Slipknot - Iowa
Roadrunner Records - 2001
By James O'Toole
Slipknot's latest release also sees them tackling the 'difficult second album'. The dilemma facing many bands attempting to follow up a hugely successful debut is this - do they repeat the same formula that made the first album so successful, or branch out and perhaps even change direction slightly at the risk of losing the fan base they have possibly only just gained?
From the opening of People=Shit it's plain that the nine masked maniacs from Slipknot have opted to make another heavy, uncompromising record. The album kicks off with some ominous rumblings and muted screams, then the first musical passage is a brief drum based intro followed by a lightning fast death metal riff. Vocalist Corey Taylor spits out the line "here we go again motherfucker" and that's a pretty fair statement of intent, letting the listener know Slipknot aren't about to disappoint their legion of hard core fans. The first three tracks give you a pretty good idea of what you're in for and the lyrics are still full of rage, pain and hate - and no doubt there will be a lot of disaffected people (or maggots as Slipknot refer to their fans) who will relate to Taylor's venomous rants.
There are some more melodic passages on tracks like My Plague, Everything Ends and Left Behind, but overall the album is a solid assault on the senses from beginning to end. That said, I found Iowa a much easier album to listen to from start to finish than Slipknot, which lost my interest by the halfway point of the album. It was all one dimensional rage and little else, which wore a bit thin, with little melody and few hooks.
If you've never heard Slipknot before you are probably better off starting with Iowa. Fans of more extreme styles of metal will probably enjoy this album, but if you are more inclined towards melodic metal Iowa is unlikely to convert you.
Standout tracks on Iowa would have to be People=Shit, Everything Ends, The Heretic Anthem and Left Behind. Title track and album closer Iowa is a slow, brooding piece with a stripped back feel and hypnotic, repetitive bass line which is very different to the focused aggression of the previous tracks. Track seven, Gently is also interesting, again showing a slower, moodier dimension to the band and accomplishing it in fine style. Generally speaking the song structures on Iowa are easier to follow, with more conventional verse/chorus arrangements which make the album more accessible without sacrificing the aggressive nature of the music.
Ross Robinson returns to handle production duties and a credit for co-production is again given to the band. For a nine piece band Slipknot didn't sound too far removed from most five piece bands on their debut, but Iowa sounds fuller. Mixing maestro Andy Wallace lends his magic touch to the album and this may have contributed to the improvement and fullness of the overall sound.
I must confess to being one of many people who thought Slipknot were probably a flash in the pan and a bit of a novelty act. There was a lot of attention focused on the band's costumes, appearance and the fact they had nine members. Roadrunner certainly gave the debut Slipknot album a massive push in terms of promotion and the resulting sales figures were probably due just as much to the promotional campaign as they were to the content of the album.
Despite the band's new masks and boiler suit designs the novelty has now worn off and Slipknot will have to stand or fall predominantly on the strength of their music. After listening to Iowa I don't think that will be a problem - Slipknot have taken their unique sound a step further and deserve to be battering our senses for a long time to come.
7.5/10
Roadrunner Records - 2001
By James O'Toole
Slipknot's latest release also sees them tackling the 'difficult second album'. The dilemma facing many bands attempting to follow up a hugely successful debut is this - do they repeat the same formula that made the first album so successful, or branch out and perhaps even change direction slightly at the risk of losing the fan base they have possibly only just gained?
From the opening of People=Shit it's plain that the nine masked maniacs from Slipknot have opted to make another heavy, uncompromising record. The album kicks off with some ominous rumblings and muted screams, then the first musical passage is a brief drum based intro followed by a lightning fast death metal riff. Vocalist Corey Taylor spits out the line "here we go again motherfucker" and that's a pretty fair statement of intent, letting the listener know Slipknot aren't about to disappoint their legion of hard core fans. The first three tracks give you a pretty good idea of what you're in for and the lyrics are still full of rage, pain and hate - and no doubt there will be a lot of disaffected people (or maggots as Slipknot refer to their fans) who will relate to Taylor's venomous rants.
There are some more melodic passages on tracks like My Plague, Everything Ends and Left Behind, but overall the album is a solid assault on the senses from beginning to end. That said, I found Iowa a much easier album to listen to from start to finish than Slipknot, which lost my interest by the halfway point of the album. It was all one dimensional rage and little else, which wore a bit thin, with little melody and few hooks.
If you've never heard Slipknot before you are probably better off starting with Iowa. Fans of more extreme styles of metal will probably enjoy this album, but if you are more inclined towards melodic metal Iowa is unlikely to convert you.
Standout tracks on Iowa would have to be People=Shit, Everything Ends, The Heretic Anthem and Left Behind. Title track and album closer Iowa is a slow, brooding piece with a stripped back feel and hypnotic, repetitive bass line which is very different to the focused aggression of the previous tracks. Track seven, Gently is also interesting, again showing a slower, moodier dimension to the band and accomplishing it in fine style. Generally speaking the song structures on Iowa are easier to follow, with more conventional verse/chorus arrangements which make the album more accessible without sacrificing the aggressive nature of the music.
Ross Robinson returns to handle production duties and a credit for co-production is again given to the band. For a nine piece band Slipknot didn't sound too far removed from most five piece bands on their debut, but Iowa sounds fuller. Mixing maestro Andy Wallace lends his magic touch to the album and this may have contributed to the improvement and fullness of the overall sound.
I must confess to being one of many people who thought Slipknot were probably a flash in the pan and a bit of a novelty act. There was a lot of attention focused on the band's costumes, appearance and the fact they had nine members. Roadrunner certainly gave the debut Slipknot album a massive push in terms of promotion and the resulting sales figures were probably due just as much to the promotional campaign as they were to the content of the album.
Despite the band's new masks and boiler suit designs the novelty has now worn off and Slipknot will have to stand or fall predominantly on the strength of their music. After listening to Iowa I don't think that will be a problem - Slipknot have taken their unique sound a step further and deserve to be battering our senses for a long time to come.
7.5/10
