Headlining rock bands come from San Francisco, LA, Seattle ... or, from the big cities of the eastern side of the country: Boston, NY, or perhaps Chicago. They decidedly do not come from Middle America, and definitely not from the cornfield-wrapped, cattle-laden, conservative town of Des Moines, Iow… > Read More
Headlining rock bands come from San Francisco, LA, Seattle ... or, from the big cities of the eastern side of the country: Boston, NY, or perhaps Chicago. They decidedly do not come from Middle America, and definitely not from the cornfield-wrapped, cattle-laden, conservative town of Des Moines, Iowa. Unless, of course, they're Slipknot.
Slipknot was born when a group of bored kids from the heartland got head-over-heels sick and tired of small town life and created a unique (and many would argue, much needed) sound, image, and style to express their feelings of fury. Apparently, it's the fury that never dies, because more than two decades later, they're still raging.
Slipknot's Humble Midwest Beginings & Rise to Fame
Slipknot Logo When conceived in 1995, metal had fallen into something of a rut. Oh, sure, the hard-driving, head-banging sound was there, but the showmanship, melodies, and realism had faded away. Originally, their lineup consisted of bass player Paul Gray, drummer Joey Jordison, and percussionist Shawn Crahan.
After some initial shakeup in the roster, they settled on a mix that lasted for over a decade: Gray, Jordison, and Crahan were joined by lead singer and lyricist Corey Taylor, guitar players Mick Thompson and Jim Root, sampler and keyboardist Craig Jones, pianist and keyboardist Sid Wilson, and custom percussionist Chris Fehn. They released their self-titled debut album in 1999.
Tragically, the band lost Gray in May of 2010, when he was found deceased by reason of drug overdose in an Iowa hotel room. The loss would derail the band's creative efforts for the next few years. They produced their next (and so far, last) album, .5: The Gray Chapter, in 2014 to amazing critical acclaim.
To date, Slipknot has released a total of 1 demo, 5 studio albums (including their debut, Slipknot), 2 live albums, 1 compliation, and 17 singles, which have led to 15 tours, 10 Grammy nominations, and a single Grammy win for Best Metal Performance in 2006 with their single "Before I Forget".
> Less 
