So break yourself against my stones
And spit your pity in my soul
You never needed any help
You sold me out to save yourself
Ah, love. That sweet impetus of ballads. It inspires us to do the darnedest things, love, especially when it all goes so horribly wrong. Take Slipknot, for example. To the heavy metal band known for their blistering, raw, almost primal sound, making art of pain is nothing new. Turning that pain into a heavy-hearted ballad, however, is.
Those bemasked Iowans from the school of ear-bruising metal are getting a lot of mileage out of their latest single, "Snuff," a song which addresses the chasm of unrequited love. According to Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor, "Snuff" was inspired by "someone who helped me through a lot…I thought she felt the same way that I did and then she really let me down." The oxymoron of the Slipknot power ballad and its enthusiastic reception have some diehard fans up in arms over what they consider to be the band's selling out, equating Slipknot's recent accessibility via "Snuff" with the breakthrough success of the Black Album for Metallica, and they don't like it one bit.
Slipknot, considered to be one of the pioneers of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, came together in 1995 in the unlikely locale of Des Moines, Iowa, a place known more for their cornfields than their nu metal. After some early personnel shifts, the band settled around a whopping nine-piece lineup that currently includes DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Grey, percussionists Chris Fehn and Shawn "Clown" Crahan, guitarists James Root and Mick Thomson, sampler/programmer Craig Jones, and lead vocalist Corey Taylor.
When Des Moines wasn't exactly supportive of their hometown boys' big-time ambitions, the band decided to completely revamp their image.Wearing identical coveralls and face masks that are straight up Michael Myers, Hannibal Lechter, and Pinhead, and denouncing their given names for the numbers zero through eight, Slipknot strived to keep the focus solely on their music. They adopted an attention-grabbing theatricality that helped distinguish them from the pack of nu metal bands who were breaking in 1990s. While their crushing metal kept them on par with their peers, it was Slipknot’s odd bid for anonymity that helped set them apart.
Slipknot self-released their first demo album on Halloween 1996. Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat, a schizophrenic blend of funk, jazz, rap, and experimental rock, generated enough buzz to catch the attention of Roadrunner Records, who signed the band in 1997. Their official self-titled label debut, Slipknot, was released in 1999. The album had a very dense, layered sound and dealt with subject matter not suited for quoting here. The band supported Slipknot with near-constant touring, eventually working their way up through the ranks to land a spot on the 1999 Ozzfest tour, which exposed them to a much larger audience. Their live shows were a hit with metal fans and were so chaotic and energetic that drummer Crahan twice gashed his head open on his drum kit, requiring stitches both times. Although the band received some airplay, it was largely word of mouth that boosted Slipknot to certified platinum in the spring of 2000.
In 2001, Slipknot released the vicious and unnerving Iowa, which charted at #3 and was named one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time" by the United Kingdom's Q magazine. Iowa was a major success and premiered in the top ten album sales charts in nine countries. It was followed up by Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) in 2004, an album which helped to expand Slipknot beyond heavy metal with its more radio-friendly music, inching them a little closer to the mainstream.
All Hope Is Gone is Slipknot's fourth studio album. Released in 2008, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 charts. Although the first four singles from the album have all been well received, "Snuff," released in September 2009, has hit a collective nerve and is exposing Slipknot to their widest audience yet. Make no mistake, "The Way We Were" this ain't. "Snuff" is haunting, steeped in melancholy and the black bile of soured love which Taylor delivers with vocals that are melodious yet riddled with pain. "Everyone will love a song like 'Snuff,'" says percussionist Shawn Crahan. "People are going to get into it because we all like to feel sad. Everyone can feel the pain that's in there." Indeed. After all, no one gets off this planet without having suffered at the hands of love.
The power ballad is without doubt a departure for Slipknot and a step forward in the band's evolution. Although "Snuff" has its detractors, far more fans have embraced the song than not. Whatever your position, it's rather refreshing to hear something by these heavy hitters that doesn't involve nihilism, psychosis, or misanthropy. The surprising grace of Slipknot's treatment of love gone bad shows a versatility on their part that should serve them well in the future.
Slipknot have released a video for "Snuff" which features Malcolm McDowell and Ashley Laurence of Hellraiser fame. The short film, which can be found on both the band’s website (www.slipknot1.com) and You Tube, includes some complex imagery and a rare unmasked Corey Taylor who crossdresses at the film's conclusion. Do check it out.
