Biographies

The Official Slipknot Biography of 1998

***Iowa is probably best known as "the middle of nowhere." Most non-residents consider the corn-and-pig-state a geographical black hole. Since rock'n'roll's dawning in the early '50's, Iowa has had no singular voice to put on the musical map. Naming a significant musical identity from the state is inarguably a fruitless task; it simply can't be done. However, nine freaks from Des Moines--draped in industrial coveralls, surrealistic self-made masks, and an attack that combines violently regurgitated "L.A. neo-metal," death metal, hip-hop, and downtuned screeching horror--are about to leap upon the unsuspecting world like a musical of Clockwork Orange. Have you ever thought about what a messed-up hardcore metal band from "the middle of nowhere" would sound like? "Ultra-violence" only begins to descibe it... Meet 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8. (In human terms that's DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist James Root, sampler Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn Crahan, guitarist Mic Thompson, and vocalist Corey Taylor, respectively.) Each comes equipped with not only a frightening visual persona and number assignment, but a talent on his particular instrument that combines and collides to form the nine-headed savior/destructor of modern heavy music dubbed Slipknot. Now, with the tools and talents (not to mention complex-yet-infectiously-catchy songs) that this band holds in its grasp, the world has no choice: Slipknot has arrived, and you must now decide how to deal with it. Formed during the latter half of 1995, the band went through necessary lineup changes to arrive at what they now descibe as "a family unit." All native Iowans, their rather unassuming, un-happening locale gave the members plenty of space and time to perfect their unusual take on heaviosity. The band recorded and distributed the self-released debut Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. in 1996, and the ball hasn't stopped rolling since. Attracting the attention of a number of labels, Slipknot finally signed to Roadrunner through noted producer Ross Robinson's I AM RECORDS imprint in 1997 and entered Indigo Ranch Studios in L.A. with Robinson to record Slipknot . From the pummeling Sic and the unforgiving bludgeon of Surfacing to the sublime melodies within Wait And Bleed and the hypnotizing rhythmic drive of Prosthetics, Slipknot's vast array of influences comes seamlessly wrapped up in a 13-song love/hate letter to the outside world. The touring that will follow is promised to be "unlike anything else that's going on out there. Seeing is believing." So says Shawn Crahan. And it's a gross understatement of what actually transpires when it all comes together on stage. Until you hear the sound they create, having nine members in the band might seem ludicrous. Shawn claims it couldn't work any other way: "We've maintained an excellent practice schedule for the last three years. Everybody's on time, everybody's always there, and we always practice as a unit. Our music is so reliant on each other that if one guy, even the DJ, is gone, it just wouldn't be our songs without him. Without one person, something is really, really missing. Everybody has to be present. Even the littlest things make the songs magical." Just as striking visually as they are musically, Slipknot stresses that the visuals do not take precedence over the music. "We never put on the shit we wear to try and get people into us," says Joey Jordison. "We did it because, after being degraded constantly for trying to play music or do something in Des Moines, it just came to be like we were an anonymous entity. No one gave a fuck, no one cared, so we were never about our names or our faces; we're just about music. So we just put it on and it started gettin' people, and it just started to turn into this big thing. The music's the most important, though. The coveralls and masks happened, and for some reason it worked, therefore we had to kind of continue with it. We got stuck with it." Now that they're stuck with it, they hardly feel like themselves without it. Shawn feels that "...the masks are extensions of our personalities. Everybody's got sort of a tweaked, demented way about themselves, and we just alter the masks over time. It feels really, really good when we wear our masks for an hour, and then afterwards we take it off, and the first thing we do is go, 'God, what a relief!', but we always seem to put 'em back on after a show and walk around the place." And the visual presentation will change over time, just as the music certainly will. "I think things will always be changing with Slipknot. Everybody grows older every year, and with that you change, and that's somethin' Slipknot is always going to do." As for the number assignments they wear on their coverall sleeves, they're lucky numbers, significant and vitally important to each member. When choosing them, "Everybody fell into a number," says Shawn. "There was not one person in the band arguing over a number. It was really weird." Thanks to a hefty Ross Robinson production job on Slipknot , Slipknot's vision, part one, has been successfully realized. Shawn feels that Robinson was as highly motivated to work on the record as the band were to work with him. "We're a highly, highly aggressive band, and very seldom do we meet people who are in the realm of our aggressiveness when we play as a unit, and Ross took us into the recording room and was throwing punches at us. He was into it. Ross got up every day and went and worked out so he could be in shape to do our album." When label reps and Robinson himself came to Des Moines to check out Slipknot at their best (on stage), the members were left with little to do for after-show entertainment than go to local strip clubs. After hosting guest after guest, the band were completely burnt out. Now, nobody in Slipknot ever wants to step inside a strip club again (it's Des Moines's leading form of entertainment, incidentally). Shawn grunts in disgust: "Fuck the strip bars. Fuck taking anybody to strip joints. We got shit to do." The "shit" is wrapped up in a pretty little package called Slipknot . It's the discordant sound of the middle of nowhere, a terrain where Slipknot is jester and king...
 

