It’s the month of October, and you know what that means – Halloween, my birthday, and some other stuff! The fact that my birthday and Halloween are in the same month gave me the perfect idea for this month’s music review.
The album reviewed has got to be from a band I really enjoy. Like really, really enjoy! Because birthday.
The band itself has to have some theatrical elements in them. Because Halloween.
And I need to get someone else to give their thoughts alongside mine. Because reasons.
With this in mind, this album is a blast from the past, from a band that is still one of my most favourite. This month, I have chosen to review Slipknot’s ’99 self-titled album. Also known as 742617000027 due to its original barcode. Slipknot is one of my favourite bands ever, although their most recent material is… different, to put it kindly.
Slipknot ’99 blasted into the scene after they played Ozzfest, back in (you guessed it) 1999 and set the course for their meteoric rise within the world of nu-metal. Which makes this album a fitting one to review on my birthday month.
To balance myself out, I have even enlisted Simone’s help. We’re going to be doing a double review for this one. I’ll review a song, and then put in Simone’s review. This way you get to see the album from two very different perspectives. Excited? Because you should be!
Simone’s take on this genre:
Metal is the only socially acceptable way to scream, be angry and throw a tantrum without your husband trying to convince you to see a therapist.
The album opens with 742617000027 – which as I explained was the original barcode for this album, and at the time, the barcodes each member wore. Remember when albums used to have intro songs? Well, this is one. A pure product from the nineties that Slipknot still follow to this day. The only line is this song is taken from a Charles Manson documentary – The whole thing, I think, is sick. Its supposed to make you feel unease for what is to come, and succeeds. This is Slipknot after all – their genre after metal is shock…
Simone:
This song only has one line. Try say it 100 times without getting tongue tied. Haha.
It’s a prelude, so it’s gonna feel a bit weird, but I’m a fan of “non-songs” on albums for the most part. Although, amusingly, the “non-songs” I enjoy most are clear spoken word, usually from a preacher or someone reciting a Biblical scripture verse.
742617000027 just makes me want to know the story behind the words.
Now onto the meat! (sic) pretty much sets the tone for the bands entire career. Drums bast at you form a hundred miles an hour, and you’re left feeling out of breath just from the build-up. Joey Jordison’s drumming is impeccable, and you can see why each song is roughly equivalent to a 21-mile jog. Seriously, he strapped a pedometer for a show and that’s the average that came out… If that doesn’t impress you then the next fun fact will. After the initial build up in this song, during a brief cessation in the music, “pick up the pace” is shouted. This was producer Ross Robinson, poking his head into the recording studio and throwing a potted plant at Joey’s head. He wanted the ferociousness of Slipknot’s live shows to be evident on the album, and thought thats the best way to do it.
Simone:
The drums, the chugging, Corey’s voice here. It’s all pretty great; even enough for me to want to imitate it, and then quickly giving up because I don’t have a male voice.
My favourite line in the song is “Who the fuck am I to criticize your twisted state of mind?” because I believe it to be the truth. However, I can’t make head or tails of the rest of the lyrics. Ironically, this could be why the song is called (sic) and I just don’t understand the context.
My second favourite line (if there is such a thing) is right at the beginning with a yelled “Here comes the pain”. It’s pretty adorable.
Eyeless shows off Sid’s impressive scratching on the turntables at the start. And throughout this entire song, you can hear the scratching as he DJ’s away. Fun fact: Sid Wilson taught Mr Hahn of Linkin Park fame how to mix and DJ in a band! Yet again, drumming, custom percussion and Cory’s amazing vocals are all on display. One thing I appreciated about Slipknot’s early material is that they didn’t tend to have choruses or hooks. What needed to be said was said and then the song was over. Eyeless is a different type of rage compared to (sic) to the degree that it almost feels like this song is a gear shift already.
Simone:
Like with a lot of Slipknot songs, the rif at the beginning tends to be great and usually my favourite section. And the drumming is siiiiiick (the good kind of sick).
