Slipknot’s triple-platinum self-titled debut album was released on June 29, 1999, and was an instant classic, serving as a Molotov cocktail signaling revolution. The album adopts a creative direction that diverges from metal traditions, offering a fresh take on the genre. To celebrate the iconic album, they’re releasing a deluxe reissue, Slipknot (25th Anniversary Edition), which is available in stores and digitally via Roadrunner Records. This special release immortalizes the Iowa nine-piece’s transformation from a new addition to the scene to a powerful force that would shape metal culture for generations to come. 

Slipknot (25th Anniversary Edition) was initially released to fans as a special box set edition. Limited to 100 blood-filled self-titled LP vinyl copies via their secret site 742617000027.net, which sold out so fast it crashed the website. Additional physical versions included a 6LP Box Set with blood splattered vinyl – limited to 1899 copies, which also sold out in minutes – 2LP editions in various limited edition colorways, and 2CDs in addition to digital on streaming services. This release included the original album produced by Ross Robinson, and recordings which only the band and their inner circle heard at the time (format dependent). Collected from the original sources, these include unreleased takes, alternative versions, test mixes, and mixes from SR Audio and Indigo Ranch. These recordings help tell the full story of the choices made that led to the creation of this iconic album, and how Slipknot came to be what they are today. 

Even though their debut album set the stage, Slipknot was unleashed onto live audiences in 1999, and showed audiences performances that were incomparable to anything they had seen before. The shows on their first world tour cycle are legendary, and the global impact of the band was swift as audiences bore witness. Word of mouth spread contagiously. The deluxe package includes recordings that bookend that chaotic year: the 1999 show in Hartford, CT, captures the uninhibited raw power of a small stage, while the 2000 U.K. recordings document the band’s ability to harness the energy of a smaller stage and deliver to a mainstage crowd. The audio was pulled from the soundboard’s original audio tapes, and was meticulously mixed and mastered for the first time – all chosen by the band to best encapsulate the energy and chaotic nature of the band’s earliest days. 

If you missed it, Slipknot’s “Here Comes The Pain” tour sold-out globally, including performances in New York City (Madison Square Garden), Los Angeles (two nights at the Intuit Dome), London (two nights at the O2 Arena), Paris (Accor Arena), Amsterdam (Ziggo Dome), Mexico City (Parque Bicentenario), Toronto (Scotiabank Arena), and many more. The shows celebrated the 25th anniversary of the heavy titans, and included a hometown show in Des Moines at their own Knotfest Iowa. Each date featured a unique set that heavily drew from their groundbreaking debut album. 

LP 1: Slipknot – Tracklist:
The seminal debut album from Slipknot.

Side 1 

1. 742617000027
2. (sic)
3. Eyeless
4. Wait and Bleed
5. Surfacing
6. Spit It Out 
7. Tattered and Torn 
8. Me Inside 

Side 2 

1. Liberate 
2. Prosthetics 
3. No Life 
4. Diluted 
5. Only One 
6. Scissors 

*LP 2 & 3: Indigo Ranch Mixes – Tracklist:
The legendary Indigo Ranch mixes. In 1999 the band gathered at Malibu’s Indigo Ranch to record their breakthrough debut. These early rough mixes showcase the raw energy and chaotic vibe before the final Ross Robinson mixes.

Side 1

1. (sic)
2. Eyeless
3. Surfacing 
4. Tattered and Torn

Side 2

1. Only One
2. Liberate 
3. Suck These Nuts (Get This)
4. Killing Leslie 

Side 3

1. Me Inside
2. Wait and Bleed
3. No Life 
4. Interloper (Diluted) 

Side 4

1. Spit It Out 
2. Eeyore 
3. Scissors 

LP 4: Demos and Alternate Mixes – Tracklist:
Side One: Demos – These are the original demos recorded before the band entered Indigo Ranch with Ross Robinson. These demos were then refined in the studio to become the debut album. Some of the actual tracks from the demos were used in the final mixes.
Side Two: Jay Baumgardner and Ulrich Wild Mixes – The band and label wanted to have test mixes done before finalizing the album and connected with two other renowned mixers to see what they would do to the mixes. Each has a different take on the tracks.

