“Disasterpiece” turned masterpiece: Slipknot’s ‘Iowa’ turns 20

Slipknot‘s beloved sophomore album Iowa turns 20 this Saturday.

Originally released August 28, 2001, Iowa arrived two years after Slipknot’s self-titled debut. Drawing inspiration from their lives growing up in their home state, along with their struggles with issues including addiction and mental health, the masked metallers created what is now considered the Knot’s darkest, heaviest and most intense album of their career.

Iowa debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 — then a Slipknot career high — and has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. It spawned future Knot staples “Disasterpiece,” “The Heretic Anthem” and “People=S***,” plus the Grammy-nominated singles “Left Behind” and “My Plague.”

Sadly, not every Slipknot member who recorded Iowa is still here to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Bassist Paul Gray died in 2010, while drummer Joey Jordison, whom Halestorm‘s Arejay Hale calls “one of the most influential drummers of his generation,” just passed away this past July.

“I always appreciated [Jordison’s] style because it was straight from the heart,” Hale tells ABC Audio. “I always appreciated that about him, and I was always really intrigued by his playing.”

Hale adds that he’s always been particularly inspired by Jordison’s “raw energy” and “aggression.”

“You could feel what he played,” Hale says. “You could definitely feel that he beat himself up. He put his entire body into his playing.”