eyeless adj

1 lacking eyes or eyelike features; "eyeless fish that evolved in dark caves"; "an eyeless needle" [ant: eyed]

2 lacking sight; "blind as an eyeless beggar" [syn: sightless, unseeing]

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -aɪləs

Adjective

1. Having no eyes (organs of sight).

Slipknot is the major label debut album by the American nu metal band Slipknot. The album was originally released on June 29, 1999; however due to controversy surrounding the track "Purity" it was re-released in December with a slightly altered track listing and mastering.

The album was produced by Ross Robinson, who sought to refine Slipknot's sound rather than alter the group's musical direction. The album spans many genres, but is generally noted for its extensive percussion and overall heavy sound. Slipknot was well received by fans and critics alike and was responsible for bringing Slipknot a large increase in popularity. The album peaked at number 51 on the Billboard 200, and has gone on to become certified double platinum in the United States, making it the band's bestselling album.

Recording and production

On September 29, 1998, Slipknot left Des Moines, Iowa for Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, anxious to record an album after a long wait to be signed. Slipknots recording process was very aggressive and chaotic, as producer Ross Robinson strove to capture the intensity that the band created when performing live. Within three days all the drums were recorded, which contributed to the raw, live sound on the album that the band considers integral to its musical direction. By November 11, 1998, the recording of the album seemed complete and the band returned to Des Moines. During the Christmas period, guitarist Josh Brainard, who recorded on all the tracks to that point, decided to leave the band due to family constraints. Slipknot finished recording during this period, with two extra songs: a re-recording of "Me Inside", and a new track called "Purity". The mixing stages were very challenging, as drummer Joey Jordison and producer Robinson mastered the entire album by hand, with traditional equipment, instead of using computerized technology.

Music style and lyrical themes

The musical style of Slipknot is a constantly contested issue and the genres that the band are categorized in vary depending on the source, however, the band is generally regarded as nu metal, while showing influences of many different genres. The influence of death metal on the album is clear and on the subject Jordison stated; "the roots are death metal, thrash, speed metal, and I could go on and on about all those bands." The album also shows influences from alternative metal and rap metal. while Q described the album as "a terrifying racket". Slipknot also includes melody, most notably in the single "Wait and Bleed" and is considered to be done with expertise and precision. However, he did not appear on the band's first release Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat. Taylor's aggressive, explitive filled lyrics were described as, "lyrics that are discernible are not generally quotable on a family website; suffice it to say that the members of Slipknot are not impressed with their fathers, their hometown, or most anything else." The song describes Taylor's rage against a man who issued a death threat to him during a Slipknot concert. It has been played live many times and appears on both the DVD Disasterpieces and the live album 9.0: Live. Reviewing for All Music Guide, Rick Anderson awarded the album four out of five stars calling it "an auspicious debut" and proclaimed, "You thought Limp Bizkit was hard? They're the Osmonds. These guys are something else entirely. And it's pretty impressive." Kerrang! added "raw and wholly uncompromising, each track delivered a powerful blow to the senses" and in 2001, Q included the album in their list of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time". CMJ ranked the album as the twelfth highest "Editorial Pick" for 1999. The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

A single from the album, "Wait and Bleed", was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2001 Grammy Awards. The song was also named the 36th greatest metal song of all time, by VH1. The release of the album and the touring which followed, greatly increased the band's popularity. The album became the "biggest selling extreme metal album at the time." On May 2, 2000, the album was certified platinum in the United States, a first for any album released by Roadrunner Records. In the United States, it has sold over 2,000,000 copies; on February 5, 2005, the RIAA certified it Double Platinum. The British Phonographic Industry has certified the album as Gold in the UK.

Controversy

After the release of the album, the band was accused of copyright infringement regarding the lyrics of the song "Purity". Taylor was inspired by a story he had read about a girl named Purity Knight who was kidnapped and buried alive. Although Taylor insisted that he thought the story was true, the author claimed it was fictional. The author objected to its use in the song and Slipknot were forced to remove "Purity" and its short sample-filled prelude "Frail Limb Nursery" from the album. As a result, the band released slightly remastered standard and digipak versions of the album in December 1999, replacing both tracks with "Me Inside". The band however still play the song during live performances and it is included in the band's second DVD Disasterpieces as well as the live album 9.0 Live.

Track listing

All songs credited to Slipknot.

1. "742617000027" – 0:35
2. "(Sic)" – 3:19
3. "Eyeless" – 3:56
4. "Wait and Bleed" – 2:27
5. "Surfacing" – 3:38
6. "Spit It Out" – 2:39
7. "Tattered & Torn" – 2:53
8. "Frail Limb Nursery" – 0:45
9. "Purity" – 4:14
10. "Liberate" – 3:06
11. "Prosthetics" – 4:58
12. "No Life" – 2:47
13. "Diluted" – 3:23
14. "Only One" – 2:26
15. "Scissors" – 19:15 (with hidden track "Eeyore")

1. "Me Inside" – 2:39
2. "Liberate" – 3:06
3. "Prosthetics" – 4:58
4. "No Life" – 2:47
5. "Diluted" – 3:23
6. "Only One" – 2:26
7. "Scissors" – 19:18 (with hidden track "Eeyore")
8. "Scissors" – 8:25
9. "Get This" – 2:03
10. "Spit It Out" (Hyper version) – 2:24
11. "Wait and Bleed" (Terry Date mix) – 2:31
12. "Interloper" (Demo) – 2:18
13. "Despise" (Demo) – 3:41
14. "Surfacing" (live) – 12:39 (with hidden track "Eeyore")

Chart positions

Personnel

• (#8) Corey Taylor – vocals
• (#7) Mick Thomson – guitars
• (#0) Sid Wilson – turntables
• (#6) Shawn Crahan – custom percussion
• (#2) Paul Gray – bass
• (#1) Joey Jordison – drums
• (#3) Chris Fehn – custom percussion
• (#4) James Root – guitars
• (#5) Craig Jones – samples, media
• Josh Brainard – guitar (uncredited)
• Ross Robinson – producer
• Joey Jordison, Ross Robinson, Chuck Johnson and Sean McMahon – mixing
• Chuck Johnson – engineer
• Rob Agnello – second engineer
• Eddy Schreye – mastering
• Ross Robinson – A&R
• Monte Conner – A&R for Roadrunner Records
• Jeffrey Light – legal representation
• Stefan Seskis – cover and tray photography
• Dean Karr – band photography
• t42design – design and lettering
• Lynda Kusnetz – creative director

References

• Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks

Notes

External links

• Slipknot's Official website