Slipknot’s Iowa | The Angriest Album I’ve Ever Heard
Revisiting the band’s heaviest album
Ask a Slipknot fan what they think is the band’s best album and their answer will be Iowa, without any hesitation. Released in August 2001, Slipknot’s second studio album has been regarded by many as the heaviest and darkest album in their discography. Nothing released after has compared to the sheer ferocity that is Iowa. This album pushed the band to their most extreme, with its brutal production and chaotic recording process that would’ve torn apart any other band.
I’ve listened to my fair share of metal, metalcore, hardcore, etc. In my twenty-something years of life. However, nothing compares to Iowa. This album is the true definition of unbridled, seething anger. The feeling of hating the world and the world hating you back. There are no moments of catharsis, no room to breathe. Developed during the band’s darkest days at the start of their career, Iowa will pummel you into the ground repeatedly, over and over until you can longer move.
Back to the drawing board
following the unlikely success of their 1999 debut self-titled album, Slipknot became a worldwide sensation and as such, were expected to start planning their follow-up album. Roadrunner Records were pushing the band the follow a more radio-friendly sound, akin to the nu-metal of their contemporaries like Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit. The band went in the complete opposite direction. Telling a group of nine men dressed in ghoulish masks and with insane stage presence what they should do is ill-advised. (Deftones had a similar story with their album White Pony.). Rather than go the route of selling out, Slipknot took this opportunity to create what I consider to be the proverbial middle finger to any record label or person who told them what they should do. They hated the industry that wanted to water them down. Percussionist Shawn Crahan (AKA Clown) had this to say in an interview following Iowa’s release:
“I’m sick of this fucking business, I’m sick of the shit that comes with it”.
The pressure was tremendously high for Slipknot, following their last album several members became embroiled in alcohol and drugs, many of them would not get along with each other, it was a moment in time that the band doesn’t want to go back to. Slipknot never planned to blow up as they did and as a result, the pressures of fame among other things drove each member down a rabbit hole of tension and anger.
The band enlisted producer Ross Robinson, the quoted “godfather of nu-metal” who previously produced their last album, to help with Iowa. Robinson is noted for his eclectic style of recording. He draws out every single emotion he can from a musician, pulling every single ounce of their pain and rage. The recording process for Iowa is the stuff of legend, as both the band and Robinson put themselves in torturous situations. From Ross getting into a car accident and showing up to the studio the next day in a wheelchair. Dj Sid Wilson’s mental breakdown after learning his grandfather died being recorded and sampled for the album’s intro. Most notably, lead singer Corey Taylor, who went to the absolute extreme while recording the album’s title track, explains what he did to himself in the video below.
There’s so much more to Iowa’s story, which if you’re eager to learn more than I suggest you check out this article by Revolver mag that lists some of the craziest things that happened during production. So, you have a band that has a sheer disgust for the world, who hated each other and hated industry that told them what they should do. Add on a producer that will make every member reach a breaking point, and you have the perfect recipe for chaos.
How heavy can we go?
The answer to the above question? as heavy as possible. Iowa pulls absolutely no punches. The album takes cues from death metal and thrash, then mixes it with the band’s style of nu-metal to create Iowa’s sound. I’ve always commended Slipknot for their heavy percussion (thanks in part to a drummer and two extra percussionists) but here it sounds as brutal as ever. The best example being the pounding, fast-paced beats of the insane “The Heretic Anthem”. The drums and percussion go so hard if I were to try drumming the way Joey Jordison does on this track, I’d probably have two broken ankles and severe carpal tunnel. Headbang at your own discretion.
The guitars on Iowa are as equally as heavy. Guitarist Jim Root who joined the band halfway through recording their 1999 debut became a full-time member on Iowa. His style of playing alongside guitarist Mick Thomson and the bass work of the late Paul Gray makes for some of the most off-kilter guitar riffs Slipknot had ever recorded at the time. They set an unsettling mood with the out-of-tune intro to “Disasterpiece”, the guitars make it seem as if something is getting ready to explode. The main riff for the choruses of “The Shape” and “Skin Ticket” sounds like something straight out of hell. It set the stage for a lot of the experimentation the guitarists would use in upcoming albums and the way they manipulate the fretboard.
