Slipknot (album) - Musical and Lyrical Themes

Musical 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 even rap metal. Due to the band's large line-up consisting of additional percussionists and electronics the album has a very dense, layered sound. Alternative Press stated that the album used "inventive sampling, creative guitar work and an absolute percussive overload", 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.

742617000027 is the intro track to the album. It contains some guitar scratches and abstract sound samples from the sampler Craig Jones. Some of the dialogue was taken from a Charles Manson documentary. The dialogue is: "The whole thing, I think, is sick."

742617000027 was the shipping code on their 1996 self-released album, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. All the band members wear that number on their jumpsuits.

When Slipknot played this in concert, it opened their set and was often accompanied by a clip from the film Gummo. The sample can be found during a scene in which two youths are smashing car windows.

The album features Corey Taylor as lead vocalist; he had previously appeared on their second demo which, in turn, resulted in them signing to Roadrunner Records. However, he is not a founding member of Slipknot and did not appear on the band's first demo Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. upon Anders Colsefni performing as lead vocalist of Slipknot at the time. Rick Anderson of Allmusic noted that on "Scissors", Taylor "actually sounds like he's about to burst into tears." Taylor's aggressive, expletive filled lyrics were noted by Allmusic; "(those) 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." "Eeyore", a hidden track placed at the end of "Scissors" begins after dialogue shared among the band members that was recorded while they were viewing a scene in a pornographic film that involved coprophilia is heard. The lyrical concept of "Eeyore" describes Taylor's feeling 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.