In 1995, Slipknot, the hardcore metal outfit, formed in the self-proclaimed middle of nowhere, Des Moines, Iowa. The band is comprised of DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist Jim Root, sampler Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn Crahan, guitarist Mic Thompson and vocalist Corey Taylor. Each member has taken a number as stage names and to further conceal their true identities put on homemade masks and matching jumpsuits displaying their number.
Slipknot formed during the end of 1995, and they went through the necessary lineup changes to arrive at what they now describe as a family unit. Each being from Iowa, their quiet location gave the members plenty of space and time to perfect their unusual brand of music. The band recorded and distributed their debut 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' by themselves in 1996, and they haven't stopped working since.
Slipknot eventually signed to Roadrunner in 1997, and they entered Indigo Ranch Studios in L.A. to record their second album 'Slipknot'. Slipknot's array of influences came wrapped up in a 13-song album that resembled a letter to the outside world concerning their love/hate relationship. The album was released in 1999 and the touring that followed proved this band was like nothing else out there.
Until you hear the sound the nine members of this group create, having so many in the band might seem a little excessive, but members claim it wouldn't work any other way. Their collaborative talent is obvious on songs like 'Sic', 'Wait And Bleed', 'Tattered & Torn' and 'Scissors'. As time went on the band was getting more and more popular. Ozzy Osbourne brought the group on the Ozzfest Tour in 1999, and later that year, they began to tour with Coal Chamber. By the end on the year, the band's self-titled album was double platinum, and they were a huge success.
The following year the band headed back into the studio to record their next album, 'Iowa'. Iowa confirmed Slipknot's remarkable popularity on the contemporary metal scene. The album was an instant best seller and inspired a true devotion from their predominantly teen fan-base. During a break in band activities in 2002, a couple members from the band began their own outside projects. Taylor and Root's began a group named Stone Sour and Jordison began a project called Murderdolls.
2004 is bringing the group back on tour with the rest of the members of Ozzfest. They have been slated to headline the second stage tour and will play along side names like Hatebreed, Lamb of God, Rotating and Bleeding Through. Slipknot is expected to draw a huge amount of ticket sales. They have a new album to play for their fans and have created new masks to unveil on the 20 plus city tour. The nine piece musical explosion is also set to storm forth on the Jager tour early in 2004, and with the coinciding Ozzfest gigs, it's going to be hard not to hear about or catch a glimpse of this heavy hitting band.
