Slipknot’s Corey Taylor: I cut myself during Iowa recording

Slipknot's Corey Taylor on stage in 2001
Slipknot's Corey Taylor on stage in 2001 (Image credit: Getty)

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has reflected on recording the band’s Iowa album, in particular, the record’s title track.

The follow-up to their self-titled 1999 debut was released in 2001 and was a major success across the globe, spawning the singles The Heretic Anthem, released as Heretic Song, Left Behind and My Plague.

But it’s the album’s sprawling 15-minute title track that Taylor remembers recording most vividly.

He exclusively tells Metal Hammer: “The biggest memory for me was recording Iowa naked, cutting myself up with a broken candle.

“That was probably the one memory that comes out. It was the one time that producer Ross Robinson didn’t come in the vocal booth with me. He probably wouldn’t have had a good time in there with me naked!”

Speaking in 2011 about the recording session, former drummer Joey Jordison said Iowa was “probably the scariest track of all time.”

He added: “I remember Corey doing it because I was sitting right there in the room as he did it. I can run my mouth real quick, but in the middle of that zone? I’d get the fuck out of there and listen from another room.

“When someone’s in a zone like that, they don’t wanna be interrupted.”

The full article on Slipknot’s Iowa album features in issue 286 of Metal Hammer, which is out on July 19.

Slipknot are currently on tour with Marilyn Manson, while it was recently confirmed that Taylor would guest on Korn’s upcoming album.

Slipknot remaining tour dates 2016

Jul 19: Toronto Air Canada Centre, ON
Jul 20: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Jul 21: Quebec Videotron Centre, QC
Jul 23: Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheater, NY
Jul 24: Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, NY
Jul 26: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Jul 27: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Jul 29: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
Jul 30: Burgettstown First Niagara Pavilion, PA
Aug 02: Charlotte PNC Music Pavilion, NC
Aug 04: Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Aug 05: Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena, IA
Aug 07: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Aug 09: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT
Aug 11: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA
Aug 13: Concord Concord Pavilion, CA
Aug 14: Inglewood The Forum, CA
Aug 17: Chula Vista Sleep Train Amphitheatre, CA
Aug 19: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheater, NM
Aug 20: Phoenix Ak-Chin Pavilion, AZ
Aug 21: Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, NV
Aug 25: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX
Aug 26: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 27: Austin 360 Amphitheater, TX
Sep 25: San Manuel Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, CA
Oct 15-16: Toluca Knotfest, Mexico
Nov 05: Tokyo Knotfest, Japan

Slipknot And The Story Of Iowa

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.