Slipknot would go on to become the first album released by Roadrunner to receive a
Platinum certification by the
RIAA, marking Slipknot as a metal band with both niche and mainstream appeal. After touring heavily in support of their debut, Slipknot returned to the studio in 2000 to begin working on their hotly anticipated sophomore album,
Iowa, which saw an August 2001 release. Both heavier and more technical than their debut album,
Iowa rose to the #3 spot on the
Billboard 200 and nabbed Slipknot two
Grammy nominations - not bad for a gang of masked freaks from Des Moines. Hits from
Iowa include
"My Plague",
"The Heretic Anthem", and
"Left Behind".
Following the release of
Iowa, Slipknot embarked on a nationwide tour with fellow rockers
System of a Down throughout 2001. Though now at the height of their popularity, Slipknot went on hiatus throughout 2002 amidst breakup rumors, with band members devoting their time to a number of side projects like glam metal band
Murderdolls and indie rock outfit
To My Surprise. The breakup rumors proved untrue when the band reunited in 2003 under the wing of esteemed producer
Rick Rubin (
Slayer,
Johnny Cash), who masterminded the 2004 release of Slipknot’s third album,
Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses). With a more melodic and experimental sound than their earlier releases - even incorporating acoustic guitars into the mix - Slipknot demonstrated a degree of maturity with
Vol. 3, even going so far as to cite
Radiohead as an inspiration.
Vol. 3 has spawned some of Slipknot’s biggest hits, among them
"Duality",
"The Blister Exists", and
"Before I Forget".
Though Slipknot showed off a bit of their softer side with
Vol. 3, the band decided to make their fourth album
All Hope Is Gone their hardest and heaviest album to date. Recently released in August 2008,
All Hope is Gone is as brutal as
Iowa and then some - just take one listen to tracks like
"Psychosocial" and
"Dead Memories". Currently, Slipknot is on a worldwide tour with fellow metal bands
Machine Head and
Children of Bodom, a tour that is expected to last well into 2009.