Appearing on stage wearing masks, boiler suits and referring to themselves with numbers rather than names, Slipknot's alternative image and fast-paced, thrashing sound created renewed interest in the heavy metal genre when they emerged as a major force in the late 1990s.Their earliest incarnation was a band called Painface, formed in Des Moines, Iowa by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. This gestated into Slipknot and began using samples with a turntable DJ which set them apart from most metal bands present at the time. Soon they were branded with the genre of nu-metal, while their sets on the Ozfest tour helped transform them into a major festival attraction. Slipknot released their debut self-titled album in 1999, which included the famous single 'Wait and Bleed' which hit double platinum sales in America. 'Iowa' followed in 2001, named after the band's home state. It peaked at number one on the UK and Canadian Albums Charts and hit number three on the Billboard 200. More commercial success arrived with 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verse)' (2004) and 'All Hope Is Gone' (2008) the latter reaching number one on the albums charts of Australia, Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Europe and the Billboard 200.The band has faced several line-up changes over the years. In 2010, bassist Paul Gray was found dead in his hotel room in Iowa, aged 38. He was replaced by former member Donnie Steele before Alessandro Venturella took over in 2014. Longstanding drummer Joey Jordison departed in 2013 and was replaced by Jay Weinberg, also in 2014.Following the departure of Jordison in 2013 and the unexpected death of Gray in 2010, the band released their fifth studio album after a six-year gap since 'All Hope Is Gone'. The album, '.5: The Gray Chapter', arrived in 2014 and peaked at number one on the Billboard 200, Top Hard Rock Albums Chart and the Top Rock Albums Chart.In 2019 Slipknot released singles 'Unsainted', 'Solway Firth' and 'Birth of the Cruel', before their sixth studio album 'We Are Not Your Kind' alongside embarking on a supporting world tour.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
