Iowa is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by the members and Ross Robinson, it was released on August 28, 2001, by Roadrunner Records. The title refers the band's state origin, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 debut album Slipknot, pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on one song from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with Iowas development, Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.
The album was a major success, premiering in the top tens of nine countries. Generally positively received, it includes some of their notable songs, such as "Disasterpiece", "The Heretic Anthem", "People = Shit" and the Grammy-nominated "Left Behind" and "My Plague". More technical than their debut, Iowa is considered the band's heaviest and darkest album. It has been certified platinum in the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada.
A special edition of Iowa was reissued on November 1, 2011, to celebrate its tenth anniversary. It was accompanied by full live audio of the hit DVD Disasterpieces and a film entitled Goat directed by Shawn Crahan, with the four music videos, never-seen-before interviews and footage from the Iowa period.
In 2022, Eli Enis of Revolver included the song "People = Shit" in his list of the "10 Heaviest Nu-Metal Songs of All Time". In 2025, Rae Lemeshow-Barooshian of Loudwire included the album in her list of "the top 50 nu-metal albums of all time", ranking it fourth.
Recording and production
Iowa was recorded and produced at Sound City Studios and Sound Image Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Ross Robinson, who had also produced their debut album. On January 17, 2001, Slipknot entered the studio to begin recording new material. Recording began on January 22. This period in the band's career became known as one of their worst. Jordison recalled, "That's where we got into a war," citing the lack of a break for himself and Gray.
It was the first album where guitarist Jim Root had been significantly involved, after joining during the later recording stages of Slipknot. While recording vocals for the closing title track, he was completely naked, vomiting all over himself, and cutting himself with broken glass. "That's where the best stuff comes from," he explained. "You've got to break yourself down before you can build something great." Recording was completed on March 16, 2001.
Iowa album cover depicts a goat named Eeyore. According to Crahan, the cover was shot soon after the cover for their previous self-titled album.
Music and lyrics
Prior to its release, members promised a much darker and heavier album than Slipknot; many sources praised the band for fulfilling their promises.
Iowa, unlike its predecessor, saw Robinson capturing the band's technicality as opposed to the raw energy which Slipknot became known for. The band was also praised again for its use of an extended line-up consisting of additional percussionists, turntables, and programmed samples. NME stated that "every possible space is covered in scrawl and cymbals: guitars, percussion, electronic squall, subhuman screaming."
Although Iowa became widely regarded as the band's heaviest album to date, some tracks incorporate melody, most apparent in the record's singles such as "My Plague" and "Left Behind". During the album's thirteenth anniversary, Revolver recalled that the record is "their most extreme album yet". They compared several songs, namely "Disasterpiece," "People = Shit" and "The Heretic Anthem" as more death metal-influenced than most of the that the album contained. While the album does have elements of hip-hop music, Iowa has less hip-hop elements than Slipknot's self-titled album, and instead draws its influences moreso on heavy genres like death metal and hardcore punk. The title track is also known for being the band's longest continuous song released, clocking in at just over 15 minutes.
Iowa follows the lyrical style that vocalist Corey Taylor established on Slipknot's debut; it includes strong use of metaphors to describe dark themes including misanthropy, solipsism, disgust, anger, disaffection, psychosis, and rejection. The album also includes many expletives; David Fricke of the Rolling Stone magazine said "there isn't much shock value left in the words fuck and shit, which Taylor uses in some variation more than forty times in Iowas sixty-six minutes." Iowa was later announced as its title and was named after the band's home state of Iowa. Members have claimed that Iowa was the source of their energy, and they consciously made the decision to stay in the area, partially due to the fear of losing their creative direction. The opening track "(515)" is also a reference to their home state, named after the telephone area code for central Iowa. Initially the album was scheduled for release on June 19, 2001, and was to be preceded by a five-date warm-up tour. However, the mixing of the album took longer than anticipated, causing the album's release to be delayed, as well as the cancellation of the tour. an American co-headlining tour with System of a Down,
Prior to the album's release, Slipknot gave away copies of "Heretic Song" (titled "The Heretic Anthem" on the retail release), free on their website. It was limited to 666 copies, to match the chorus; "If you're 555, then I'm 666." The giveaway began on May 15, 2001, and lasted until copies sold out. The first official single released from the album was "Left Behind". In 2002, the band made a special appearance in the film Rollerball, in which they performed "I Am Hated".