Iowa (album)
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| Iowa | |||||
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| Studio album by Slipknot | |||||
| Released | August 28, 2001 | ||||
| Recorded | 2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California | ||||
| Genre | Nu metal | ||||
| Length | 66:23 (original) 70:48 (Japanese special edition) |
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| Label | Roadrunner | ||||
| Producer | Ross Robinson | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
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| Slipknot chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Iowa | |||||
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Iowa is the second studio album of American heavy metal band Slipknot, released August 28, 2001. A first major release since their self-titled album, Iowa is the band's second collaboration with American producer Ross Robinson. The album's title is derived from the band's home state of Iowa.
There was much anticipation from fans, resulting in Iowa premiering in top ten album sales in nine countries. Reviewed well by fans and critics alike, the album included many of the band's hits including "Left Behind" and "My Plague", which were both nominated for a Grammy Award, in 2002 and 2003 respectively. Critic John Molvey hailed the album as the "absolute triumph of nu metal".[1] While more technical than their premiere, Iowa is also considered to be the band's heaviest album. The album has been certified platinum in Canada and the United States.
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[edit] Production and promotion
Iowa was recorded and produced at Sound City studios in Los Angeles, California with Ross Robinson.[2] On January 17, 2001, Slipknot entered the studio to work on their highly anticipated follow up to their debut album Slipknot.[3][4] Despite being a member of Slipknot since 1999, it was the first time guitarist Jim Root had been largely involved in a Slipknot album.[5] He joined the band during the later recording stages of Slipknot and subsequently became more involved with their next album.[3] During an interview with Guitar magazine in November 2001 he explained that; "it was so exciting as well as scary to be part of this whole huge process", adding that there was a lot of pressure from fellow guitarist Mick Thomson to perform well on the record.[5] The album's initial release date was scheduled for June 19, 2001, which was to be preceded by a five-date warm-up tour.[6] However, the mixing of the album took longer than anticipated, causing the album's release to be delayed until August and the cancellation of the tour.[6][7] The album was officially released on August 28, 2001.[8]
The album's title is a reference to the band's home state; most of the members still live relatively anonymously in Des Moines, Iowa. Band members have claimed that Iowa is the source of their energy and they consciously made the decision to stay in the area, somewhat due to the fear of losing their creative direction.[2] The title of the first song, "(515)", is the telephone area code for central Iowa, where Des Moines is located.[9] In support of the album, Slipknot toured with American rock band System Of A Down on the Pledge of Allegiance tour. However, the earliest dates were delayed due to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon.[4] The band also toured with Ozzfest,[10] as well as the Reading Festival in England.[11]
[edit] Music and lyrics
The musical style of Slipknot is a constantly contested issue due to the variety of genres that their music seems to cover. Sources usually group Slipknot within nu metal while also showing influences from other genres, such as heavy metal, rap metal, and alternative metal.[12] Prior to the album's release, band members were promising a much darker and heavier album than Slipknot, with its release many sources praised the band for achieving this and affectively meeting their promises.[7] During an interview in 2008, percussionist Shawn Crahan retrospectively evaluates their time creating the album, proclaiming that they owe their overtly darker sound to their state of mind during that period: "When we did Iowa, we hated each other. We hated the world; the world hated us."[13] Iowa, unlike its predecessor, saw Robinson capturing the band's technicality as opposed to the raw energy that Slipknot is known for.[14] Once again, the band was also praised for its use of their extensive line-up consisting of additional percussionists and electronics. NME stated that "every possible space is covered in scrawl and cymbals: guitars, percussion, electronic squall, subhuman screaming."[14] Although Iowa is widely regarded as the bands heaviest album to date, some tracks do include melody, most apparent in "Everything Ends" and "Left Behind"; however these tracks are still considered heavy when compared to the likes of "Vermilion".[1]
Iowa follows the lyrical style that vocalist Corey Taylor established on Slipknot; it includes strong use of metaphors to describe overtly dark themes including misanthropy, solipsism, disgust, anger, disaffection, psychosis and rejection.[14][15][16] The album also includes many expletives; Ben Meuleman of The Metal Observer said the lyrics were "extremely juvenile" while David Fricke of the Rolling Stone magazine said "there is not much shock value left in the words fuck and shit, which Taylor uses in some variation more than forty times in Iowa's sixty-six minutes".[15][17] Amazon.com's official review said that Taylor's performance on the title track was "a deeply unsettling heavy-metal Midnight Rambler",[18] Fricke also stated that the track is a "vivid evocation of a makeshift-cornfield grave at midnight".[15]
[edit] Reception
