These self-proclaimed "freaks" from Des Moines draw upon elements of thrash, hip-hop, and shock-rock with brutal results. The music world may not have seen such a marriage of aggression and technical precision since the rise of thrash pioneers Slayer. At times Slipknot steps into the musical guises of heavy purveyors such as Korn, Powerman 5000, and Sepultura. However, even with the derivative nature of metal, this eight-member ensemble manages to be something original.
SLIPKNOT is a mix of dark interludes that segue into carefully crafted songs. The tracks use metaphors to describe themes of isolation, insecurity, confusion, and self-loathing. In "Surfacing" and "No Life," rap verses give way to melodic choruses. The rhythmic pounding of "Prosthetics" is as complex as it is relentless; a credit to drummer Joey Jordison, whose virtuosity is the driving force of Slipknot. "Only One" is a contrast of hip-hop funk and mosh-pit abandon. The band's style is best defined in "Scissors," where whispered lyrics give way to screams of "biding my time until the time is right / it's time." Slipknot has bid its time wisely and is poised to take its place among its heavy-handed musical peers.
These nine Midwestern boys (all from Des Moines, IA) reportedly perform wearing orange industrial coveralls with UPC symbols on the front; each bandmember is identified by a number, which is painted on the sleeve of his coveralls. Each also wears a really nasty-looking mask. Judging from their appearance and from the sound of their debut album, it's easy to assume that they're upset about something. What it is exactly is kind of hard to tell, since the stuttering roar of Number 8's vocals is barely discernible through the jackhammer death metal drums, massed guitars, horror-show samples, and jittery turntable scratches that pummel the listener through almost every song. You thought Limp Bizkit was hard? They're the Osmonds. These guys are something else entirely. And it's pretty impressive. Although those lyrics that are discernible are not generally quotable on a family website, suffice it to say that the members of Slipknot are not impressed with their fathers, their hometown, or most anything else. "Surfacing" starts out by cursing pretty much everything generally, and then it starts getting aggressive, as shrieking guitar feedback alternates with DJ scratching. "Spit It Out" is speed rap-metal with an actual melody in the chorus; "Scissors" ends the program with a sound that quite simply couldn't get any more aggro without falling apart entirely, and by the end, the singer actually sounds like he's about to burst into tears. An auspicious debut. [A U.S. "bonus tracks #2" release includes five bonus tracks.] ~ Rick Anderson
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