In 1995, a heavy metal band that would change the rock n’ roll industry would come into existence. 

Slipknot, formed in Des Moines, Iowa, would come to have approximately 14.7 million listeners on Spotify alone by March of 2024. The band even managed to obtain one billion streams with their hit song “Duality.” 

Twenty-five years ago, Slipknot released their self-titled debut album. The album, which plays a major role in their modern day popularity, was so successful thatthe band released a new-and-improved version on its anniversary. 

On September 5, the band released their anniversary album, officially titled “Slipknot (25th Anniversary Edition)”. The original album was released with only 15 songs, while the anniversary album has an additional 17 songs, some of which were previously unreleased. The band wanted to immortalize the first release while also looking at their process and early path. 

The band’s path to “world domination” started with their uncompromising artistic vision. Despite what the band wanted, they did not think they would be very successful, leading them to mainly make music for themselves. 

At one point, Slipknot was struggling financially and would sleep where they could and eat anything affordable. However, once the self-titled debut album was released, it quickly became one of the most successful records their producers, Roadrunner,had to-date. It even achieved  triple platinum status in the U.S. by selling 3 million units. 

The band first ever began their recording process at Indigo Ranch Studios, where they were told to  perform chaotically to capture the intensity of their music. They were even encouraged to be as “aggressive as possible” according to Revolver magazine. While recording, to keep the angry tone in the music, the members would break things as well as having back-handed comments shouted around them. 

By the end of recording their debut  album, Corey Taylor, the lead vocalist, stated he was broken in a way. Today,  the band’s process is much calmer. Instead of recording just how the studio wants, they are all able to blend their own ideas and melodies. 

For the anniversary album, the original songs had nothing changed other than being digitally remastered to improve the sound quality.  The Indigo Ranch mixes are a more raw, unmixed version of the debut. The mixes highlight the more chaotic energy with a bit of a different sound, highlighting characteristics like clearer vocals or emphasis on instrumentals. 

“(sic)”

The difference between the original song – “(sic)” – and each of the mixes is that both the mixes have a more aggressive tone. The Ulrich Wild Mix starts off heavier and has more of a low tone, along with more of the “death growl”, which is a low-pitched harsh grumble. There is also  a bigger presence of drums. The Molt-Injected mix has clearer vocals in comparison to the Ulrich Wild mix and the original versions of “(sic)”.

“Wait and Bleed”

The original version of “Wait and Bleed” has clear vocals, along with a strong guitar presence with hyper energy. The demo version of the song is calmer off the bat and is less aggressive throughout the song. The guitar does not sound as heavy as the original, allowing for a calmer feel to the song. The Terry Date mix also shows clearer vocals but manages to keep the same chaotic vibe as the original version.

“Surfacing” 

“Surfacing” is an extremely chaotic, aggressive song, even in the original. The Jay Baumgardner mix focuses more on the guitar work, while also having some vocals that become distinctively more comprehensible. 

“Spit It Out”

The original version of the song has an equal mixture of everything: the vocals are strong, and the guitar is easy to hear. The Hyper version of “Spit It Out” is more vocally focused, allowing for the vocals to be easier to decipher and understand. The anniversary album’s version is also much faster paced, hence why it is called the hyper version. The “Stamp You out” version is slower, having longer points for words and more “death growls” when possible.

“Prosthetics”

“Prosthetics” has a different vibe to the introduction compared to the other songs. The song is much more guttural and is actively trying to grab the listeners attention. It starts off with much deeper instrumentals and vocals. However, the demo version is both more calm and  slow. 

“Only One”

The original version of this song has the same vibe as all the other Slipknot songs; it is very chaotic. The demo starts off slightly different. It is more calm and has a slower pace, making it feel less extreme in comparison to other songs on the album. As for the Jay Baumgarderner mix, it starts off deep, with lower notes and more emphasis on the vocals and more attention to instrumentals at different points. 

“Me Inside”

The original is more calm and slow in comparison to the demo, with less aggressive music. The demo has a deeper focus on vocals, having clean instrumentals instead of Slipknot’s usual M.O. With more growls –  which are assumed to be the former vocalist Anders Colsefni – along with some additional lyric changes.

Overall, the album is a great blast from the past. Even with the new songs and spins, the anniversary album provides a sense of nostalgia when listening to the old songs. Arguably out of all the different mixes, the Jay Baumgardner Mix is the better one, because of the showcasing the bands talent on the guitar.  Both new and old Slipknot fans should definitely take a moment to  listen.