That having been said I am going to start on my first topic, the very popular and controversial band Slipknot. I first heard about them when a lot of people did in 1999 after their first full length album came out. Seeing the creepy masks and bizarre jumpsuits, then hearing the viciously angry music, I (being a 15 year old freshman in high school) had to buy it. At this time in my life though I was very fickle about music and soon got tired of it and sold it. In the summer of 2001 I went to my first concert, Ozzfest. There I got to see Hatebreed for the first time, the original four members of Black Sabbath on their last tour together, Marilyn Manson back in Denver for the first time since Columbine, and of course Slipknot. At this time they decided to try to be more evil and were proudly playing their new song "Heretic Anthem." At the time I was very uncomfortable with the lyrics, so by the time their second album came out I was only mildly interested. I was also uncertain if it was even right for me as a Christian to be listening to them. A friend of mine from school gave me a burned copy; I listened to it for a while but eventually got tired of it and threw it away. I then decided that I was done with Slipknot and that they were poser sellouts and too mainstream anyway. Since then I cared little and paid even less attention to them and their side projects. I certainly wasn't going to listen to Stone Sour since Corey Taylor was the singer. (I did however get into the Murderdolls when their first album came out; I like that new gothic/glam metal sound bands have, but I don't really care for their new album.)
Fast forward to this year: now that I have satellite I have been watching That Metal Show. I bet you can see where this is going. Corey Taylor was the guest once, unmasked of course, and I was surprised how intelligent and interesting he was, so my curiosity was piqued to give Slipknot and Stone Sour another chance. I chose to listen to Slipknot's newest album, the morosely titled "All Hope is Gone." I was surprised at how evolved the band sounded and enjoyed the use of Taylor's singing ability. Still it was Slipknot: the lyrics are very dark, they curse, although not as much as on earlier albums, and the music is very angry, so I wasn't just going to jump back on the bandwagon. Then I listened to Stone Sour. I did so on the website Grooveshark. On each band's page they have a list of the top five songs in popularity at the top of the page for easy finding. I picked a couple from the list at random and gave them a whirl. Honestly I was amazed at how good they were. I listened to "Through the Glass," and "Say You'll Haunt Me." I realize now that they have more aggressive songs, but these were the ones that sold me. I have to admit that now I am a Stone Sour fan, and to a lesser degree a Slipknot fan. As for the issue of Slipknot's lyrics, they still aren't my favorite, but I realize that they could be much worse and they do make me think, so I will tolerate them, for good or ill.
So here are some issues for discussion: I do believe that Slipknot are a Metal band, but not Nu Metal; instead I think they are a part of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal (e.g. Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, etc. See the film Metal: a Headbanger's Journey). Nu Metal has a lot of influences of Grunge and/or Hip-Hop, which Slipknot does not. Nu Metal bands also tend to have riffs that have a lot of pauses which Slipknot doesn't, and they are just plain heavier than most Nu Metal bands. What do you think? Also, what do you think of their lyrics? Plus, is there anyway to justify the comment someone in the band made that really their message is positive? Finally, what genre is Stone Sour? Nu Metal? Alternative (Like Alter Bridge)? Or Maybe Hard Rock? I'm not sure yet. Any and all thoughts on these questions are coveted.
