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Ross Robinson reveals that Slipknot were talking about splitting up just before they made Iowa: “We’re just not getting along. We’re gonna break up.”
Slipknot's Iowa producer Ross Robinson has revealed that the band were on the verge of splitting up before recording their landmark second album, released in 2001. Speaking to Metal Hammer ahead of the record's 25th anniversary, Robinson described the intense internal and external pressures the band faced as they attempted to follow up their game-changing self-titled 1999 debut, with tensions among members reaching breaking point beforehand.
Robinson recalled receiving a complaint from either bassist Paul Gray or drummer Joey Jordison prior to recording, in which a band member reportedly said: "We're just not getting along. We're gonna break up." The revelation comes at a turbulent time for Slipknot, following recent unconfirmed reports that turntablist Sid Wilson may have left the band, underlining the group's long history of internal drama alongside their status as one of metal's most influential acts of the past three decades.
In short
- Producer Ross Robinson says Slipknot nearly split before recording Iowa
- Band member reportedly said they were "gonna break up" pre-recording
- Comes amid unconfirmed reports Sid Wilson may have left the band
Explained simply
Slipknot are one of metal's most successful acts, known for their elaborate masks and matching boiler suits, numbered identities, and an intense, chaotic live show. They broke through with their self-titled 1999 debut, a record that helped bring nu metal and extreme metal to a much wider audience, but the band's line-up has since been marked by internal conflict, line-up changes and, in 2010, the death of founding bassist Paul Gray.
Iowa, released in 2001, was the band's follow-up to that breakthrough debut and is now regarded as one of their heaviest and most significant albums. It was made under huge pressure, with the band trying to live up to their sudden success while dealing with exhaustion and friction between members. Producer Ross Robinson, who worked closely with the band throughout, has spoken in the past about how gruelling the sessions were.
Ross Robinson is an American record producer known for shaping the sound of the nu metal and post-hardcore scenes, having also worked with bands such as Korn and At the Drive-In. His recollections carry weight because he was present in the studio during Iowa's creation and has spoken publicly before about the band's difficulties at the time, making him a credible source on the album's troubled beginnings.