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Unauthorized book about rise of SLIPKNOT and creation of 2001 album 'Iowa' to arrive in August

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

10-06-2026

Little, Brown Book Group, a division of Hachette UK, has set an August 6, 2026 publication date for “Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying: Slipknot, Nu Metal And 9/11” from author Dan Franklin.

What if one album could capture the moment the world changed?
This is the gripping inside story of SLIPKNOT‘s “Iowa” album — 25 years on from its release — and how it became the sound of a generation on the brink.

“Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying” is the first book to fully unpack the rise of SLIPKNOT and the creation of their landmark 2001 album “Iowa” — a record that revolutionized heavy metal, and came to define not just a band, but the emotional atmosphere of the early 21st century.

Published to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the album’s release, this is a gripping deep dive into how nine masked maniacs from Des Moines, Iowa, became one of the most controversial and culturally significant acts of their time.

Drawing on original interviews, first-hand reporting and extensive research, Franklin tells the inside story of a band on the brink — capturing the chaos of the studio, the extremity of their live shows, and the intense personal toll of fame, addiction, and creative pressures.

Crucially, the book also expands outward, placing SLIPKNOT within a wider cultural moment — tracing the rise of nu metal alongside the collapse of late-’90s optimism, from Woodstock ’99 to the aftermath of 9/11, and explores how their music became a vessel for a generation’s anger, alienation, and identity crisis. With nu metal more popular than ever today, the cycle is repeating.

At its heart, “Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying” asks a bigger, more troubling question: what happens when art doesn’t just reflect chaos — but seems to generate it?

“Iowa” went on to become a huge international success, spawning hits including “Disasterpiece”“The Heretic Anthem”“People = Shit” and “Left Behind”.

Regarding what SLIPKNOT was trying to achieve with “Iowa”, frontman Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer that the band did not want to put out a rehash of its 1999 self-titled debut and the LP’s hit single “Wait And Bleed”.

“Everyone and their mom was trying to get us to write ten more ‘Wait And Bleed’s, but fuck you, we’ve already done that,” he said. “Why would we want to do it again?

“For us, it was really about being rabid, being wasted, and still being young enough to back it up,” he explained. “Our whole goal was to go in and make this dense, destructive album. We had no idea how destructive it was going to be.”

Taylor believes SLIPKNOT more than accomplished its goal with “Iowa”. He told Metal Hammer: “You can hear the bile in it, you can hear the frenetic passion for what we were trying to do. I think we overshot it… I think we bypassed what we were trying to do and achieved something completely different, which was to create the heaviest album that would be picked up by a popular audience who didn’t really know what they were getting themselves into.”

Dan Franklin is a heavy-music writer, and author of “Heavy: How Metal Changes The Way We See The World” (Constable/Little, Brown, 2020) and “Come My Fanatics: A Journey Into The World Of Electric Wizard” (White Rabbit/Orion, 2023). “Somewhere Between Screaming and Crying” is the third instalment in this loose trilogy about heavy music.

SLIPKNOT‘s latest full length album, “The End, So Far”, landed at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart and at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, marking their sixth Top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200. A new album from SLIPKNOT is a global event, and “The End, So Far” continued the band’s global chart rise, with No. 1 debuts in the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and Mexico, as well as Top 3 debuts in Canada, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, Japan, and Belgium. SLIPKNOT‘s previous album, 2019’s “We Are Not Your Kind”, marked SLIPKNOT‘s third consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200, along with No. 1 debuts in the official album charts of twelve countries around the world, including the U.K., Australia, Canada and Mexico, with Top 5 debuts in an additional twelve countries. including Germany, France and Sweden.

HarbourView Equity Partners is an investment firm, founded by Sherrese Clarke Soares, focused on opportunities to support premium content across the entertainment, sports, and media markets. The firm seeks businesses or assets powered by IP and investment opportunities that aim to build enduring value and returns. HarbourView has been extremely active since launching in 2021, amassing more than $1.45 billion in regulatory assets under management including over 70 music catalogs to date and investments in two media production companies, MACRO and Mucho Mas Media, both with a mission to center premium storytelling. The firm’s distinctly diverse music portfolio features thousands of titles spanning numerous genres, eras, and artists, amounting to a diversified catalog of more than 31,000 songs across both master recordings and publishing income streams. The company is headquartered in Newark, New Jersey.

