Maps of Music

Iowa (2001)

Where the lyrics of Iowa take you, and where it was really made.

The title is the name of the band's home state, and the goat on the cover was photographed soon after the cover of the band's self-titled debut.

Key places

Where Iowa was recorded (2001)

Recording site Sound City Studios — Iowa was recorded and produced at Sound City Studios and Sound Image Studios in Los Angeles. Recording was completed in March 2001. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Second studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot
• Released August 28, 2001 by Roadrunner Records
• Produced by the members and Ross Robinson
• Title refers to the band's state of origin, Iowa
• Members describe Iowa as one of their greatest sources of inspiration
• Considered the band's heaviest and darkest album
• Reissued November 1, 2011 to celebrate its tenth anniversary

Background

• Released after the success of the 1999 debut album Slipknot, which raised expectations
• Relationships between members suffered; later described as the darkest time of the band's career
• First full album featuring guitarist Jim Root, who had appeared on only one song on the previous album
• Drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray began writing new music together in October 2000
• Despite internal trouble, the band promoted the album for almost a year

Recording

• Recorded and produced at Sound City Studios and Sound Image Studios in Los Angeles, California
• Recording began on January 22, 2001
• Recording was completed on March 16, 2001
• Opening track "(515)" is named after the area code 515

Cover

• Cover art depicts a goat named Eeyore
• According to Crahan, the cover was shot soon after the cover for the previous self-titled album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray.
• The band is known for its masks, matching jumpsuits and numbered identities.
• Their self-titled debut album (1999) brought rapid fame, and Iowa (2001) made them more popular.

Members

• Shawn Crahan is the only founding member in the current lineup.
• Corey Taylor has been the lead vocalist since 1997.
• Mick Thomson and Jim Root are guitarists in the current lineup.
• Eloy Casagrande became the drummer in 2024.

Career

• The band released All Hope Is Gone (2008), which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.
• Paul Gray died in 2010 from an accidental overdose.
• The seventh studio album, The End, So Far, was released in 2022.
• The band has sold about 30 million records worldwide.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: generally favorable reviews, weighted average 68 out of 100 from 9 critic scores
• College Music Journal called it "brutal, unrelenting, scorching..."
• Alternative Press pointed to its heavy themes
• NME called it "Exhilarating, brutal and good."
• Rolling Stone praised its originality
• Uncut praised the production of Ross Robinson
• Yahoo! reviewer John Mulvey called it the absolute triumph of nu metal

Reappraisal

• At the album's thirteenth anniversary, Revolver called it "their most extreme album yet"
• Revolver compared Disasterpiece, People = Shit and The Heretic Anthem as more death metal-influenced than most nu metal on the album

Records

• Number one on the UK Albums Chart
• Number two on the ARIA Charts in Australia
• Number three on the Billboard 200 and the Finnish Albums Chart
• Certified Platinum in the United States on October 10, 2001
• Certified Platinum in Canada on September 5, 2001
• Certified Gold in the United Kingdom
• Left Behind nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
• My Plague nominated in 2003 for the same award
• My Plague reached number 43 on the UK singles chart
• Ranked sixth in NME's 50 Albums of the Year for 2001

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title track runs just over 15 minutes and is the band's longest continuous song released.
• The Heretic Anthem was first given away free on the band's website in copies limited to 666.
• The album was first scheduled for June 19, 2001, with a five-date warm-up tour, but longer mixing delayed the release and cancelled the tour.
• The Portuguese edition notes that the album, at over an hour and six minutes, is the band's longest.
• My Plague later appeared on the soundtrack for the film Resident Evil.
• The Rollerball appearance in 2002 saw the band perform I Am Hated.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

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