Side 1

1. Wait and Bleed (Demo)
2. Snap (Demo)
3. Interloper (Demo)
4. Despise (Demo)
5. Only One (Demo)
6. Me Inside (Demo)
7. Prosthetics (Demo)

 Side 2

1. Surfacing (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
2. Only One (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
3. No Life (Jay Baumgardner Mix)
4. (sic) (Ulrich Wild Mix)
5. Purity
6. Eeyore 

*LP 5 & 6: Live – Tracklist:
Months after the debut album, the band took to the road and these live recordings showcase the band’s meteoric rise from headlining Hartford, Connecticut’s legendary 1200 seat Webster Theater in September of 1999, to playing in front of massive crowds in the UK and Iowa in late 2000.  

Side 1

1. Wait and Bleed (Live in Hartford 1999)
2. Surfacing (Live in Hartford 1999)
3. Purity (Live in Hartford 1999)
4. Spit It Out (Live in Hartford 1999)
5. Eeyore (Live in Hartford 1999)

Side 2

1. (sic) (Live in the UK 2000)
2. Eyeless (Live in the UK 2000)
3. No Life  (Live in the UK 2000)
4. Eeyore  (Live in the UK 2000)
5. Liberate  (Live in the UK 2000)

Side 3

1. Purity (Live in the UK 2000)
2. Prosthetics (Live in the UK 2000)
3. Spit It Out (Live in the UK 2000)
4. Wait and Bleed (Live in the UK 2000)
5. Get This (Live in the UK 2000)

Side 4

1. Surfacing (Live in the UK 2000)
2. Me Inside (Live in the UK 2000)
3. Scissors (Live in Iowa 2000)

*LP Exclusive To Box Set Only

Slipknot’s jaw-clenching riffs paired with Ross Robinson’s heavy-hitting production made the album as successful as it was. The care and attention to detail in the songcraft is what made the songs great rather than just good. In the following years, Slipknot’s popularity nipped at the heels of their heroes, eventually pushing the envelope of the genre and navigating a new world with unending drive. After billions of streams and millions of subscribers, the accolades tell the story: 64 award nominations and 27 wins, including a Grammy for “Before I Forget“ from Vol. 3. They had a seemingly endless number of tour dates and headlined at the biggest festivals in the world, such as Download, Rock In Rio, Hellfest, Wacken and many more. Slipknot also has RIAA certifications by the boatload- 15 platinum certifications and 40 gold across more than 30 million in record and video sales – the band holds its spot as an alternative to the mainstream, offering music to those who don’t quite connect with the popular culture. 

Positioning themselves for success, Slipknot created their very own Knotfest in 2012, a traveling multi-stage event that has appeared 28 times across various countries and locations. The festival has since spun off into a media hub, Knotfest.com, which became a juggernaut of its own making, giving a platform to young freethinkers and like-minded artists.

Through their achievements, Slipknot has rightfully claimed their throne as pioneers and thought leaders, establishing themselves as a generational talent. The band is loved by parents and their children alike. My dad raised me on Slipknot, and the band is a household name for me and many others close to me. “Eyeless” was declared my favorite song when I was 14, and “Duality” is my current go-to karaoke song. The band’s impact has not gone unnoticed. Slipknot has attracted dedicated fans with their songs, live performances, and influence that reaches all the way back to their self-titled album. 

As the band moves forward, their mission remains unchanged: to connect with fans as deeply and viscerally as ever. “Every time I’ve walked on stage, it’s never been about how many people have been there because my culture, the maggots, always show up,” says founding member Shawn “clown” Crahan with a smile.

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