Oddly enough, Slipknot incorporates sampling and scratch work thanks to Craig Thompson and Dj Sid Wilson respectively. It’s hard to tell where you can hear them throughout Iowa, there are faint record scratches throughout the album and certain sounds (like the album intro “515”) are made up of chopping and manipulating Sid’s screams.
Lastly, there are the vocals by Corey Taylor. He developed a distinct growl and scream that fans have dubbed the “Iowa scream”. His voice is guttural and cutthroat, I’m genuinely surprised he didn’t get vocal chord surgery done after recording this album. His belts and screams sound like they hurt, but they fit perfectly with the album’s dark, heavy tone. He matches the album’s hellish sounds with death metal style vocals on “Metabolic”. However, this shouldn’t take away from Corey’s exceptional singing, as he sings the choruses of “Left Behind” and “My Plague” in a much softer tone compared to the rest of the album.
Anger and pain intensified
In case you haven’t caught on already, Iowa is not a happy album. Corey’s lyrics emphasize his and the band’s views on the world. They’re dissatisfied, angry, distrustful, and paranoid. The whole album feels like a journey into darkness, but it’s not holding your hand and guiding you through. Iowa drags you by your legs with nonstop force. I won’t be going over every single song on the album, but I’ll highlight some of my favourites.
Straight from the jump with the insane opener “People = Shit”. Corey is discontent with society, with people who want to destroy the planet, you can interpret that as the literal destruction of earth due to climate change and land development. Or people such as greedy businessmen, bullies, and abusers who’ve made lives harder for others. Corey’s in a place where he doesn’t care what he says, people are going to hate him for it but he’s too pissed to care. (“Too fucked to beg and not afraid to care”).
“Disasterpiece” displays the perfect illustration of hatred towards others, mainly those who have wronged us. Supposedly written about a childhood bully, Corey mocks and threatens his bully with shame and violence. Mind you this is the very first line Corey says on the song: (“I wanna slit your throat and fuck the wound”.). If that isn’t the darkest thing ever said on a song then I don’t know what is. Corey fights as he feels he’s still underneath his bully, but he’s so fuelled by rage it's almost confusing him. (“Hate ain’t enough to describe me, somewhere between screaming and crying, I’m not supposed to be here.”). The song’s lyricism is intensified by its erratic production.
The last song I want to highlight is “New Abortion”, these titles really do go there. It’s dedicated to the fans of Slipknot, or those who came from circumstances like them, misfits if you will. He’s encouraging them to not fall into a trap of stagnancy, to not follow in the footsteps of others or be told what is right for them. Corey is insinuating that this new generation (Millenials or Gen-x probably.) are new forms of abortions, they don’t live the lives they want to live, they can’t speak their mind, and feel rejected by older generations. So to be an abortion in the song’s term is not being alive via living the life you want. (“But everything we say is taken with a grain of salt man, it’s always the same if we talk or complain we only wanna upset the balance. How’s it feel to be the new abortion? The only generation to suffer extortion”).
The rest of Iowa is still a great listen. More melodic songs such as “Everything Ends” and the rap-heavy “I Am Hated” shake things up a bit amidst the chaos. The self-titled final track is a 15-minute slow burn that caps off Iowa. I will warn you though, its lyrics are not for the faint of heart (as told by Corey in the video posted earlier).
Overall, Iowa is a really dark and heavy album, if you’re willing to take the plunge and give it a listen you’re going to be treated to some of the band’s heaviest mosh-inducing material ever. Personally, I like the album but I still prefer their 1999 debut and their most recent album, 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind slightly more. Those albums are a bit more melodic for my taste but that’s just me.
If anything, Iowa is a testament to a band that went through a dark time and produced an equally dark album. Channeling all of their hate and rage into a chaotic symphony of metal madness.
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