10 Darkest Hard Rock Albums Ever Made

Metal has never been known to really bother with the mainstream crowd all that often. Even some of the biggest names in the genre like Metallica and Black Sabbath have had to compromise their creative vision to get anywhere close to radio play. When it comes to Slipknot though, there was no compromise needed when making something as savage as Iowa.

Named after the state they called home, this tight knit track listing is one of the most disturbing hellrides the metal genre has ever offered. Pretty much every disturbing topic is out on full force on each of these tracks, from the love letter to human kind People = Sh*t to the lashing out at organized religion on the Heretic Anthem. While the darker moments of the band's debut had suggested something like this on the horizon, this is where everything is pushed to the nth degree, with no real pop hook anywhere in sight.

At a time where they could have sank or swim, this is the sound of Slipknot channeling their anger even more and coming through with one of the most authentic portraits of raw pain condensed into auditory form. Even if it may seem a bit much nowadays, Iowa is something worthy of respect in the world of metal, displaying the sound of 9 misfits angry at the world and trying to shake everything down to its core.