Thomson may refer to:

People[link]

• Thomson (surname), includes a list of people with this name and a description of its origin

Science[link]

• thomson (unit), a unit for mass-to-charge ratio, symbol: Th; named in honor of J. J. Thomson
• Thomson effect, named for William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin, which is the heating or cooling of a current-carrying conductor when a temperature gradient is present
• Joule–Thomson effect, named after James Prescott Joule and William Thomson, which explains the temperature change of a fluid when allowed to pass through a porous plug with the system kept thermally insulated
• Thomson's gazelle, a species of gazelle

Places[link]

Australia

• Thomson River (Queensland)
• Thomson River (Victoria)
• Thomson, Victoria a suburb of Geelong

Canada

• David and Mary Thomson Collegiate Institute, a high school located in Toronto, Ontario

Singapore

• Thomson, Singapore
  • Thomson MRT Line, a mass transit line

United States

• Thomson, Georgia
• Thomson, Illinois
• Thomson, Minnesota

Business[link]

• The Thomson Corporation, a Canadian-based information services company
  • Thomson Reuters, a media company created by The Thomson Corporation's purchase of Reuters on 17 April, 2008
• Thomson-CSF, former name for the company Thales Group
• Thomson Local, the UK business directory published by Thomson Directories
• Thomsons Online Benefits, a UK based provider of employee benefit programmes
• Thomson SA, formerly known as Thomson Multimedia, a French electronics manufacturer and media services provider
  • Thomson MO5 and MO6, TO7, TO8 and TO9, microcomputers by Thomson SA in the 1980s
• Various businesses of TUI AG:
  • Thomson Holidays, a UK-based travel company founded by the Thomson Corporation in 1965; now a subsidiary of TUI UK
  • Thomsonfly, a UK airline, part of TUI AG, formerly Britannia Airways
  • Thomson Airways, a UK airline formed from the merger of Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways

See also[link]

• Thompson (disambiguation)
• Thomsen
• Thomason (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Jeffrey Robert Thomson (born 16 August 1950 in Greenacre, New South Wales) is a former Australian cricketer. Known as "Thommo", he was one of the fastest bowlers ever to play Test cricket and was the opening partner of fellow fast bowler Dennis Lillee; their combination was one of the most fearsome in Test cricket history. Commenting of their bowling during the 1974–75 season, Wisden wrote: "... it was easy to believe they were the fastest pair ever to have coincided in a cricket team".^[1]

Competing in a 1978 fast bowling contest that included many of the leading bowlers in the world, Thomson came first with a delivery clocked at 147.9 km/h, ahead of Michael Holding (141.3 km/h) and Imran Khan (139.7 km/h). In 1975 during a Test match, he was timed using high-speed cameras with a release speed of 160.45 km/h; the following year he was timed at 160.58 km/h using conventional radar.^[2] Australian wicket-keeper Rod Marsh kept wicket to Thomson for most of his Test career and claimed that Thomson bowled upwards of 180 km/h. Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd regards Thomson as the fastest bowler he has ever seen.^[3] Thomson himself noted that he had been timed at the batsman's end of the pitch (by which time the ball has slowed) and believes had he been timed out of the hand he would have been closer to 180 km/h.^[4] Frank Tyson wrote that "at a muzzle velocity of 99.6 m.p.h. Thompson is so fast and human reaction time is so slow that scientists have calculated that the batsman has to begin playing a stroke against him more than .062 of a second before 'Thommo' lets go of the ball".^[5]

Incidents of Thomson's deliveries hitting the opposite sight-screen (behind the wicket-keeper), beating the wicket-keeper on the full, after the one bounce on the pitch were reported, when he was at his fastest between 1972 and 1976, long before boundary ropes were getting pulled in from around 1990.^[6][7][8] Thomson came to the fore in 1974–75 with 33 wickets in the Ashes series. Modern protective items for batsmen, specifically helmets, were not available at the time, and there was no restrictions on the use of the bouncer. The success of the Australian cricket team with fast bowling prompted an era when pace bowling dominated the game, at the expense of slow bowling.^{[citation needed]}

Test career[link]

Thomson enjoyed a rapid rise in the 1972–73 season, when he made his first-class debut for New South Wales (NSW), then his Test debut after five first-class games. Against Pakistan at the MCG, Thomson returned match figures of 0/110. Later, he was diagnosed as having played with a broken bone in his foot, the pain from which he kept concealed from selectors and teammates.^[9] Following this, he disappeared from first-class cricket until the final match of the 1973–74 season. A very fast spell for NSW against Queensland impressed the opposition captain Greg Chappell, who encouraged Thomson to move to Queensland for the following season.