The Official Slipknot Biography of 1999

***In '99, the spore called Slipknot exploded. Now, in 2001, the infestation continues.

Hailing from the 'middle of nowhere'- Des Moines, Iowa - they are nine men in nine different masks united with one common goal - world domination. Fortified with an arsenal of blistering music saturated with screams, drums, searing riffs, sampling, scratches and melody, Slipknot's music runs the scale from eerily thought-provoking to utterly terrifying. Now, with their self-titled debut album having gone platinum- the first in Roadrunner Records history - the band is set to release their second effort, IOWA, which has been called by many "one of the most anticipated albums of 2001".

Slipknot, collectively, are DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist James Root, sampler Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn Crahan, guitarist Mick Thomson and lead singer Corey Taylor (also known as 012345678, respectively). The band went through various lineup changes, but always dominated the local scene before catching the eye of Roadrunner Records. Once Slipknot was unleashed on the world, they were "the most talked-about band" (Rolling Stone) of that year's (1999) Ozzfest. Their self-titled debut went all the way to #1 on BILLBOARD's Heatseekers chart from the word-of-mouth hysteria that their live show generated. A year and a half later, they had toured the world and invaded the realm of Rock and Alternative radio, making Top 30 lists for the year 2000 at various stations across the nation.

Slipknot has been called "the best live band in ten years" (Lou Brutus, Hard Drive), but if you've never seen it, you wouldn't believe it. Millions of people can attest to that throughout the world. A murderous, rampaging free-for-all that threatens to engulf the entire venue, Slipknot is a sonic assault on all five senses that makes you wish you had a sixth. Voted "Best International Live Act" by Kerrang! Magazine, there is no stopping the madness spread by their masterful art of live performance.

With IOWA primed for detonation, a killer slot on 2001's Ozzfest and tours like Pledge of Allegiance, Slipknot is ready to climb back in to the world's arena and quietly rip everyone's eyes out.

The time has been set: Summer 2001.
The stage has been set: all over the world.
The wait is coming to an end.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED....

The Official Slipknot Biography of 2004

***Born of the near-desolation of Iowa, Slipknot burst forth from the heartland in 1999 with some of the most awe-inspiring, cathartic rock the world had ever heard. Vetting their collective psyche not only through their songs, but also through their masks, their uniforms, their live shows, and even their fans and the culture they inhabit, Slipknot hold nothing back. The depth of their expression is matched by that of their musical prowess- this tornado is laser-guided, and fellow musicians, critics and the fans know that Slipknot is deadly serious about it's art. Thus, after two platinum albums, two platinum home videos, and cover stories in Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, Revolver to name a few, we come to Slipknot's ultimate expression: VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES).

