First published 2002
The masked members of Slipknot tear through packed venues worldwide, their identities hidden behind grotesque faces that conceal both their names and their pain. Two million album sales later, the nine-piece crew from Des Moines has shattered industry conventions through sheer brutality and spectacle. Their performances leave blood on stage and scars on bodies as they push physical limits night after night. Authorities condemn them while fans worship them, creating a storm of controversy that only fuels their ascent. Behind the masks lie stories of personal struggle and collective madness, injuries that would sideline lesser performers, and fears that drive them toward increasingly dangerous heights. This band built their empire by rejecting every safe choice, every industry standard, every reasonable boundary. Their anonymity becomes their power, their violence becomes their art, and their suffering becomes the foundation of an unlikely empire that no one saw coming.
Genres: biography-memoir, music, true-crime
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional
Tropes: celebrity, persona
Setting: Des Moines
Period: 21st-century
248 pages · Paperback · Ebury Press
Content warnings: gore, violence