10 Greatest Debut Albums In Metal

There was always an inherent level of seriousness when nu metal started to blow up. Whereas some acts like Deftones were able to ride the waves of their counterparts, you didn't really need to question the tongue-in-cheek nature of something like Limp Bizkit when it came on the radio. On the other end of things was Slipknot, whose debut felt like unleashing war in musical form.

On the surface, the idea of having these 9 metalheads in masks almost seems like a joke if not done properly, but the riffs on here can rarely be denied. Across songs like Eyeless and Surfacing, the entire track feels like you're being lowered into the deepest depths of the underworld, as sudden jolts of noise break out all around you. Compared to the more forced electronic elements on other albums, Sid Wilson's performance on here is very tasteful, turning traditional beats on their head and making them fit within the context of the rest of the song.

That's before you even get a taste of Corey Taylor's scream, which is still one of the most aggressive voices in the music industry across tracks like Wait and Bleed and especially Only One. Instead of the disgruntled kids in JNCO jeans, Slipknot's debut was the sound of nu metal taken to its most extreme conclusion.