Within the confines, or lack thereof, of VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES) lies a new level of musicianship, achieved through the hard work poured into supporting their self-titled debut and their subsequent hit album, IOWA. Produced by Rick Rubin, Vol 3 not only captures the band's strengths to this point - it sees the spore that is Slipknot exploding in all directions. The songs on this daring effort transcend traditional hard music structure, and will surprise the uninitiated with their dynamic appeal. Masterful guitar work, visceral drum beats, and a newly-expanded vocal range are highlights of this work that Corey Taylor (#8) calls "both brutal and beautiful." Much of the creative inspiration in evidence on the new album is owed to Rubin and his reputedly- haunted mansion, in which the band lived while recording VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES). "You can really feel (the effect of the mansion) on the album. There were ghosts in the machine, in the equipment. Things would freeze, things would loop for no reason at all. It was strange," adds Taylor. Paul Gray (#2) comments on what Rubin brought to the tableÉ "Rick brought a huge amount of open mindedness - normally 9 different people trying different things can be tough - Rick got us to just throw all our preconceived notions out the window. He was able to integrate bits and pieces of everyone's ideas."

The first single off VOL. 3: (THE SUBLIMINAL VERSES), "Duality" is, Òlyrically, what you might think... we've been through a lot as a band and the lyrics really reflect our maintaining faith and the perseverance of all 9 of us,Ó says Joey Jordison (#1). ÒDualityÓ represents the album well in its unwillingness to compromise the band's rock foundation and its ability to be aurally appealing and melodic at the same time. Other songs of note on the record, ÒBefore I ForgetÓ and ÒVermillionÓ underline the statement made by ÒDualityÓ, with their dark melodies and fierce instrumentation. "Before I Forget" is about rising above the Bullshit and being a person, not a human. It's about saying what you mean and meaning what you say - taking zero bullshit." adds Taylor, "and Vermillion is a stalker's love song, shot thru his eyes. It's kind of a does he or doesn't he type thing - it's left open for you to decide."

Many profess to know numbers 0 - 8 through the afore-mentioned cover stories and other worldwide press. But those who truly know this Des Moines mob know them through their jaw-dropping live sets. Called the Best Live Band in a recent Revolver magazine readers poll, Slipknot are one of the few bands working today who's live show transcends the medium - a Slipknot show is an event unto itself. The band are currently headlining the Jagermeister Music Tour in the US, to be followed by a European tour as direct support for Metallica, then headlining the side stage at Ozzfest this summer. Of this second-stage headline, Gray says ÒIt's hard to feel the vibe when your crowd is 200 feet away. This was our chance to get back to connecting with our fans, and we're loving it." Past tours include Ozzfest 1999, Tattoo The Earth and Pledge of Allegiance.

This go-'round, the band's look has evolved with their music. New, streamlined masks are a reflection of the changes in who the band members are, as people. Taylor adds ÒThe mask-thing started out because we wanted to show another side of ourselves through themÉ We have grown and changed and so have the masks.Ó About that growing and changing, Jordison says ÒA lot of people won't ever understand why we do what we do and the band thrives on that. The record itself represents that feeling of gratitude toward the people that refuse to let us die - the fans themselves. The time away only made us a stronger band and the other projects absoluteley had nothing to do with the way this record was made. When all 9 of us combine we only know one sound and that is the sound of Slipknot.Ó

The natural order dictates growth and change as constants. Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) catches one of the most relevant and daring bands in the rock music realm, turning adversity into strength and honing their craft to precision.

The Official Slipknot Biography of 2005

***Arcs and circles and shapes and colors. Madness and adrenaline and intensity and war. Nine men on a stage every night, every day pushing the chaos so far past the limit all the onlookers can do is scream and hold on for dear life. Searing guitars and spit flying, drums that pummel and shrieks of melody, manmade noises that chill the blood and eighteen eyes that glare, daring you to join them, knowing you can't, smiling like a slash of insanity across their faces, reaching for what is only out of arms length: immortality.

The heat is thick, the air heavy and moist, yet the energy keeps flowing like a circuit between the audience and the band, through the band back to the audience, a palpable cycle you can almost touch if you could keep your hands from shaking and your body from losing complete control.

This is Slipknot. This is live in the eye of the storm. This is where the myths are made.

"When we're onstage and the chords are struck and the beats are hit and everybody falls into their place and we all look at each other, it just feels like dying, man," says percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan. There hasn't been one show where I've walked onstage and haven't told myself I might just not make it out of here tonight and this could be my last day in this reality."

