From how they got started to why they wear those iconic masks
Author: Scarlett MartinPublished 2nd Jan 2023
Starting out in a basement in Des Moines, Iowa, Slipknot have gone on to become one of the biggest and most fearsome bands on the planet. The masked metallers have not only headlined Download Festival three times and won a Grammy Award, but they've also sold over 30 million albums throughout their career.
Whether you've just discovered Slipknot or you've been a fan for years and want to brush up on your knowledge after their most recent album release - ‘The End, So Far’, in September 2022, which scored the band their third Number 1 - keep on reading to find out everything you need to know about these legends.
Who is in Slipknot?
The current line-up of Slipknot includes vocalist Corey Taylor (aka #8), bass player Alessandro Venturella, drummer Jay Weinberg, guitarist Jim Root (aka #4), DJ Sid Wilson (aka #0), guitarist Mick Thomson (aka #7), keyboardist Craig "133" Jones (aka #5), percussionist Michael Pfaff (aka Tortilla Man) and percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan (aka #6) - the only founding member left in the band.
When did Slipknot form?
Slipknot were formed in Des Moines Iowa in 1995 by friends Shawn Crahan and the late Joey Jordison and Paul Gray. The band took their name from the opening track of their debut demo 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat' which was released on Halloween in 1996.
Who are the former members of Slipknot?
The line-up of Slipknot has changed multiple times since the band formed in 1995. Former members of the band include:
Bass player Paul Gray (aka #2) (1995-2010; died 24th May 24 2010)
Drummer Joey Jordison (aka #1) (1995–2013; died 26th July 2021)
Guitarist/Bass player Donnie Steele (1995-1996) (2011-2014)
Percussionist Chris Fehn (aka #3) (1998-2019)
Bassist and founding member Paul Gray died on 24th May 2010 of an overdose of prescription medicine morphine and fentanyl.
Joey Jordison passed away in July 2021 at the age of 46. His family confirmed he'd died in his sleep and his former Slipknot bandmates paid tribute to him on social media by sharing photos of blacked out squares as well as blacking out their website.
What do Slipknot call their fans?
Slipknot affectionately calls their fans Maggots. Corey Taylor once explained during an interview that the nickname came about because when the band are performing on stage, the audience "looks like writhing maggots jumping around."
Do Slipknot have their own festival?
Yes, Slipknot created their very own festival, 'Knotfest' back in 2012. The tour was originally held in the band's home stage of Iowa, but has since been to Canada, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, France and other states within the US. Deftones, Bring Me The Horizon, Lamb Of God, Of Mice And Men and Black Sabbath are just a few of the bands who have performed at Knotfest over the past eight years.
The inaugural Knotfest UK was scheduled to take place at The National Bowl in Milton Keynes on 22 August 2020, however it was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Spin-off event Knotfest at Sea, which was due to set sail from Barcelona to Naples and back, was postponed from Summer 2020 to 2021. Due to the ongoing situation with Covid-19, the event has been put on hold.
How did Slipknot get famous?
Slipknot's achieved breakthrough success after the release of their self-titled debut album 'Slipknot' in 1999. The album, which featured singles 'Wait and Bleed' and 'Spit It Out', has sold over 2 million units in Slipknot's native US and achieved Platinum status in the UK. A major commercial and critical success, it remains Slipknots' best selling album to this day.
To promote 'Slipknot', the band embarked on their first major headline tour called 'World Domination'. The 123-date tour sold out in just a few hours and helped the band gain an even bigger following.
How many albums have Slipknot made?
To date, Slipknot have released seven studio albums including 'Slipknot (1999), 'Iowa' (2001), 'Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)' (2004), 'All Hope Is Gone' (2008), '.5: The Gray Chapter' (2014), 'We Are Not Your Kind' (2019) and 'The End, So Far' (2022).
Who writes all of Slipknot songs?
In the early days, the members of Slipknot were all involved in the song-writing process and are credited with writing mega-hits such as 'Duality', 'Psychosocial' and 'Before I Forget'. However, in more recent times, the band's songs have predominantly been written by Corey Taylor, Jim Root and Shawn Crahan. Frontman Corey Taylor has also previously written songs by himself for the band, including 'Goodbye', 'Nomadic' and 'Lech'.
What awards have Slipknot won?
During their 26-year career, Slipknot have won a variety of awards, including the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2006 for their song 'Before I Forget'. Most recently, Slipknot were awarded NME's Best Band In The World 2020 award.
The band have also won a medley of Kerrang! Awards over the years including Best International Live Act, Best Live Band, Best Track for 'Wait and Bleed', the Icon Award and Best International Band
What are Slipknot doing now?
Slipknot are set to embark on a European tour this summer, followed by Mexico and Brazil in December 2021 and Japan in 2022. This is the first time the band have been able to tour since the pandemic put a stop to large scale tours in 2020.
