Nu-metal is a horrid term now, but in the mid-nineties it was the commercial driving force of heavy music. Metal was no longer exclusively the genre of choice for long-haired leather-clad with tattoos. With bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit jumping around with their baggy pants and "my mom didn't hug me enough" mood disorders, the kids could join in the fun too. Slipknot had a leading role in the nu-metal circus. But, while some would label them a gimmick band with their matching jumpsuits and horror-comedy masks, these Iowa-born maniacs had a far more sinister tone. Their debut album, Slipknot, was energetic and doused with teen-angst, and the disillusioned youth ate it up. But by the time their second album was in the works, we were dealing with a different beast. This was music spawned from a far more unpleasant part of the psyche. Heavier that a solid bronze Tyrannosaurus Rex and with the teeth to match, Iowa came from a place of hatred. If you can listen to a pleasant little ditty like People=Sh*t and come away not wanting to curb-stomp someone, you're probably a deaf nun. Yes, you expect a band like this to be noisy and difficult to listen to, but Iowa roars with such hellish intensity that it's shocking even for Slipknot. Keep in mind, this is a monstrous mTV-playlisted band, not some fiendish troupe of underground church-burners with a fan base of three people and their moms. To get scathing, abusive music like this from a Grammy-winning band is rare. They never managed to capture this skin-shredding violence again, and few have done it better.
Game-obsessed since the moment I could twiddle both thumbs independently. Equally enthralled by all the genres of music that your parents warned you about.
