Slipknot to play 'own sound' at show

The band has found success with its more extreme music.
The Slipknot world knows no peace.
Tormented with apocalyptic overtones, grinding metallurgic din and raucous theatrics, this innovative alternative metal act has forged a career based on unpredictability and creativity.
"I honestly believe we have our own sound," said Shawn "Clown" Crahan, calling from his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. "The nine of us know who we are. There is definitely an element known as Slipknot, and that comes naturally. It's getting more extreme. It's getting way more out there."
Released last spring, Slipknot's third studio album "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" found the band further pushing its boundaries with a new batch of industrial-minded tracks that simultaneously challenged the group's songwriting talents and their fans' expectations.
Crahan said Rubin's influence was obvious from the start, when he gathered all nine Slipknot members in a room for an intimate conversation about the group's musical intentions. The percussionist said he heard ideas and thoughts from fellow band mates that had never before been revealed. It was a watershed moment for the band, which created its most unique and diverse album to date.
"I would hope so because he's a heavy dude," Crahan said. "I love Rick. I was so pleased. I'm just a firm believer in not only his work ethic but in how he works with bands. 'What do you want? What do you hear in your head? What do you want to be?' And you tell him, and he makes it happen for you. So I hope that it would give us cred because I feel that he deserves it. He's done everything from hip-hop to metal to Tom Petty. You name it."
Intentions
Craham said Rubin's influence was obvious from the start, when he gathered all nine Slipknot members in a room for an intimate conversation about the group's musical intentions. The percussionist said he heard ideas and thoughts from fellow band mates that had never before been revealed. It was a watershed moment for the band, which created its most unique and diverse album to date.
As far as touring its vision, Slipknot took a different route than in the past. For its 2001 disc "Iowa," the band created an over-the-top elaborate show that blitzed audiences and paralyzed senses. This time, the group took a step back, scaling down its production and proving to critics that underneath its crazy masks and in spite of its zany histrionics, the music is what mattered the most.
So after headlining the Jagermeister Music tour and Ozzfest's second stage last year, and opening for Metallica in Europe, the band has more of a show planned for its upcoming touring leg, which rolls through Northeast Ohio on March 9 at the Wolstein Center at CSU.
Perhaps radio airplay is the last part of the Slipknot puzzle. While the band did receive spins on rock radio formats for both its singles "Duality" and "Vermilion (Parts 1 and 2)," don't expect these alt metal outlaws to start writing with the Top 40 chart in mind.
"I love extreme music," Crahan said. "So of course, I want Slipknot on the radio, but am I just going to do what radio or a producer or a label wants me to do? No, I'm going to do what I want to do. And it always seems to work out in our favor."