SLIPKNOT (IA) — Iowa (review)

Album · 2001 · Nu Metal

0.5/5 · 2015-08-15
Vim Fuego

Nu-metal played fast is not death metal.

Many people, including a lot of critics who should know better, have been saying this album shows Slipknot's death and black metal influences and contains elements of both styles. This has been sacrilegiously compared to Slayer's landmark album "Reign In Blood". This has been called the direction of metal for the future.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

It's just Korn on amphetamines. If this is death metal, then I'm Ronan Keating.

It's nu-metal played a bit faster than the average bunch of clown-trousered, dog-chained, whining, spike-haired wannabes. That means it has no substance, no feel, little musical skill, and is just downright dreadful. The "aggression" comes across as contrived and calculated.

The lyrics are inane, vapid, and braindead. "If you're 555/Then I'm 666". Truly insightful, I can, like, so relate to that, man, Slipknot feel my pain. And how clever is calling a song "People = Shit"! I'm gonna write it all over my school books, 'cos that's just what I feel! Enough sarcasm...

Musically, it's mush. The drumming is nothing spectacular, despite two extra percussionists. The riffs are recycled and bland, the bass is boring, and vocals are poorly executed. So the vocalist can scream and sing. Try it yourself- it's not difficult at all, and many do it much better. The addition of four extra musicians than the band needs adds nothing noticeable to the sound whatsoever.

This is nu-metal pabulum stuck in a blender. Sure, it's faster than normal nu-metal, but at the end of the day, it still tastes the same.

more than 2 years ago
Permalink
Report #312060

Share this review

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer

Please login to post a shout

voila_la_scorie wrote:

more than 2 years ago

So, after owning Vol. 3 since it came out and only liking one song, I finally sold it for a pittance to a second hand CD store, and then I started thinking that perhaps I should have listened to it once more or maybe I’d like another album better like perhaps Iowa. And now I feel that I really don’t need to try to Slipknot. I can just leave them and keep searching for good stuff elsewhere.

Kingcrimsonprog wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Yeah, its definitely not Death Metal at all, but there are slight influences audible, in some of the Mick riffs, some of the drumming and some of the backing vocals. Very slight. I can get how one may be offended if someone tried to call the whole thing Death Metal, but there's definitely a wee twinge of DM influence here and there, moreso on this album than any of their others.

I know Mick is in love with Morbid Angel and Joey was in love with Deicide so I understand how tiny bits seeped in, but there is no argument to be made whatsoever that this is straight Death Metal.

Vim Fuego wrote:

more than 2 years ago

@KingCrimson... When Slipknot first came to general notice, they were called death metal by the more clueless members of the media and the nu-metal scene in particular, possibly to earn more musical street cred.

UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

Never been my poison either, but I´ve somehow still managed to see them three times live LOL.

siLLy puPPy wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I've never been able to get into Slipknot either no matter how much i try. Guess i can't like everything

Unitron wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I love Slipknot's debut 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.', that one actually has some death metal elements and some avant-garde stuff too. I'm not really a big fan of their other albums, but I do enjoy this one and Vol. 3 musically. I always get a good laugh though when hearing The Heretic Anthem.

Kingcrimsonprog wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I really like this album :)
I wouldn't call it death metal by any means, and like every slipknot album the lyrics are god awful, but I love the music. Fun, catchy, reminds me of my youth.

I get it that if you came in wanting death metal it'd be wrong, but if you come in to Motorhead expecting Chuck Berry it'd be wrong, but it still works for motorhead fans :)

Necrotica wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I don't agree with the review, although I can definitely see how people wouldn't like this. I'm pretty mixed on Slipknot; I'd say All Hope is Gone is my favorite by them because it's the closest they get to straight-up classic metal