10 Band Members That Are Way More Important Than You Think

It’s hard to be the center of attention in a band like Slipknot. Even though Corey Taylor and Clown have become major figures in the metal world after showing their faces, sometimes the best players in the band fall into the background behind their horrifying stage garb. As for Mick Thomson though, he might actually prefer privacy.

Because even though he works in tandem with Jim Root, Thomson is reserved underneath his Jason Voorhees mask, looking to just headbang and throw together riffs in the background. For all of the music that he brings to the table though, Mick is responsible for never forgetting the band’s heavy as hell roots, always pulling from black metal for the crux of his riffs, like the horror movie sounds on Surfacing or the massive battering ram on Eyeless.

Even though Root takes the melodic solos in a lot of Slipknot’s work, Thomson’s leads are where the shredding comes in, taking his cues from guys like Johnny Winter to make a flurry of notes on tracks like Psychosocial. Slipknot may have mellowed out in some places over time, but Thomson was never one for ballads. This is the man behind the sound of Iowa, and he’s willing to throw down every time he gets behind the fretboard.