07/15/00

Rating : four out of five stars.

 The first thing most people notice about Slipknot is their appearance. Decked out in matching prison-style jumpsuits and what I refer to as "serial killer" masks, Slipknot are an imposing bunch. I like to think the reason they dress like this isn't so much a gimmick as something to keep people from not focusing on what each member of the group looks like and instead pay more attention to the music.

 Musically, they merge somewhere between the guitar heavy crunch and fury of Pantera and the moody industrial sound of Trent Reznor. Some of the songs are pretty much traditional metal, which is nice to hear for a change. Of course, they add the now mandatory turntable scratching, loops and samples.

 For those of you who got hooked by their melodic single Wait And Bleed, you might be surprised at how heavy the rest of the CD is. This isn't a casual listening CD, this is a get your aggressions out CD, turn it up and piss off the neighbors! There's no cute ballad or false sentimentality here, just raw aggression.
 One of my favorites on this CD are EYELESS which starts out with a manic jungle loop and transforms into a huge monster beat.

Bottom Line : This isn't a good time party CD, this is a mosh-pit, elbow in face CD. Heavy guitars, furious double bass drums interspersed with loops, turntable scratches and furious singing/screaming/wailing.

Official Website : http://www.slipknot1.com