I distinctly remember the morning of August 28, 2001. I was in a weird space at the time – technically unemployed, yet I still found myself at Best Buy when the doors opened to score a copy of IOWA, the second album from SLIPKNOT. The Heretic Anthem was already on my computer as a pre-release MP3 at a time when digital singles were still a frightening prospect for the music industry, and having already been hooked by the band’s self-titled debut just a couple years prior, I had to get my hands on the new record. A decade later, IOWA still holds up, and remains my favorite release in the SLIPKNOT library of audio domination.
Despite the flawless production at the hands of Ross Robinson (returning after helming the first Roadrunner release), IOWA was harsh. It was a grating slice of pure anger that felt raw and dripped with emotion. It was real, and the connection was immediate. Listen to the way that Joey’s cymbals reverberate in the space between riffs at the opening of My Plague, or the way you can practically feel Paul’s fingers sliding on the bass of Gently. Moments like that gave breathing room and humanity to a machine that was fueled by darkness and personal demons.
If the aforementioned Heretic Anthem wasn’t just that – an anthem – in name alone, People=Shit sure as hell was. And they were both songs that I could relate to – not to mention I Am Hated, Disasterpiece, and Left Behind were all present on IOWA as well.
Aside from an alternate mix of My Plague, the original album is neither improved upon, nor diminished on the 10th Anniversary presentation. What sweetens the deal for a re-purchase is the inclusion of the full audio from the DISASTERPIECES DVD, and the documentary film GOAT which looks at the IOWA album cycle through archival footage and all-new interviews.
It’s hard to believe that SLIPKNOT has only released four proper studio albums over the course of their career, but in 2001 they set the bar. It was the time when the nine – (#0) Sid Wilson (#1) Joey Jordison (#2) Paul Gray (#3) Chris Fehn (#4) Jim Root (#5) Craig “133” Jones (#6) M Shawn “Clown” Crahan (#7) Mick Thomson (#8) Corey Taylor – came together and gelled as one.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
