to cancel the band's appearance at the Lykavitos theatre on Monday.

The church said: "Public institutions must do their duty and protect Greek citizens from any public event that promotes Satanism."

The band, who wear masks on stage, are well known for their extreme lyrics.

In its statement, the church said: "The members of the band have a shocking appearance, wearing black uniforms and masks that look like skulls."

The nine members of Slipknot formed in 1995 in their home city of Des Moines, Iowa.

Their live shows quickly attracted attention as they took to the stage wearing home-made Halloween masks, which they are rarely seen in public without.

The band are currently on a world tour which takes in Europe, Japan and the US.

Slipknot are one of the main acts scheduled to perform at the Download festival in Derbyshire on 12 June.