10 Greatest Shock Rock Acts
4. Slipknot
As nu metal was on the rise at the turn of millennium, 9 misfits from the middle of nowhere shook up the music world. Coming out of Iowa, Slipknot burst onto the scene with some of the most intense metal music that had ever been heard. With their heavy opus Iowa, the band crafted a visceral set of tunes that combined elements of every heavy genre from metal to hardcore to grindcore.
When it came to the live stage, Slipknot were masters of keeping an audience on their toes. Each member sported a trademark mask whose graphic nature defined the member's role in the band collective. The band also incorporates everything from fire walls to massive drum risers that main percussionist Clown dominates every night. The devotion to this intensity was so high that for a time the band kept a decomposing crow on tour that they would smell in order to get into the mindset of the performance.
Over 20 years, the band has developed a congregation of fans affectionately known as the Maggots. With their new album still bringing the pain, Slipknot have found the formula for how to become a truly unstoppable metal force.