Slipknot | Artist
Slipknot is an American Alternative Metal band formed 1995 in Des Moines, Indiana by Shawn '#6' Crahan (percussion, backing vocals), Joey '#1' Jordison (drums, percussion), Paul '#2' Gray (bass, backing vocals), Josh Brainard (guitar, backing vocals), Andrew Rouw (lead vocals, percussion), Donnie Steele (guitar, bass), and Quan Nong (guitar). The band has undergone numerous lineup changes, seeing #6 (Shawn Crahan) being the only original member in the current day lineup alongside Mick '#7' Thomson (guitar), Corey '#8' Taylor (lead vocals), Sid '#0' Wilson (turntables), James '#4' Root (guitar), Alessandro Venturella (bass), Michael Pfaff (percussion, backing vocals), and Eloy Casagrande (drums). Slipknot's mix of grinding, alternative metal, neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the nu-metal explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s. But even more helpful was their theatrical, attention-grabbing image: the band always performed in identical industrial jump suits and homemade Halloween masks, and added to their mysterious anonymity by adopting the numbers zero through eight as stage aliases. Add to that a lyrical preoccupation with darkness and nihilism and Slipknot's blueprint for nu-metal success was set. The band's debut demo album, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. was unsuccessful, but they rapidly rose to fame following the release of their debut, self-titled studio album in 1999. They gained mainstream success with subsequent gold and platinum efforts like Iowa (2001), All Hope Is Gone (2008), We Are Not Your Kind (2019), and The End, So Far (2022). Starting out, the band made their public debut on November 5 at a benefit show in Des Moines, using the name Meld. Much of their early development was attributed to late-night planning sessions between Gray, Crahan and Jordison at a Sinclair gas station where Jordison worked nights. It was there, in late 1995, that Jordison suggested changing the band name to Slipknot after their song of the same name. The band's sound typically features a heavily down-tuned guitar setup, a large percussive section, sampling, keyboards and DJing/turntablism. Using a variety of vocal styles the music typically features growled vocals, screaming, backing vocals, as well as melodic singing. lyrics are generally very aggressive; they sometimes include profanity while exploring themes such as darkness, nihilism, anger, disaffection, love, misanthropy, and psychosis. As for influences, Slipknot cited both Korn's self-titled album and Limp Bizkit's album Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ as major influences. However, their biggest influence, both on their image and music, has been singer Mike Patton and his bands Mr. Bungle, Fantômas and Faith No More. The band Kiss has been a big influence, both musically and image-wise. Standout albums include Slipknot (1999), Iowa (2001), and Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004). Also recommended is the 2012 compilation Antennas to Hell. The band is known for its attention-grabbing image; the members perform wearing unique, individual facemasks and matching uniforms while each member is typically assigned and referred to by number based on their role in the band. In 2008, Slipknot launched their clothing line Tattered and Torn, named after a song on their debut album.
Artist Website: slipknot1.com
Featured Albums: Slipknot
Related Artists: On a Pale Horse, Krokodil, Korn