An Incredible Debut
Artist: Slipknot
Album: Slipknot
Year: 1999
Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Joey Jordison - Drums, Paul Gray - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals
No one knew in 1999 that the landscape of music would've changed dramatically and violently with the release of Slipknot's self titled debut album. I'm not too clear on the history of the metal genre as a whole, but almost every musician out there always points to this album as one of the best debut albums ever, and gave rise to one of the biggest bands of all time.
I discovered the album in middle school because of some friends of mine, and it easily played into the edgy music that I wanted to hear at the time. While some may look back on their favorite albums from their childhood and see a lot of cringe, I can safely look back at this album with a renewed love after listening to it again.
The album is oppressive in the best ways possible, clearly showing an anger and resentment toward the area they came from (Des Moines, Iowa) but also a macabre beauty. The themes and styles presented here are varied, and can definitely be hard for some to listen to, which I HIGHLY recommend having the lyrics up when listening to the album. It's almost like a musical audiobook looking into this disturbing collection of tracks...
Let's get into a full breakdown of the album:
We start with the opening instrumental 742617000027, which is a great hype-building intro for live shows, and sets the tone well, but it isn't necessary listening. We then move into (sic), which begins to show the festering anger within the subject of the album. It's a heavy track, and one that even non-metalheads will undoubtedly bang their heads to. Its hammering drums and Corey's pained screams really nail the themes home, and the sample at the beginning is just awesome, I mean come on it's Al Pacino! After that we get Eyeless which includes the first rap stylings on the album. The music here is particularly the standout, as the lyrics don't really vary too much. I'm all for repetitive lyrics if it helps with the message of the song, but here it doesn't feel as necessary.
Next is Wait and Bleed, one of the most listened to songs in Slipknot's discography, and one of their most commercially successful. Corey's voice carries the song here, and the music hits hard. It's also more melodical than a lot of the other songs on the album, and in doing so distinguishes itself. Following that is Surfacing, which is a staple of live performances. While it feels sonically brutal, it is another repetitive song that feels lyrically lacking. However, it's still a really fun song, and is one of the best to bang your head to. Next is the other single off the record, Spit it Out. Like the song before, it's a staple of live performances and the band uses it to have one of the most fun audience/band interaction moments of any live performances ever. This uses Corey Taylor's rapping chops to perfection, and is an incredibly fun song for both us to listen to and for the band to perform.
After these first few songs, we start to see a change in the lyrical themes. This starts with the disturbingly fantastic song Tattered & Torn. As a kid I always skipped this, but now I see the lyrics and music and proceed to geek out. It's also creepy and disturbing, and still gives me chills whenever I listen to it. It's a fantastic piece I highly recommend. Now, after the last song, the album versions tend to differ. Originally included on the album's release, then removed for the reissue, are Frail Limb Nursery and Purity. Frail Limb Nursery is not included on any of the albums anymore for copyright reasons, but you can listen to it on YouTube alongside Purity, which is included on the 10th Anniversary Edition. It's a shame, because as far as song intros go, Frail is so emotionally and thematically disturbing before leading into Purity. Thematically and musically, Purity is among Slipknot's best work, combining a chilling and disturbing theme, with the music and vocals to match it beautifully.
Next is Me Inside, which replaced Frail Limb Nursery on reissues of the album. Compared to Purity, this song disappoints, as it feels like a little bit of an interruption in terms of the flow of the album. Corey's vocals and lyrics work here, but the band can't quite seem to match here. Next is Liberate which was my favorite song when I was younger. This is where it feels like the subject of the album has their rage reach a boiling point and acts upon their violent thoughts, and so feels more brutal than the last few songs. To contrast that, the following song Prosthetics feels like them regretting their actions, almost like we're inside a regretful mind. It's also a primal, stalking sort of sound, while being a terrifying song lyrically. It's an incredible piece that feels like a sibling to Tattered & Torn.
Next is No Life, which really takes the rap aspect of nu-metal and runs with it. It's a song that's perfect to send to your rap friends that are open to trying something new. However, as good as Corey's vocals and lyrical flow are here, the music does differ from the rest of the album, which can distract some listeners. Following that is Diluted which turns the creepiness back on, but the vocals do lack here. It's a bit too monotone during the clean sections, but the lyrics and music more than make up for it. Next up is Only One, which is the most musically different song on the album, and feels more like a rap song here about someone fighting someone else. And wow, Joey's drumming here is magical. The last song on the original record is Scissors, the longest song on the record at 8:23. It once again turns up the creepy factor, and is a refreshing slow burn after the rest of the album. It builds tension through lyrics, music, and vocals, and releases in a very satisfying way. It really feels like a distillation of the sound of someone sitting in an insane asylum, rotting away, regretting everything they've ever done through self harm and isolation.
Finally, there are two additional songs that are included on other versions of the album. First is the hidden song Eeyore. It doesn't quite live up to the rest of the album's themes and music, but it's still a fun listen as it sounds like the band just made the song for fun. Apparently, the song was written after the band watched a pornographic film involving coprophilia, or feces. Try getting that image out of your head, because I can't. The other song is Get This, another song seemingly written for fun. However, it does feel more like a diss track, which is more interesting than Eeyore. It's a super fun live song that is just another bonus song here.
Overall, the album is far more thematically and lyrically engaging than I remember, and is far more than just one of the albums from my youth. It starts heavier, with some of the continued fan favorites, but gets more experimental and varied as the album goes on. While there are a few potholes in the road, it's nothing that truly disengages you from the experience. It may just be from growing pains, and still trying to gauge what their overall style will be. While the aggression and brutality may not be for everyone, I very much recommend at least giving some of the songs below a shot, you never know what you may like.
Best Songs: (sic), Wait and Bleed, Spit it Out, Tattered & Torn, Purity, Prosthetics
OVERALL SCORE: 89/100
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