In a world where the mentality seems to be "work less, yet earn more," Slipknot have done everything they can to work harder and earn what they deserve, much to the chagrin of their so-called peers, yet to the delight of their fans, known affectionately as the Maggots. The latest culmination of their efforts is, Slipknot 9.0: Live, a bludgeoning double-live CD of the past three album's worth of material that captures all of the noise, hatred, intensity, violence, pain, blood and infection that make the maggots swarm.

"Most of the people that are going to buy this record are core fans, and normally when they listen to an album, they say: 'Oh, this part is brutal, oh, this is bad-ass.' And they rewind over parts and sing along," Crahan explains. "But I think with this record, they're going to be very silent because I think they're going to be painting a picture of us live in their head as they hear it. You're used to seeing us live, but now you're hearing it live, so you're forced to paint the movie in your head, which creates a psychosis - that is what we are doing with rock and roll music."

The 24 recordings on 9.0: Live were made directly from the soundboard in countless cities and capture the immediacy and explosiveness of the Slipknot experience, an experience that took on a new life two years ago. In July of 2003, Slipknot convened in a dilapidated mansion in the Hollywood Hills. By January of 2004, they emerged with Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses, an album that would re-establish them as the premiere hard rock band in the world. And in March of 2004, they set out to remind the world of that by doing what they do best: taking it to the people live - a full-contact concert experience.

Around the world they went, from America to Europe, back to America, back to Europe. To Canada, to Asia, to Australia, back to America, back to Europe, then to South America, and finally America once more. Playing places they had never been before, sometimes embraced, other times banned. They toured the farthest reaches of the civilized world, playing for as many people as would have them, delivering show after show after show of complete and utter sonic and visual lunacy. Some of the band members experienced renewed love for their craft. Others went too far and became injured.

"At one show in Europe, my drums went forward and I went headfirst straight down to concrete and my neck bent kind of sideways," recalls Crahan fondly. "I remember laying there on my back for at least two minutes. I was waiting for that sharp pain to crash through me indicating that something was really wrong. Then, I just lay there for another minute just to reflect how totally great my life is and how I woke up that morning in my bunk and never knew I was gonna be ejected off a stage face first and just knock the shit out of myself because of how much we are all giving."

There were shows that unfortunately had to be done a few members short (none of which appear on the album), but Slipknot's mantra has always been, 'It's better to play than to cancel,' so play they did, even if it sometimes felt odd or uncomfortable. The show must go on. It meant too much to the people who were there.

The album contains blips from the nearly two years of brutal touring the band waded through, rejoicing, suffering, destroying, but most importantly reconnecting as a unit, a family, an unstoppable force that will never be reckoned with, never be duplicated, but always envied.

"To me, we are a living, breathing, blood pulsating human machine, and we do what we do better than anybody out there, period," Crahan says. "There's a line in 'Danger Keep Away' that goes 'The pieces are only as good as the whole,' and I've always believed that from the very beginning. A lot of our magic is each one of us is a great musician, and then beyond that a great artist, and beyond that a great performer. And one thing I've always believed in is that although each individual can stand on his own feet and take his art to some really great place, I think that you wouldn't have Slipknot if it wasn't for the nine individuals putting out what we do together as a single nine-headed monster."

Because of their confidence, because of their supremacy, so many people wanted Slipknot to fail. After the band toured for their IOWA album, so many people said it was over. So many people hedged bets and offered no condolences, trying to step over what they thought was a shell of a band. Well, from then to now, those same people have changed their tune, even slapped a few backs in praise, back-pedaling wildly to save face. If they had any sense at all they would have realized long ago what every maggot knew then, knows now and will forever believe: YOU CANNOT KILL WHAT YOU DID NOT CREATE.

Like a deadly biological virus, Slipknot was created and engineered to be uncompromising, unstoppable, irrepressible and without compassion. It all started over a decade ago in a dark basement, a basement in the middle of nowhere that held nine men from nine different lives, nine different tastes but one all-encompassing goal -- to destroy. Ten violent years have passed and after the dust of complete annihilation settles, Slipknot will return for at least another 10 more.

But for now, here is a record of all they have decimated, all they have obliterated. Their enemies call it a document of the ultimate inhumanity their fans consider it a gift. Here is is: 9.0 Live. The very best with love from the Knot to the maggots.