First off, I think it’s important to have a small idea of who Marlon Brando was. Some would disagree with this presumption, but he was a sad man. Sad, but popular and famous in Hollywood. He had many failed marriages, many flings, and many children.
This is a great song and a lot of interesting things could have been said about the topic of Hollywood, sadness or just point-of-views (eyes) in general. But not a lot is really said and nothing really pierces my heart or makes my brain tickle.
As a side note, it amuses me that Kyle sniggers at pop songs that have a repetitive chorus. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Eyeless may have the most chorus occurrences in any of the songs on this album. “You can’t see California without Marlon Brando’s eyes” is repeated with variations nine times throughout the song. I want to know what Marlon Brando’s eyes see! But the lyrics don’t give me a clue.
Wait and Bleed is probably the second most famous song on this album. In high school, this was always looked at as the weakest song on this album simply because it doesn’t contain as much anger as the other song. But in time, I have grown to appreciate this song in all its facets. After the chorus, we’re thrust straight into a wall of sound. A wall that should make you want to circle headbang until your neck snaps off. The way it transitions is perfect for punching your friend in the face. You can feel the seething burning rage. And that is exactly what Slipknot are good at. Legend has it that this song was written about Cory’s first time doing LSD…
Simone:
I presume it’s Corey’s normal singing voice at the beginning here. Maybe he’s just had a hard day at the office, but I was very surprised to hear it sounding so weak. It improves as he moves up an octave(?) but I can’t shake my disappointment.
Overall, the song is catchy but doesn’t sound a whole lot different from the rest of their songs.
The next song is not exactly my favourite. While fill of rage and anger for angers sake, something about it just sounds like they phoned this one in. At least until you hear it live! Surfacing is such a great song live that it made me rethink my position on this one. The intensity of the pit during Surfacing and the way the band plays to it is just on another level completely. This is definitely a live song as opposed to a listen song. If that makes sense…
Simone:
What a lovely song with a lovely message.
When Kyle plays this song on the 3 Sonos speakers we own, it resonates throughout the whole house. If I were often in the mood to have “FUCK” yelled at me, I’d love every minute of it.
Ed Sheeran occasionally sings about being famous, and how much it can suck. And there are plenty of other bands who have done the same. When done successfully, there is a delicate way to approach the subject without sounding like you’re complaining. Corey… does not. Since the verses complain about how the “attention” and “momentum” are “doing him in”, then perhaps he should choose another profession or see a therapist. After all, it’s not my fault he’s famous, so I resent being yelled “FUCK” at.
From the very first beat, you know Spit It Out when you hear it. With fast, almost rap-like lyrics and a musical speed that will give you whiplash, Spit It Out is the most famous song on this album for a reason. Written after one of the band members started choking on thier food while on tour, Clown helpfully yelled “spit it out dude!” and greatness was born. When the band plays this one live, they get everyone to sit, or go on their haunches while Cory goes through the last verse. And when the music and the lyrics pick up for the first line of “Fuck me! I’m all out of enemies” everyone jumps up at the same time and goes mental. Its an awesome song and an even better experience! Just give this a watch!
Simone:
I dig this song. Anything with a bit of rap or fast-spoken word is a win for me. It’s also one that is actually relatable purely because it’s less about psychotic episodes and about something practical.
In true Taylor Swift fashion, this one is about a real entity and complaining about it. To an Iowan radio station, apparently. Just the phrase “spit it out” shows venom and Slipknot does venom and anger very well (when they’re not making animal noises).
However… the insults Slipknot fire at this Iowan radio station leave a lot to be desired. They’re similar to high school name-calling that I won’t bother to repeat here. Nevertheless, it’s a fun song to try and sing along to, but my brain cells take a bit of a beating.
