2. Slipknot - Slipknot 1999
When these 9 scary as f**k, maniacs literally burst onto the music scene at the tail end of the decade, no one, knew what on earth to make of them. Who were they? What were they and from under what rock did they crawl out of. The music was as agressive and terrifying as the image. Each member wore matching boiler suits, with their allocated number on, and evil masks that, apparently mirrored their personality, in some warped, twisted and demented way. Nowadays, the effect has been dulled down hugely by most of them unmasking, and talking to the press, doing in-depth interviews. Imagine if they had never done either, how much would the mystery and intrigue still be at a high? Mixing up Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Hip Hop style scratching and samples, and elements of the then huge, Nu-Metal genre, theirs was a sound all their own, and certainly uncompromising and brutal. Also, a large part of the bands sonic identity, was an emphasis on extra percussion instruments, including steel drums, and oversize acoustic drums played by two of the members. This only made the band weightier and more abrasive. Producer Ross Robinson, was seen as the only logical choice to try and hone and capture the band's live sound, whilst dealing with 9 individuals, some of whom are far from being easy to work with. Band leader and one of the extra percussionists, Shawn Crahan, or "Clown", as is his band persona, is a large, intimidating and uncompromising presence who oversees just about every aspect of the band, needed a producer who wouldn't be bullied. Robinson had already drawn out quite a number of band's most raw and emotionally fraught, if not always finest, records. His trick (particularly with vocalists) is to get under musicians skin, finds out what makes them tick and what their personal demons are, and exploit them, in order to get the emotion from a take that can be, at times, difficult to listen to. A prime example of this can be heard on the track, "Scissors", where vocalist, Corey Taylor, can be heard actually on the edge of tears. Robinson, has been known to push vocalists to breakdown, to the point where they either hate him, and deliver a performance full of rage and anger, or crumble and sob, at which point, he keeps the tape running. Yes, Robinson was definitely the man for the job. Lead single, 'Wait and Bleed', sets a great tone for the dynamics of the majority of the whole album, sometimes melodically brooding and dark, then without warning, exploding into pure aggression and hateful outpourings. Corey Taylor is known as one of the most versatile vocalists in Metal, and it only takes the opening track, '(sic)', to see why, showing the most aggressive end of his vocal range. 'Eyeless', has a rather unsettling Drum and Bass intro, with eerie guitar dischords, before giving away to an even faster and angrier riff, backed by the relentless drumming of Joey Jordison, before giving away to a monster breakdown. There are highlights scattered all over the album, and never since have they sounded so hungry and urgent. Their second record, 'Iowa', was an incredible release and perhaps, even more heavy, tapping much more into their Death Metal influences, and 'Vol 3 - Subliminal Verses', was rich in great songwriting, but it is here, when they sound at their most innovative and vital. 'Slipknot', is among the most influential, both musically and culturally, in this list of releases.