When SLIPKNOT played at The O2 arena in London, England last December, the band’s guitarist Jim Root spoke to Guitar Interactive‘s Jonathan Graham about the possibility of a follow-up to SLIPKNOT‘s 2022 album “The End, So Far”. Asked if he and his bandmates have been working on new music, Root said: “Not diligently. Honestly, we’ve been touring so much since (drummer) Eloy (Casagrande) joined the band that my inspiration is nearly zero. And there’s a bunch of music that was written during COVID that I’m not interested in. And I think everybody else in the band gets it too, and I think they’re kind of, like, ‘Okay, we need to just kind of, like, maybe sweep all that shit under a rug and start fresh.’ And I wanna get touring behind us. I wanna have at least a month off just to shut my brain off and sleep and all that kind of stuff. And then when I find myself going out to my little home studio and putting riffs together, then I’ll know it’s time to start.”

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg , SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer. 

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was “heartbroken and blindsided” by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA three months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band’s recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

“February 6th, a few days prior to the first rehearsal, drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project,” the band said in a statement.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia’s Everblack Media that Casagrande had had “a tremendous impact” on the group since he joined in 2011. “It’s undeniable because he’s such a strong force,” he said. “He loves playing metal music. He’s one of the most talented drummers I’ve ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He’s such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond.”

SLIPKNOT‘s latest album “The End, So Far”, arrived in August 2022. It marked the band’s the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Featured songs:

00:00 (515)
01:38 People=Shit
05:36 Eyeless
10:10 Disasterpiece
17:20 Before I Forget
22:17 Custer
27:55 Psychosocial
32:55 The Devil In I
39:56 The Heretic Anthem
45:24 Unsainted
50:05 Wait And Bleed
53:35 Prosthetics
58:46 Vermilion
1:06:59 Duality
1:11:28 Spit It Out
1:14:46 Surfacing

For the Pappy + Harriet’s gig, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Singer Corey Taylor said onstage mid-performance: “Tonight it doesn’t matter where you came from, it doesn’t matter when you were born. This year is 19-fucking-99. We’re going to play you some songs from beyond that year, but goddamn it, it all started in ’99 and it is starting again here tonight.”

Tickets to the the Pappy + Harriet’s concert sold out in minutes. They were priced just $9, and fans were limited to two tickets each, with no refunds or transfers allowed. All ticket proceeds will go to Joshua Tree No Kill Shelter and Boys & Girls Club Of The Hi Desert.

SLIPKNOT has yet to officially reveal the identity of its new drummer after parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November.

Fans have speculated that Weinberg‘s replacement is Casagrande, who abruptly left that band in early February, just days before the start of the Brazilian/American outfit’s farewell tour.

A month and a half ago, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption “Rehearsal.”

SLIPKNOT‘s latest album “The End, So Far”, arrived in August 2022. It marked the band’s the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Speaking to NME about what SLIPKNOT has planned for 2024, founding member Shawn “Clown” Crahan said: “I’m ready to move on from what has been and move on to a world that I know needs to be. For instance, normally we’d have about two years on and one and a half years off — we’re not doing that anymore.

“We’re going back to basics,” he added. “I’m ready to kick everybody in the face again. I’m ready to do a 100-person venue again. I’m ready to do a 500-person venue.”

SLIPKNOT has revealed tour dates for a massive 2024 European headline run. The band’s thrilling, multi-sensory live shows are legendary, and with SLIPKNOT celebrating 25 years on this upcoming run, these shows will be especially explosive and not to be missed.

SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) states about the upcoming shows: “It has been 25 years since we first played on the continent, and we’ve been back ever since. The memories I have from all those times are life-changing, and we’re ready to make more.

“I’m so excited to bring our 25-year anniversary tour to Europe and the U.K. Be prepared for an energy you’ve never experienced before. It’s happening.”

