Slipknot: a brief history
For those of you who don’t already know Slipknot: Slipknot are an alternative metal, nu metal, rap metal band from Des Moines, Iowa, United States. They started out in 1995. The first ever live performance by Slipknot was in a place called Crowbar in their hometown of Des Moines. The audience then realised they were witnessing something extraordinary: they made an incredible, otherworldly impression.I wish I could have been there at the gig but unfortunately I was busy doing my A levels at the time. They have been described as making Limp Bizkit sound like the Osmonds. Well, I think I can totally agree with that! It is difficult to describe the music of Slipknot and what it does to you in a limited space like this. I could start off by mentioning their influences. It is well-documented the band is very much inspired by Black Sabbath, Slayer, the Beasty Boys, AC/DC, Kiss. Those are just a few influences. It is also evident they have been listening a lot to Life of Agony, Biohazard and Pantera.
Slipknot Music
The first Slipknot album was released in 1995 and is called ‘Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat’. Does that sound hopeful to you? Well, their latest album, released on August 20 2008, is called All Hope is Gone.. I think that, regardless of your musical preferences, you have to agree with me that their music has made a huge impact in the lives of young people! Those youngsters who haven’t shaped an identity of their own yet have, in many cases, only music to hang on to. It’s their anchor, their compass, so to speak. If this music is the music of Slipknot, what’s wrong with that? Just because it has been described as the sound of ‘a threshing machine devouring a military drum corps’ doesn’t mean it’s inferior!
Slipknot Philosophy
The Slipknot philosophy is actually quite simple to explain. They have been criticised for wearing masks, jumpsuits and the like on stage. Sometimes they actually remind you of German band Rammstein who wear asbestos coats on stage which they actually set fire to! But that’s another story. Time and time again, the band have stressed that their strange apparel only serves to draw the attention away from themselves. The band want you to listen to their music, as it were. Well, you can make of this what you like. Initially their music featured a lot of down-tuned guitars, heavy percussion, demonic growls and rapped vocals but over the years the music has become slightly more refined: the band have been experimenting with more melodic vocals as well as with acoustic guitars. This is especially noticeable on the last album. Check this out for yourself!
Album Launch and Slipknot Tour
I saw pictures of the launch of the latest Slipknot album ‘All Hope is Gone’. It was great! Somebody ate maggots and the album was on sale! They will also embark on a massive world tour and Slipknot tickets are already on sale. I’ve managed to secure a couple of tickets for Slipknot for me, two friends and my brother. Did you know they will be playing the HMH (Heineken Music Hall) in Amsterdam on the 20th of November? It’s going to be great! I can’t wait! The Slipknot tour will also travel to Great Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and Japan! You still haven’t got tickets for the Slipknot tour? You can buy them at Concertics. Hope to see you at the HMH!