Adding the shock to shock-rock, Tattered & Torn is designed to feel uncomfortable. Its almost an experimental song and after Spit It Out, feels like Slipknot’s version of a ballad. Luckily they got so much better on their follow up album – Iowa. Nothing particularly great about this song, and it’s not even that great to jump around to. What is of note is that it showed the bands willingness to experiment early on and can almost be directly linked to their newer, more experimental songs.
Simone:
Great name for a great song that feels like it’s split into two parts.
Part 1: Creepy “falling down a 3-minute-long hole filled with coloured disco lights”
Part 2: Calm, in a Slipknot kind of way
Kind of like instead of plummeting to your death at the bottom of the hole, you land in a cloud of pillows instead. But the pillows are made of fine sandpaper, because it wouldn’t be Slipknot otherwise.
Me Inside kicks back with Cory’s great fast paced vocals and punishing music. Guitars chug, drums are abused, and Sid spins like his life depends on it. Another song where Cory shows his impressive vocal range between singing and growling.
Simone:
I think I’d label this one my favourite song, and not purely because of all the spoken word sections. At about 1:40, some real singing begins. And it’s really refreshing! There’s something pure about it that can’t be ignored.
Lyrically, there’s something relatable about this song. Something about the it makes me feel like maybe, if I yell enough, I can run away from life for a moment.
Oh man! This song! Probably one of the best ever Slipknot songs. Liberate is quintessential Slipknot here, and I love it. The way the guitars lead the drums and then its just pure wall of noise. So good! In high school, this was one of my favourite Slipknot songs and as I have aged, that hasn’t changed. Slipknot aren’t really a lyrically deep band (at least not on this album) but there are some hidden truths in this song that really resonate with me.
“Your garbage in is garbage out” shows that these guys were products of their time. Computers used to have a system for dealing with how it accessed memory – Garbage In-Garbage Out. Only a computer nerd will get this and its great. Another line that really stands out to me, even now, is “What is vital isn’t always humane”.
Simone:
So, I’ll admit, at about this point, I was starting to feel a bit unwell. And I don’t want to blame the music… but there’s only so much anger I can take before it makes me want to run away.
After a Slipknot break, I returned however, and can comment (yet again) on how great the drumming is on this song. Should this song be made purely instrumental, I wouldn’t complain.
Prosthetics is another one of the shock-rock songs that made mothers everywhere clutch their pearls. Musically it is very interesting – managing to embolden the lyrics into an emotion you can feel. Its more than just rage here. You can see Slipknot becoming confident in their talents as musicians instead of rockers. Instead of undirected anger, we get a story. A story of kidnapping, but its still a story.
Simone:
This song can be split into thirds.
The first third I could listen to forever. It’s calm, maybe making it my second favourite song on the album. And definitely compared to the rest of the album, this one could be considered “easy listening”.
The song is about obsession, a fictional obsession that could absolutely become realised to certain disturbed individuals. But it’s neat to hear a song from a different point of view. Prosthetics I find to be one of the most interesting songs on the album, and there are several parts in which it sounds like a woman is screaming, done on purpose, I presume.
At the start of the last third, the creepy obsession-sounding noises start, and I’m surprised it’s something Kyle doesn’t run away from. The old-fashioned camera noises at the end make me think the fictional kidnapped woman is also the object of some ‘artistic’ photography photos.
No Life suffers from being a good song but too late on the album. If it had slotted in after Spit It Out, it probably would be more memorable for most people. Overall, it’s a good Slipknot song, got some good catchy riffs, the drumming and mixing is on point. And it’s filled with rage. When taken alone, this is another song that makes you want to tear down an abandoned house with your bare hands. And for that, it succeeds really well.
Simone:
Where to start here.
First of all, I’d really like to know what a “flife” is and why we don’t have any kind of it.
“This is no kind of flife”.