Europe (with support from BLEED FROM WITHIN)
Dec. 05 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Dec. 06 – Dortmund, Germany – Westfalenhalle
Dec. 08 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
Dec. 09 – Leipzig, Germany – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
Dec. 11 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Dec. 12 – Paris, France – Accorhotel Arena
Dec. 14 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Dec. 15 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Dec. 17 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Arena
Dec. 18 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Dec. 20 – London, UK – O2 Arena

Check out a tour trailer below.

The run kicks off at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 5, canvases continental Europe with arena dates in Germany, France and Switzerland, and concludes at the world-famous O2 Arena in London on December 20. This notably marks their first O2 Arena performance since 2020. Presale tickets will go live on December 13 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time, with official Live Nation and venue presales launching on Thursday, December 14 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time, and general on-sale following on December 15 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

Slipknot released the official video for “Yen” earlier this year. The song is taken off their new album ‘The End So Far’, released on September 30 release on Roadrunner Records.

SLIPKNOT released their debut self-titled studio album on 29th June 1999, and with it, heralded a seismic shift in music, attitude and energy, and have since defined a culture that has only grown around the world. In the quarter century since, SLIPKNOT‘s unwavering dedication to their art, expression, and their fans remains at the core of their mission. The band has remained as creative and unapologetic as ever, both in their music and their live shows.

Slipknot has not released the name or identity of their new drummer, after the ungracious exit of drummer Jay Weinberg, earlier this year. 

“Yen” follows the forthcoming album’s lead single “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” which arrived last month accompanied by an official music video directed by the band’s own M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan. The track garnered widespread acclaim upon its arrival with The Fader declaring “It absolutely rips,” and Rolling Stone praising it as a “punishing new elegy.”

A four-camera video of SLIPKNOT performing its previous single, “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”, live for the first time on July 28 at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic is now available (courtesy of YouTube channel Bahomar).

Watch “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” live and it official video directed by SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan below.

Produced by SLIPKNOT and Joe Barresi“The End, So Far” includes the band’s 2021 surprise single “The Chapeltown Rag” and follows their widely celebrated 2019 album “We Are Not Your Kind”, which marked SLIPKNOT‘s third consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The release made a massive global impact with No. 1 debuts in the official album charts of twelve countries around the world, including the U.K., Australia, Canada and Mexico, with Top 5 debuts in an additional twelve countries including Germany, France and Sweden.

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told Kerrang! magazine: “To me, it just seems like it’s all the outrage and none of the punishment. For the last few years it’s been very trendy to be offended and outraged by everything, and yet nothing happens – especially in my country, which is just fucking ridiculous. It’s almost like the tables have turned, and the more angry people get, the more the people who they’re mad at just double-down on the shit. Instead of there being cause and effect, or crime and punishment, now it’s just like, ‘Fuck you, we don’t care.’ I can’t tell if that’s a reaction because of the almost nihilistic isolation of the cultures themselves, where neither side is acknowledging any of the good parts of each other – they’re just really honed in on the shit that they consider inflammatory. And it’s almost like people are ringing the doomsday bell. You’re sitting there going, ‘Well, it’s been fun! Everybody, pick up your trash when you’re leaving, and I’ll see you in Hell!’ That’s kind of what that song is. It’s just like, ‘If we don’t figure it out, I’ll see you when the meteor hits, basically.'”
 
As for SLIPKNOT‘s working relationship with BarresiTaylor said: “He’s one of those dudes who’s got great ideas, but he also allows you to do what is on your mind. If he has an idea, he lets you pursue yours, but then he’ll go, ‘You know, just for me, try this and see if these things can live together.’ He’s very unassuming, which is kind of rare these days. Sometimes you can get a producer who’s trying to enforce their will on it, but Joe just wants what’s best for the album, and what’s best for the song, and what’s best for the performance.”
 

“The End, So Far” track listing:

01. Adderall
02. The Dying Song (Time To Sing)
03. The Chapeltown Rag
04. Yen
05. Hivemind
06. Warranty
07. Medicine For The Dead
08. Acidic
09. Heirloom
10. H377
11. De Sade
12. Finale

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