Whilst taking part in the 'Good Company' podcast with Scoot Bowling, frontman Corey Taylor revealed that Slipknot would like to create the follow-up to their latest album, 2019's 'We Are Not Your Kind', this year.
Slipknot have also recently released their limited run of Clown's Iowa Shine and No.9 Reserve, which has been voted best celebrity whiskey by Forbes for the past two years. The band first got into the liquor business in 2019, when they collaborated with Iowa's Cedar Ridge Winery and Distillery to launch their own craft whiskey, No.9 Reserve.
Why do Slipknot wear masks?
Slipknot have been wearing their Halloween-style masks since 1997, after Shawn Crahan came up with his stage persona, 'Clown', and started wearing a clown mask during rehearsals. While they might have evolved over the years, the masks have become a crucial part of the band's identity.
During an interview with the BBC in 2016, frontman Corey Taylor and Shawn Crahan explained that the masks let each individual in the band represent his true self, whilst also being free of constraints like social politeness, shared mannerisms or conventional morality.
Whilst the majority of the band have been seen without their masks, keyboardist Craig "133" Jones prefers to remain masked or blurred out during Slipknot interviews. To see how the band's masks have changed over the years, take a look at the gallery below:
Slipknot's masks through the years:
Slipknot in 2000
Slipknot wearing trademark white boiler suits and their horrorshow masks in 2000
Everything you need to know about Slipknot
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Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot unveiled their fearsome new masks for new album 'We Are Not Your Kind' on 16th May 2019.
Slipknot in 2000
Slipknot wearing trademark white boiler suits and their horrorshow masks in 2000
Slipknot 'Slipknot'
Slipknot on the sleeve of their fearsome, self-titled debut album in June 1999.
Slipknot's in 2000
Slipknot standing in a stairway in early 2000, obviously.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and Joey Jordison's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and Joey Jordison in their fetching masks in 2000
Sid Wilson's mask
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in his gas mask in 2000
Corey Taylor's mask
Corey Taylor with his dreadlock mask in 2000 - a very different mask to his look today.
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in 2000 in his Jester mask.
Craig Jones' mask
Slipknot's Craig Jones in his bizarre spiked helmet mask in 2000. This would soon evolve into a spiked gimp mask.
Mick Thomson's mask
Slipknot's formidable and towering Mick Thomson in 2000 in his horror hockey mask.
Paul Gray's mask
The late-great Paul Gray of Slipknot in his Pig Mask in 2000
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in 2000. His pointy-nosed Pinocchio-esque mask has been a mainstay of his entire career with Slipknot. The mask is dubbed the Liar Mask.
Craig Jones' mask
Slipknot's Craig Jones in 2001. His part Hellraiser/part Gimp mask has also remained largely unchanged over the decades, except for the odd tweak.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2001. Although all of his masks have been clown related, the percussionist has tweaked his mask more than any other Slipknot member.
Slipknot
Slipknot's masks in June 2001
Joey Jordison and Corey Taylor's masks
Slipknot's Joey Jordison and Corey Taylor in 2001
Sid Wilson's mask
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in June 2001. Another variant of his gas mask.
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in 2001
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan up close
A close-up of Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in December 2001
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot and their masks in December 2001
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in his Liar Mask in 2002
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2002. The dreadlocks still remain.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in August 2002. This mask is more 'fairground clown' than his previous guises.
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in May 2004. This delightful look is known as The Scab Mask.
Paul Gray's mask
Slipknot's Paul Gray in 2004. Not quite a pig mask but still animalistic.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in June 2004. This time he adopted a bloody bandage mask.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot in May 2005. Sid Wilson had dropped the gas mask in favour of a skull mask.
Slipknot at the Grammy Awards
Slipknot on the 2006 Grammy Awards red carpet. Sid Wilson on the far right opted for a death mask, while Shawn Crahan wore a grey mask and eye-catching pink boiler suit.
Slipknot 'All Hope Is Gone'
Slipknot return with new masks for All Hope Is Gone in 2008, including, most notably, Joey Jordison's crucified Jesus mask. Corey Taylor wore a new Blank Face Mask.
Mick Thomson and Jim Root's masks
Slipknot's Mick Thomson and Jim Root in their masks in 2008.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot's Paul Gray, Corey Taylor and Jim Root at the Kerrang! Awards in 2008.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot suited and booted in December 2008 at the MTV Video Awards.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in May 2009. His long hair perfectly compliments his 'female mask'
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor pulling tongues in his Blank Face Mask in July 2009
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot's Sid Wilson and Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in July 2011
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in his Devil Clown Mask in July 2012
Mick Thomson's mask
Slipknot's Mick Thomson in August 2012
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in his Jester Mask in 2013
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor at Download Festival 2013
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in 2013 in his tradmark Liar Mask
Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in January 2014
Slipknot’s Mick Thomson
Slipknot's Mick Thomson in November 2014
Slipknot’s Sid Wilson
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in 2015 in his new Gas Mask
Slipknot's Alessandro Venturella
Slipknot's Alessandro Venturella in 2015
Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2015
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2015
Slipknot’s Sid Wilson
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in October 2015
Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg
Slipknot's Jay Weinberg in 2016
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2016
Slipknot’s Chris Fehn
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in July 2016
Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg
Slipknot's Jay Weinberg in 2016
Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2016
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan
Another mask worn by Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2016
Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot unveiled their fearsome new masks for new album 'We Are Not Your Kind' on 16th May 2019.
