Slipknot's Iowa: Iowa Time Machine August 28, 2001

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On August 28, 2001, the heavy metal band Slipknot released their sophomore studio album titled “Iowa” on Roadrunner Records. Inspired by the band’s home state, the record topped the charts in nine different countries, and it went Platinum in the United States, garnering a Grammy nomination for the song “Left Behind.”

Joey Jordison, a gifted drummer and songwriter for Slipknot and Murderdolls, started hammering away at the drums at the age of eight. Early in his career, he performed with various acts, including Des Moines thrash metal band Modifidious. In the summer of 1995, Jordison joined a group called the Pale Ones.

Debuting as a six-member act called Meld on December 4, 1995, the band schemed toward success while Jordison manned the graveyard shift at a Sinclair station in Des Moines. In late 1995, the band changed names one final time, settling on Slipknot. They then self-financed their debut album, “Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.”, released on October 31, 1996, to critical acclaim and commercial success.

The band described the time working on “Iowa” as difficult, as pressures to build on their initial success created tension. Working at Sound City and Sound Image Studios in Los Angeles with producer Ross Robinson, the album featured a more technical edge than their first release. Featuring an opening track paying homage to their home area code (515), the band kicked off the “Iowa World Tour” in late August 2001 to promote the record. #IowaHistoryDaily #IowaOTD #IowaHistoryCalendar