Twenty-six years ago, Slipknot, the notorious nine-piece metal band from Iowa, entered the Malibu-based Indigo Ranch studio to create one of the most influential and intense albums of the 1990s.
The location was serene and beautiful, with the Pacific Ocean glistening in the background and palm trees lining the streets. The setting was worlds apart from the brutal, chaotic music they were about to record. “I remember going down the PCH, the Pacific Ocean sparkling, headed up Barrymore Drive into Solstice Canyon with our 2-ton truck of gear and thinking, ‘We’re so out of our element,’” recalled percussionist and founding member Shawn Crahan, also known as Clown. “I remember it being polar opposites, being in an insanely beautiful place, making this festering thing.”
The album that came out of those sessions in 1999, Slipknot, raised the bar for extreme metal music. At a time when nü-metal dominated the charts, with bands like Korn and Limp Bizkit battling it out with teen pop on MTV’s Total Request Live, Slipknot managed to carve out a unique space in music history. Their self-titled debut was dark, aggressive, and boundary-pushing, combining scabrous riffs with melodic elements that made the songs stand out, even as they embraced an unrelenting heaviness.
One of the things that made Slipknot instantly iconic was their nine-member lineup, complete with grotesque masks and hidden identities. The imagery was intense, and it fit perfectly with the chaotic music they were creating. Their debut didn’t just succeed musically; it became a cultural phenomenon, eventually leading the band to earn three No. 1 albums. Rather than conform to commercial trends or attempt to make “radio-friendly” hits, Slipknot created a subculture all their own, inspiring a fanbase of die-hard followers they affectionately call “maggots.”
Two decades and seven albums later, the band is still going strong. In fact, they are currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut. Their influence on modern metal cannot be overstated, with the album’s corrosive, experimental approach still resonating with bands and fans alike. As part of their anniversary tour, Slipknot will be performing at the Intuit Dome on September 13-14, marking the first hard rock shows in the new arena.
In an interview with The Times, Clown and Slipknot’s newest member, Eloy Casagrande, who joined as the drummer, reflected on the legacy of their debut album and what keeps the band relevant after all these years.
The Origins of Chaos: Recording Slipknot
For Clown, the recording of Slipknot’s debut album was nothing short of intense. The band spent weeks in pre-production before diving into long, grueling 10-hour recording days. Working with producer Ross Robinson, who was known for pushing bands to their absolute limits, was both a blessing and a trial. “It’s good to be pressured, it’s good to have someone point at you and to be scared because you’ve got to think differently,” Clown said. “Most people won’t make a record like that now. It costs too much.”
Back then, bands didn’t have the luxury of recording at home on laptops or tweaking every note with digital tools. Slipknot recorded their debut album on 2-inch tape, a process that required precision and physical stamina. “Real music, from Roy Orbison to Phil Spector to Aretha Franklin and Muddy Waters, there’s a lineage of exploring sound put onto tape, how vibrations turn into electricity,” Clown explained. “We’ve gone from John Lennon to just putting a record out on YouTube. How much of that will be here in a year? Ten?”
The brutal, visceral nature of the recording process was evident in the final product. Slipknot’s debut album wasn’t just another record; it was an event, a sonic assault that demanded the listener’s full attention. “When music’s no longer the truest vibration of itself, I can hear it,” Clown said.
Metal and Mainstream Success
In the late 1990s, heavy metal was enjoying an unexpected moment of mainstream success. Nü-metal bands were topping the charts, and even traditional metal acts were gaining newfound popularity. Despite this, Slipknot’s debut album was notably more challenging than what most metal fans were used to. The band had a vision that was dark, disturbing, and often terrifying. “I had a dark forest, graves, a deep molten smell, and we found our own ways to unlock that,” Clown explained.
The band’s striking image only added to their mystique. With grotesque masks, jumpsuits, and a chaotic live show, Slipknot quickly developed a reputation for pushing boundaries. “I remember people looking at the CD cover, seeing the band and going, ‘What the hell am I listening to? Who the hell is this on the cover? A circus? Bank robbers?’” Clown laughed. “Then they’d see us, put our faces with the instruments, then it’s over for everyone.”
Eloy Casagrande: Slipknot’s New Drummer
Joining Slipknot was a dream come true for Eloy Casagrande, a 33-year-old drummer from Brazil who had spent years playing with Sepultura. He had been a fan of Slipknot since his teenage years and never imagined he would one day be part of the band. “When I first got the call from management, I went crazy,” Casagrande said. “I had to keep silent, just my wife and mom were the only ones who knew.”
Casagrande had four months to prepare for his debut show with the band at Pappy & Harriet’s in April 2023. It was a nerve-wracking experience, but the drummer rose to the challenge. “The whole day, I was in shock,” he admitted. “But 20 minutes before we went on, I felt really calm. The band came and gave me a hug, and the show was one of the best of my life.”
Despite his initial nerves, Casagrande quickly found his groove within Slipknot’s chaotic sound. He even brought his own Brazilian musical influences to the table. “I really respect what Joey [Jordison] and Jay [Weinberg] did for the band, they were both so special and they are legends. But I grew up playing Brazilian music, that’s in my blood. When I play metal, Brazilian stuff is inside of it,” he explained.
Casagrande’s addition to the band has already had a profound impact on Slipknot’s sound, with the drummer adding new ideas and elements to the band’s already complex musical palette.
The Legacy of Slipknot and What Lies Ahead
Twenty-five years later, Slipknot’s debut album is still as relevant as ever. Its raw intensity, experimental approach, and refusal to conform to mainstream trends have inspired countless bands. “Every year you have young men and women in high school that want an aggressive song as the theme to the way they think,” Clown mused. “What we created, they still get it.”
Slipknot’s fans, known as maggots, have grown up with the band, and many of them are now bringing their own children to shows. “We have grandkids coming to shows, new babies brought to shows with Mom and Dad,” Clown said proudly.
For Slipknot, staying relevant means staying true to their roots. They still record live, without relying on digital tricks, and their live shows are a chaotic, visceral experience. “We don’t play with a metronome, I only have one onstage so I can look at it and count in at the right tempo. Ninety percent of bands use backing tracks and metronomes, but we play 100% live,” Casagrande explained.
As they continue to tour and work on new music, Slipknot shows no signs of slowing down. “I want a band that’ll keep me alive, a living band open to everything that will keep moving forward,” Casagrande said.
As the band celebrates the 25th anniversary of their debut, they’re already looking ahead to the future. And as long as they keep channeling their aggressive energy into their music, Slipknot’s legacy will continue to grow.
