Slipknot - Masking The Power Of Extreme Metal Page 2
by Martin Popoff

The band's show is of course, reaching legendary status, what with the crazy masks, the overalls, the three drummers and the extremely hard and rhythmic thrash/death/neo-metal charge of the thing. The whole idea, Shawn figures, is to wham the crowd upside the head with a positive influence, an experience that will better their lives. "They leave with inspiration. I really believe that. There's one little theory that I always go off on. I'll try to put it in perspective. A lot of people talk about if you could go back in time. If we had a time machine right here and you and I went back to your childhood. And maybe your mom picked you up at this certain time of day. Well, I'm going to pick you up now at that certain time of the day and take you home. OK, that little chain of events would change your whole life; that's what they say. I like to think that when these kids come to the show, if I'm doing my part, and I'm being true and I'm being responsible, and I'm been right on the money, that they're going to go home and be inspired and they're going to change their life, and I'm going to have something to do with that, to the point where maybe that kid goes out and buys a guitar a week later. Maybe he loves the show so much that he's in a good mood. And then a week later after the show is long gone, he's not even thinking about the band, but for some reason, he now wants to play guitar. And before you know it, in ten years, my kid is going to his show, and I had something to do with that. Maybe this kid goes out and picks up a recorder and collects bug noises, you know, because he read that I . . . you know what I'm saying? I'm saying that I really am influencing tomorrow's f**king kids, and that's a heavy duty f**king responsibility. I just hope they get inspired. Sometimes we're a little bit negative with Slipknot, but you have to understand, what we're trying to break and what we're trying to change is something that can't be changed easily. Sometimes force is needed."

When Slipknot does get around to the next one, producer Ross Robinson will once again be on board capturing the sounds. "Oh yeah, he's doing it. For sure, that's in stone, there is no other way." Which would seem to indicate that the band was happy with the debut. Is there anything at all nagging Shawn about the first album? "There's nothing that nags me because, you know, you have your whole life to do the first album, and when you make it, for me, it was letting a lot of nightmares out. I'm going to have fun with it from now on. It was very scary. It's always going to be a very scary, surreal experience with the Knot because we make it that way."

What was scary about it? Were there a lot of hours involved? "Oh Jesus! (laughs) tons, man. The actual recording of all the parts was relatively quick. I mean, we did seven songs the first night. We were ready, man. Ready to f**king rip things apart. I mean, we did all the songs in three days, the drummer cuts his parts, and does all his whatever he's got to do, and then we move on to guitar. But it had to be precise. There was a lot of thought put into it things. When I look back at it, I realize the first album is for yourself. You look back and you remember everything and the why's and the fighting and the arguing and crying and the love and the joy of making your nightmare come true. And it came true, and now everybody's got the dream. And it's pretty f**ked-up."