"You can't kill me - 'cause I'm already inside you." If Charles Manson grew up on the new jack metal scene (Korn, Deftones, System of a Down) and had an appreciation for Slayer, he might've been a founding member of "Slipknot." Severly heavy, severly twisted, "Slipknot" is here to slap your weak-ass metal bands in place. Proving that a band can be both heavy AND progressive, these Des Moines, Iowa (???) exports deliver the crushing goods. And talk about image - Stephen King could only hope to concoct such a nightmare. All members (no names, just numbers 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7 & 8) create their own personalized masks to "reflect" and "animate" certain self-admitted extremes of their respective personalities. Upon witnessing these creations, it's safe to assume "Slipknot" members share a certain. . .let's call it "sanity-challenged" view of the world.

The image alone would sell these guys for sure, but guess what? They've got the sonic assault to back it up. Boasting a line-up consisting of not one, but THREE percussionists, two guitarists, a bassplayer, a DJ/sampler and a singer, the wall of percussive throb and crunching guitars is enough to stop most electrical equipment within range. A good chunk of the album is a full bore of metal churned crunch and throb, very dark and tangibly abrasive. Those parts are above average with the first song, offering such lyrical brilliance as "You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes."

There are three very special tracks on this release (grouped together 4,5,6) that just undeniably rip and can instantly turn a nay-sayer into a fan. The first, entitled "Wait and Bleed," starts with a hook laden scaling vocal line, proving that vocal melody is capable in the "Slipknot" camp, and a stumble of percussion that infects immediately. The type of track you start the CD on to impress new listeners (and it always does in my household). The next track, "Surfacing," is more intimidating, with this unique little howling whine of electronic note that ties the progressions of this very attack-laden song which boasts such lines as "Fuck it up! - Fuck this world! - Fuck everything that you stand for!" together, and resonates with the ideal and lyric "I am the push that makes you move."

The next standout (and my fav) I first heard in a slightly different version on a Roadrunner Records sampler (Roadruner does an outstanding job in promoting their bands), and wears the title of "Spit it Out (not final mix)." It's got a brilliant intro where the spikey punch and bounce of the lyrical tempo sets the pace, as the rest of the instruments kinda snap into place behind the singers lead. Nice original dynamic there, as well as laced throughout this entire release. Even the chorus has a neat melodic vocal counter to the shouted "SPIT IT OUT!" There's even a battery of menacing double bass through one section. Dynamics, dynamics, dynamics, all while driving a musical fork into your skull - a lopsided balance of mean laid against the melodic. There's a good amount of range, while managing to return to the crumple and crush mentality of good guitar riffage and thunderous rolling drums, with the liberal sampling/dj effects spicing it up even more.

The album is most definitely abrasive on some levels, so popsters and grunge rockers should just stay away, because "Slipknot" is sandpaper on a sunburn. "Slipknot" is the hornet hiding inside your open Pepsi can. "Slipknot" is the throb in your headache as well as the empty aspirin bottle you grasp for relief. "Slipknot" is your disease for which there is no cure.

"Tattered and Torn" sez the clown.