Following the huge success of their debut album, Slipknot, anticipation for a follow up was intense.[4] Prior to its release, drummer Joey Jordison proclaimed: "Wait till you hear our fuckin' next record. It smokes our first album. The shit's twice as technical, three times as heavy."[7] There was much speculation over the title of the album before its announcement and Nine Men, One Mission was the expected title by some sources.[3] The College Music Journal reviewed it as "brutal, unrelenting, scorching..."[19] Many reviews noted its heavy themes, the Alternative Press stated, "[it is] like having a plastic bag taped over your head for an hour while Satan uses your scrotum as a speedbag....[It] is over the top...you're going to be left in stitches".[20] NME said that it is "Exhilarating, brutal and good."[14] Rolling Stone credited the album for its originality, "nearly everything else in modern doom rock sounds banal."[21] Producer Robinson was also praised for his work on the album; Uncut noted, "The barely relenting, tumbling noise attack marshalled by nu metal uber-producer Ross Robinson is expert."[22] Reviewing for Yahoo, John Mulvey said, "They're an evolutionary dead end, the final, absolute triumph of nu metal."[1]
The album's first single, "Left Behind", was nominated for the Best Metal Performance at the 2002 Grammy Awards.[23] The second single, "My Plague", was nominated for the same award at the 2003 Grammy Awards.[24] The album was also ranked the sixth in the "50 Albums of the year" by NME in 2001.[14] On October 10, 2001, the album was certified platinum in the United States.[25] In Canada, the Canadian Recording Industry Association certified the album as Platinum, on September 5, 2001.[26] The British Phonographic Industry has certified the album as gold in the UK.[27]
[edit] Track listing
- "(515)" – 0:58
- "People = Shit" – 3:35
- "Disasterpiece" – 5:08
- "My Plague" – 3:40
- "Everything Ends" – 4:14
- "The Heretic Anthem" – 4:14
- "Gently" – 4:54
- "Left Behind" – 4:01
- "The Shape" – 3:37
- "I Am Hated" – 2:37
- "Skin Ticket" – 6:41
- "New Abortion" – 3:36
- "Metabolic" – 3:59
- "Iowa" – 15:04
- Japanese bonus track
- "Liberate" (live) – 4:25
[edit] Chart positions
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[edit] Personnel
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[edit] References
- ^ a b c Mulvey, John (2001-08-23). Slipknot - Iowa. Yahoo Music. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b More Maximum Slipknot, The unauthorised biography of Slipknot, Chrome Dreams, 2004 CD
- ^ a b c Arnopp, Jason (2001). Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks. Ebury. ISBN 0091879337.
- ^ a b c Porter, Dick (2003). Rapcore: The Nu-Metal Rap Fusion. Plexus, London. ISBN 0859653218.
- ^ a b "Wrecking crew", Guitar, 2001-11.
- ^ a b McIver, Joel (2003), Slipknot: Unmasked (Again), Omnibus, ISBN 0711997640
- ^ a b c Udo, Tommy (2002), Brave Nu World, Cromwell, ISBN 186074415X
- ^ Iowa: Overview. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- ^ NPA (Area) codes - Iowa. North American Numbering Plan Administration. Retrieved on 2008-05-17.
- ^ Steve Huey. Slipknot Biography. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- ^ Hubbard, Michael. "Slipknot liven up Reading's finale", BBC News, 2002-08-26. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- ^ Huey, Steve. Slipknot Biography. All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2008-04-14.
- ^ "Slipknot's Clown Talks About Upcoming Album", Blabbermouth, 2008-01-09. Retrieved on 2008-01-10.
- ^ a b c d e Segal, Victoria (2001-08-22). Slipknot: Iowa. NME. Retrieved on 2008-03-21.
- ^ a b c Fricke, David (2001-09-17). Iowa album review. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ Iowa - Slipknot. MP3.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ Meuleman, Ben. Review - Slipknot : Iowa. Metal Observer. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ Wills, Dominic. Iowa Editorial Review. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
- ^ (2001-10-01) Iowa album review. CMJ, 13.
- ^ (2001-07) Iowa album review. Alternative Press, 75.
- ^ Davide Fricke (2001-09-17). Slipknot (Metal): Iowa. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-06-01.
- ^ (2001-11) Iowa album review. Uncut, 120.
- ^ "Slipknot's Paul Gray: "I Know System Of A Down Will Win Grammy"", Blabbermouth.net, 2002-02-27. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
- ^ "Grammy Awards Nominees Announced!", Blabbermouth.net, 2003-01-07. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
- ^ Search for: Iowa. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Search for: Iowa. Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Iowa Certified Awards. British Phonographic Industry (2001-08-24). Retrieved on 2008-02-10.
- ^ a b c UK Top 40 Chart Archive, British Singles & Album Charts. everyhit.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Slipknot Australian Charts. australian-charts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Billboard.com Artist Chart History - Slipknot. Nielsen Business Media Incorporated. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
- ^ Slipknot Finnish Charting. finnishcharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Slipknot Germany Chart history. Musicline.de. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Slipknot New Zealand Charting. Charts.org. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Slipknot French Album Charting. lescharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-09.
- ^ Suche nach: Slipknot. AustrianCharts.at. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Search for: Slipknot. SwedishCharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Search for: Slipknot. NorwegianCharts.com. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Suche nach: Slipknot. HitParade.ch. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Search for: Slipknot. DutchCharts.nl. Retrieved on 2008-02-07.
- ^ Billboard.com Artist Chart History - Slipknot. Nielsen Business Media Incorporated. Retrieved on 2008-01-26.
[edit] External links
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