Album of the Day

Among the most intense performers in the history of Des Moines, Iowa, Slipknot recorded its first album in Malibu - but if California waves were an invitation to mellow out, nobody told the band that. Released this month in 1999, their eponymous debut is an avalanche of death, thrash and speed metal, with a little industrial influence thrown in for good measure. The percussion-heavy, sample-filled sound is pretty dense (there are nine group members firing away here) but producer Ross Robinson keeps the musical elements distinct and accessible on such standout tracks as “Wait And Bleed,” “Spit It Out” and “Surfacing.” SLIPKNOT was named one of the "50 Heaviest Albums of All Time" by Q magazine shortly after its release, a distinction the double-Platinum set still richly deserves.