This is a true testament to Slipknot’s genius and proof they are time travellers. After all, this song is about COVID-19. Every detail is right, even down to the points of shaming others for ‘not following the rules’. Certain countries have been in lockdown for months, and I can imagine they all join in unity with Corey to sing “this is no kind of flife!”. And I think they’d be right. It is, after all, Earth’s new national anthem. “Whole country’s on house arrest”.
The rap within this song is incredible impressive, but too short for my liking. The verses really make this song, and the chorus nets the ‘this is catchy’ label.
Probably the most disjointed song on this album – Diluted – shows Slipknot trying to mix a few ideas together. It mostly works, but if certainly feels like this song stops, starts and changes direction at least twice. In the chorus, the decided to add a weird echo effect to Cory’s growling and it somehow detracts from its heaviness, and even the question he’s asking. I’d argue that this song is where Cory and Slipknot in general found they could be introspective beyond pure anger or rage. Interesting to see how that has shaped their more recent albums too.
Simone:
Dis man needs JESUS!
There appears to be speculation online about what this song is about, but the majority believe he’s talking about God, or to God. I’m inclined to agree with them.
As always, I love the intro to this song, but the lyrics hurt my heart. They’re still worth a listen to, but don’t let them envelope you.
Only One starts off like an old school horror movie. And immediately you see where most of the inspiration for Slipknot’s aesthetic comes from. Midway through this song, when the music stops and you hear Cory’s intake of breath through clenched teeth do you really get a feel for the anger Slipknot is trying to convey through this whole album. There is something special about it that is just so human.
Simone:
I’m going to call this one an ‘almost favourite’ song. The rapping is great, but again, too short and over before we even get to the middle of the song. RIP rapping.
This has got to be one of the most underrated songs on this album. Starting off with horsehair brushes on the custom percussions maned by Clown and Pinocchio, you’re immediately put at unease. Scissors then gets lead in with Paul Grey on bass, and his bass line is evident throughout this song. When Slipknot get their experimenting right, you end up with Scissors – a song that works so perfectly. Relatively this is an investment at over 8 minutes for a Slipknot song, it’s well worth it just to have that experience. I recommend headphones to get the full force of what they attempted.
Simone:
Before talking to Kyle about this song, I imagined the start of this song were ladies washing clothes and deciding to make tapping noises while they did it. Kind of like a ‘It’s a Hard Knocked Life’ kinda thing. Then Kyle mentioned it’s actually a brush being used on a drum (which makes sense) but my imagination died after that and it became less impressive.
This song is ok, until… 4.40. Then I have to turn it off and go somewhere warm to cure my chills. I just want to grab Corey’s lip and bring it down to meet the other one so he’s not sucking air in and making his gums cold. I’ve officially listened to this song 3 and a half times now, and I have vowed never to listen to it again. Just the thought makes me want to run outside into the sun.
Praise the Lord it’s summer.
Bonus Song: Eeyore
This song was originally the secret track on the original release of this album, back when they came in physical. Now thanks to streaming, we now don’t get secret or bonus tracks. And it really is a lost art. Because of this, we miss out the outro where we’re treated to the band hazing a new member. Which then leads into this super crazy song. Eeyore is the band going as crazy as they can, and you can hear it. Super fun to jump around to too! The breakdown is legendary and the pit intense. I can’t wait to see Slipknot live again!
Simone:
What a song to end with.
Frankly, this song is ridiculous lyric-wise. I have absolutely no problem with people who want to express their emotions by screaming “Fuck” and “Stupid” and sometimes “Stupid fuck”, but it is not art. It’s laziness.
Up until that point, however, the song is quite fun to go crazy to.
Slipknot blew into the scene in 99 and changed the face of metal forever. From their jumpsuits, to their masks, to their live shows, they touched and changed every facet of the nu-metal genre. Now, over 20 years later, Slipknot are titans, achieving that status with only 6 albums. Their unfettered anger, their fast paced no-nonsense musical style, all lend them to being one of my favourite bands ever, and I look forward to where they go in the future.
