Slipknot's mix of grinding, post-Korn alternative metal, Marilyn Manson-esque neo-shock rock, and rap-metal helped make them one of the most popular bands in the nu-metal explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s. But even more helpful was their theatrical, attention-grabbing image: the band always performed in identical industrial jump suits and homemade Halloween masks, and added to their mysterious anonymity by adopting the numbers zero through eight as stage aliases. Add to that a lyrical preoccupation with darkness and nihilism, and an affectionately insulting name for their fans ("Maggots"), and Slipknot's blueprint for nu-metal success was set. Emerging in 1995, the Grammy Award-winning band issued their eponymous debut album in 1999 and went mainstream with subsequent gold and platinum efforts like Iowa (2001), All Hope Is Gone (2008), We Are Not Your Kind (2019), and The End, So Far (2022).

Slipknot were formed in late 1995 in the unlikely locale of Des Moines, Iowa; after some early personnel shifts, the nine-piece lineup settled around (in order from number zero to number eight): DJ Sid Wilson, drummer Joey Jordison, bassist Paul Gray, percussionist Chris Fehn, guitarist James Root, sampler/programmer Craig Jones, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan, guitarist Mick Thomson, and lead vocalist Corey Taylor. The music scene in Des Moines wasn't much to speak of, and the band's big-time ambition was usually met with disbelief and ridicule, which provided the initial spark for its mostly anonymous stage visuals. On Halloween 1996, Slipknot self-released an album called Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., which built a buzz around the group once it found its way to several labels. It was picked up for distribution by the Nebraska-based -ismist label and caught the attention of Roadrunner Records, which signed Slipknot in 1997. Working with producer Ross Robinson, the band recorded their official self-titled debut album and released it in 1999. They gradually built an audience through near-constant touring, working their way up to the summer Ozzfest package tour. Their live shows were a much-discussed hit with metal fans, and the band performed with such energy that Crahan gashed his head open on his own drum kit twice that summer, requiring stitches both times. In early 2000, Slipknot was certified platinum; the first such album in Roadrunner's history.

The anticipation for Slipknot's follow-up was intense, and the band's sophomore effort, Iowa, bowed at number three upon its release in 2001. More heavy touring followed, including another, more prominent slot on that summer's Ozzfest. After a long spell on the road, Slipknot took a break while the members worked on side projects. The band set up its own label, Maggot Recordings, and signed a band called Downthesun, whose lead singer had served as Crahan's drum technician. Wilson began DJ'ing solo under the name DJ Starscream, and Root and Thomson both worked on solo material. Drummer Jordison worked with a side group called the Rejects, where he'd actually served for quite some time as guitarist. Taylor, meanwhile, started a side band called Superego, and also contributed a solo song, "Bother," to the soundtrack of the 2002 blockbuster Spider-Man. That year, guitarist Joey Jordison and Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen teamed up for the Murderdolls project, while Taylor re-formed his old band Stone Sour and released an album.

In August 2003, Slipknot decamped Iowa for L.A., where they began work on the new record with producer Rick Rubin. "Pulse of the Maggots" appeared in early 2004 as an exclusive download. The band then embarked on a brief tour as a warm-up for their dates headlining Ozzfest that summer. (The group also debuted a fully redesigned third generation of their famous masks.) Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses was released in May 2004. It peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, and the band toured steadily for the next year-and-a-half in support. They released a two-disc live album in November 2005, followed by a slew of side projects (Taylor and Root worked with Stone Sour, while Jordison sat in with Ministry and Korn) before releasing their fourth full-length album, All Hope Is Gone, in 2008. Slipknot made a number of festival appearances during the summer of the following year, and also embarked on their All Hope Is Gone world tour. On May 24, 2010, the body of bassist Paul Gray was discovered by a maintenance worker in an Urbandale, Iowa hotel room; he was 38 years old at the time of his death, which was later revealed to have been the result of an accidental drug overdose. Two years after suffering the tragedy of losing Gray, the band released their first compilation. Spanning 13 years of output, Antennas to Hell: The Best of Slipknot combined the best studio cuts from Corey Taylor and company, along with a selection of bonus material, including their full performance at 2009's Download Festival.

In 2013 Slipknot started work on what was to become their fifth studio album. During the recording process, the band and drummer Joey Jordison parted ways. The group recruited a drummer and bassist that were later confirmed to be, respectively, Jay Weinberg, formerly of Against Me, and Alessandro Venturella, formerly of Cry for Silence. Titled .5: The Gray Chapter in honor of their fallen bandmate, the album was released in October 2014. Marking a return to a more raw, brutal, dissonant sound reminiscent of their earlier work, it was promoted with the singles "The Negative One" and "The Devil in I," which featured music videos directed by Shawn Crahan. 2017 saw the release of the Crahan-directed film Day of the Gusano, which documented Slipknot's first trip to Mexico and accompanying Mexico City Knotfest concert in late 2015.

Slipknot returned in late 2018 with the standalone single "All Out Life." Their critically acclaimed sixth studio album, the Greg Fidelman-produced We Are Not Your Kind, arrived in August 2019 and debuted at number one on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and the U.K. Albums Chart. Original drummer Joey Jordison died on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46. 2022 saw the release of The End, So Far, the band's final album for Roadrunner Records and the first Slipknot effort to feature new percussionist Michael Pfaff. Another global success, it peaked at number two on the Billboard 200 while topping the charts in the U.K., Australia, and Germany. The single "Hive Mind" was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 66th Grammy Awards. Another lineup shift occurred in June 2023 with the sudden departure of longtime sampler/programmer Craig Jones, with his unknown masked replacement appearing on-stage the same day. That month, Slipknot issued an EP, Adderall, which included various versions of the title track. ~ Steve Huey