Attributes of Slipknot members: the idea of masks, tattoos, interviews with musicians

Appeared on the music scene in the 1990s alternative metal quickly filled the music space with his unusual and new arrangements, combining heavy metal and alternative rock, hip-hop and grunge, and even funk! Hence the popularity of bands like Rage Against The Machine, Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach and Korn. All of them are unique in their own way, but among such bands stand out those who went with their pioneering even further. We're talking, of course, about the band from Iowa State Slipknotwhich means "noose" or "noose" in English.

Project created in 1995 By Sean KrayenSlipknot's success is largely due to their distinctive style and, undoubtedly, their exceptional musical imagination. Slipknot has been around for almost 30 yearsand despite their hardships and difficult moments, they continue to delight fans with their music and put on amazing shows.

Permanent experiments with the sound and performance of the band at the live shows resulted in the creation of a separate stage image, which many people envy and even try to imitate. Metal Olympus was quickly conquered - with the release of the breakthrough album "Slipknot", constant invitations to tour, the revival in 2004 and the release of "Before I Forget"which won a Grammy, one of the most influential music awards in the world. It was a real success. But it wouldn't have been possible without the outstanding "chips." Slipknot, which is the subject of this article.

How did the idea for the masks come about?

When the band was, you could say, in its "infancy, Sean Kreyen at one of his first performances, he solved the problem of stage fright in a very creative way: he simply put on a clown mask. Sean fit in well with the Halloween festivities, for which the concert:

"We were very nervous, and all we did was walk around the dressing room in languid anticipation. Everyone was wondering what to wear to the concert, what to perform in... Personally, I quickly solved the problem: I put on my clown mask and announced that I would wear it on stage. The others, of course, did not appreciate and asked where I got such an idiotic mask. But I no longer cared... Probably fortunately, because now we all perform in masks!

In 1999, in a full concert, Slipknot took to the stage in intimidating masks in its entirety. So easily and effortlessly they created their unique style, which at first did not reflect the creative self-expressionsbecause the idea with the masks came up spontaneously. This does not mean, however, that it did not later develop into a real phenomenon.

Lead singer Corey Taylor: "As soon as I joined Slipknot, I knew right away that we needed to evolve and stay relevant in a way. One of the things we just had to do was find ways to look like one without being forced to do anything. Masks were a great way out!"

The history of masks - what they mean and who hides under them

How have all the Slipknot masks changed over more than 25 years? In 1999, with the release of the debut album Corey TaylorFor example, he used a simple bag for the mask in which he made certain notches for the eyes, mouth and nose. There were also cutouts for dreadlocks. Guitarist Mick Thomson at this time had hockey maskwhich later became more extravagant - turned into a leather one with a similar silhouette and stitched mouth.

Second guitarist Jim Root wore a terrifying mask The Jestersaying that it reflects his essence. The Drummer Joey Jordison impressed by the scary mask of the Japanese Kabuki Theater, he decided to wear it as a stage image. And the band's bassist. Paul Gray as the first mask I chose pig snout.

Slipknot sampler and keyboardist Craig Jones came up with an amazing mask: taking the helmet, he pierced it with many large nails. This is the attribute he still wears to this day. Sean Krayen, a permanent member of the band, still has the mask. clown and even got that nickname. And percussionist Chris Fen is also not oblivious to his image as a long-nosed Pinocchioreflecting his cheerful nature.

DJ Sid Wilson He started with performing in a modified gas mask, and in the last Slipknot album, released in 2022, he appeared in three new looks at once. So did Corey Taylor, for whom masks are the outward expression of the human soul, which does not stay the same with the passage of time.

A little bit about tattoos - an attribute that musicians try to hide like their faces

Metal musicians are also famous for their eccentric and extravagant image. For example, the members of Slipknot, in addition to the masks that hide their faces, try to be so closed that they also hide their tattoos! All this helps musicians focus fans' attention on their alternative appearance and pay attention to holistic images.

In 2014, a tattoo literally gave away the secret identity of Slipknot's new bassist, the British Alessandro Venturellawho appeared for the first time in the video for the song "The Devil In I". The thing is that Alessandro has a distinctive pattern on his hand, which Slipknot fans quickly compared to what they saw in the music video for the single from the album ".5: The Gray Chapter. By the way, now Venturella is well established in the band and remains the bassist of Slipknot.

"As soon as I realized we'd screwed up, I wondered why we hadn't made him wear gloves! I was pretty upset, because we'd taken care of everything else: the hood, the mask... But we'd forgotten about the tattoos!" said Cory Taylor.