On this day in 1999, nu metal band Slipknot release their self-titled debut album to widespread critical acclaim.

Having formed four years earlier in Des Moines, a city in the US state of Iowa, Slipknot quickly make a name for themselves due to their aggressive sound, and the fact that they feature a total of nine musicians in the band, all of which are referred to by a number, wear matching jumpsuits, and cover their faces with unsettling masks.

The group, fronted by Corey Taylor (otherwise known as #8), spend time recording their demo album, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., which is released on Halloween of 1996 and helps to raise their profile in the underground music scene. After a couple more years of recording and touring – including a slot on the 1999 Ozzfest lineup – the group release their self-titled debut album on June 29th, changing the face of nu metal completely.

Publications such as Metal Hammer refer to the record as the “best debut of the last 25 years”, while others name it one of the best albums of the decade, including Robert Dimery, who lists the album in his book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The group were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for their song ‘Wait And Bleed’, but eventually lost out to the Deftones. Two years later, the group would return with their follow-up album, Iowa, which continues their heavy sound, but is not quite as highly-regarded as their debut.

Check out Slipknot’s ‘Wait And Bleed’:

The article was originally published on Tone Deaf