Much of the best rock music made contains an element of instability, leaving the listener wondering if everything might fall apart at any moment; that the song, the band or both are on the verge of collapse.
Iowa's favorite sons Slipknot ride this maxim to the hilt.
The nine-member band's 1999 eponymous major label debut was a full on, multi-lateral assault on the senses, with machine-gun beats (Slipknot employs three drummers) hardcore guitar riffs, other-worldly samples, DJ scratching and rant-style vocals all jockeying for sonic space. During the rare moments where the onslaught subsided, pockets of melody escaped, hinting at the group's ability to write a solid hook.
Their second album, 2001's "Iowa," was a straight-ahead homage to the thrash metal style espoused by bands like Slayer. Most modern heavy bands vow for their sophomore efforts to be both "heavier" and "more melodic," but Slipknot made no effort to expand their audience with crossover hits or power ballads. "Iowa" is a blast-beat barrage that your parents, your grandparents and most of your friends completely hate. While the band's resistance to forced commercial viability is commendable, two albums of sheer aggression tend to leave the impression that such a band isn't capable of anything outside that realm.
For a while, it appeared that Slipknot's potential might forever remain a mystery. After extensive, exhausting touring behind "Iowa," the band announced they were going on hiatus. Vocalist Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root resurrected their pre-Slipknot hard rock group Stone Sour, the resulting album garnering significant radio and MTV rotation, and drummer Joey Jordison played guitar in glam rock group the Murderdolls.
The success of these side projects, combined with Taylor's public statements that Slipknot's members hadn't spoken in months, solidified the notion that this nonet was finished. The same internal volatility that drove the band to its musical identity appeared to have finally destroyed the group.
In 2003, however, hell experienced a mild winter and Slipknot reconvened in Los Angeles to record a new album with legendary producer Rick Rubin (you know, the bearded guy wearing shades in Jay-Z's "99 Problems" video).
The resulting effort, "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses," is a highly-textured, diverse record that channels the thrashing agony of the band's metal core while adding acoustic interludes and anthemic, harmony-laden choruses. Veering between those contrasting elements, "Vol. 3" feels disjointed and a bit uncomfortable, but it probably needs to. This a band fueled by tension, and their music reflects conflict in, at the risk of sounding pretentious, an artful manner.
Slipknot's future is less-than-certain, as rumors of an impending breakup following their tour persist. It's hard to say how valid these are, and, as their history shows, anything is possible. But it makes their Indianapolis tour stop even more of a must-see.
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