Slipknot in 2000
Slipknot wearing trademark white boiler suits and their horrorshow masks in 2000
Slipknot 'Slipknot'
Slipknot on the sleeve of their fearsome, self-titled debut album in June 1999.
Slipknot's in 2000
Slipknot standing in a stairway in early 2000, obviously.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and Joey Jordison's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and Joey Jordison in their fetching masks in 2000
Sid Wilson's mask
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in his gas mask in 2000
Corey Taylor's mask
Corey Taylor with his dreadlock mask in 2000 - a very different mask to his look today.
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in 2000 in his Jester mask.
Craig Jones' mask
Slipknot's Craig Jones in his bizarre spiked helmet mask in 2000. This would soon evolve into a spiked gimp mask.
Mick Thomson's mask
Slipknot's formidable and towering Mick Thomson in 2000 in his horror hockey mask.
Paul Gray's mask
The late-great Paul Gray of Slipknot in his Pig Mask in 2000
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in 2000. His pointy-nosed Pinocchio-esque mask has been a mainstay of his entire career with Slipknot. The mask is dubbed the Liar Mask.
Craig Jones' mask
Slipknot's Craig Jones in 2001. His part Hellraiser/part Gimp mask has also remained largely unchanged over the decades, except for the odd tweak.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2001. Although all of his masks have been clown related, the percussionist has tweaked his mask more than any other Slipknot member.
Slipknot
Slipknot's masks in June 2001
Joey Jordison and Corey Taylor's masks
Slipknot's Joey Jordison and Corey Taylor in 2001
Sid Wilson's mask
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in June 2001. Another variant of his gas mask.
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in 2001
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan up close
A close-up of Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in December 2001
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot and their masks in December 2001
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in his Liar Mask in 2002
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2002. The dreadlocks still remain.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in August 2002. This mask is more 'fairground clown' than his previous guises.
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in May 2004. This delightful look is known as The Scab Mask.
Paul Gray's mask
Slipknot's Paul Gray in 2004. Not quite a pig mask but still animalistic.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in June 2004. This time he adopted a bloody bandage mask.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot in May 2005. Sid Wilson had dropped the gas mask in favour of a skull mask.
Slipknot at the Grammy Awards
Slipknot on the 2006 Grammy Awards red carpet. Sid Wilson on the far right opted for a death mask, while Shawn Crahan wore a grey mask and eye-catching pink boiler suit.
Slipknot 'All Hope Is Gone'
Slipknot return with new masks for All Hope Is Gone in 2008, including, most notably, Joey Jordison's crucified Jesus mask. Corey Taylor wore a new Blank Face Mask.
Mick Thomson and Jim Root's masks
Slipknot's Mick Thomson and Jim Root in their masks in 2008.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot's Paul Gray, Corey Taylor and Jim Root at the Kerrang! Awards in 2008.
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot suited and booted in December 2008 at the MTV Video Awards.
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in May 2009. His long hair perfectly compliments his 'female mask'
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor pulling tongues in his Blank Face Mask in July 2009
Slipknot's evolving masks
Slipknot's Sid Wilson and Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in July 2011
Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in his Devil Clown Mask in July 2012
Mick Thomson's mask
Slipknot's Mick Thomson in August 2012
Jim Root's mask
Slipknot's Jim Root in his Jester Mask in 2013
Corey Taylor's mask
Slipknot's Corey Taylor at Download Festival 2013
Chris Fehn's mask
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in 2013 in his tradmark Liar Mask
Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan's mask
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in January 2014
Slipknot’s Mick Thomson
Slipknot's Mick Thomson in November 2014
Slipknot’s Sid Wilson
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in 2015 in his new Gas Mask
Slipknot's Alessandro Venturella
Slipknot's Alessandro Venturella in 2015
Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2015
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2015
Slipknot’s Sid Wilson
Slipknot's Sid Wilson in October 2015
Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg
Slipknot's Jay Weinberg in 2016
Slipknot’s Corey Taylor
Slipknot's Corey Taylor in 2016
Slipknot’s Chris Fehn
Slipknot's Chris Fehn in July 2016
Slipknot’s Jay Weinberg
Slipknot's Jay Weinberg in 2016
Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2016
Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan
Another mask worn by Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan in 2016
Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot's new masks for 2019
Slipknot unveiled their fearsome new masks for new album 'We Are Not Your Kind' on 16th May 2019.