When Thomson was selected for the first Test of the 1974–75 Ashes series, the English players had seen him in action only once, during a tour match against Queensland when Thomson bowled well within himself on the instruction of his captain Greg Chappell. He created controversy during a television interview before the Test when he said, "I enjoy hitting a batsman more than getting him out. I like to see blood on the pitch".^[10] In the second innings of the match, he bowled Australia to victory with a spell of 6/46. At Perth, he injured several batsmen and finished off the game with 5/93 in the second innings as Australia recorded another victory.^[11]

Taking a relatively short run up to the crease, Thomson generated his pace with a slinging-style bowling action, clearly influenced by his former competitive javelin throwing, that began to accelerate the ball from lower than usual. He did not put a lot of work on the ball with his fingers, so he did not seam or swing the ball much and he adopted an uncomplicated approach to his work.^{[citation needed]} He once described his bowling as, "I just roll up and go whang".^[12] Although he regularly bowled the bouncer, it was his ability to make the ball rise sharply from a length that earned him many wickets.^[1] The hard Australian pitches suited his style as he relied on bounce rather than movement to take wickets. John Benaud describes facing Thomson in a Sydney grade match:

So Thommo begins - the high stepping gait of a thoroughbred, bowling hand bobbing at waist level and the ball visible. It is conventional and comforting because facing a strange bowler for the first time invariably generates edginess. Then, in the split second before delivery, at gather, Thommo drags one leg behind the other in a sort of Swan Lake crossover, sways back and hides the ball behind his right knee - unconventional and very unsettling.^[12]

Forming an intimidating bowling partnership with Dennis Lillee, Thomson captured 33 wickets in the series and looked to set to beat Arthur Mailey's record of 36 Test wickets in an Australian season. However, he injured his shoulder playing a social tennis match during the rest day of the fifth Test at Adelaide and missed the rest of the summer. Australia's eventual winning margin was 4–1.^[10]

He was less at home on the slower wickets of England on the tour that followed and took only four wickets in five matches during the inaugural World Cup. In the subsequent four-Test series, he snared 16 wickets at 28.56. In the first Test at Edgbaston, he hit 49 from 67 balls and bagged 5/38 in England's second innings as Australia claimed the only decisive result of the series, which enabled them to retain the Ashes. At this time, Thomson hired a manager, David Lord, who negotiated a contract with the Brisbane radio station 4IP, reputedly worth A$63,000 per year for ten years. In the 1975–76 series against the West Indies, he took 29 wickets in the six Tests. He conceded a lot of runs but often induced the West Indies batsmen to play injudicious shots. Wisden thought his bowling had improved from the previous Australian season.^[13]

Collision[link]

A severe injury resulted from an on-field collision with teammate Alan Turner as they both attempted a catch in the first Test match against Pakistan at Adelaide on Christmas Eve, 1976. A dislocation of his right collarbone forced him to miss the remainder of the season.^[14] Although he returned to Test cricket during the 1977 Ashes series in England, he was never as consistently fast again. Lillee missed the tour because of back problems, and Thomson responded as the spearhead of the attack by taking 23 wickets at 25.34 average. However, Australia's performance was hampered by the revelation that most of the team had signed to play World Series Cricket (WSC) in opposition to official cricket.^{[citation needed]}

Thomson's relationship with WSC was complex. He did not hesitate to sign on, but his manager pointed out that his contract with 4IP required him to be available for Queensland. Lord extricated him from the WSC contract (along with the West Indian Alvin Kallicharan), prompting Kerry Packer to obtain an injunction preventing Lord (or any other third party) from inducing players to break their WSC agreements.^{[citation needed]}

In the rebuilt Australian Test team of 1977–78, Thomson was the senior player after the recalled veteran, captain Bob Simpson. In the first Test against India at Brisbane, Thomson contributed seven wickets and 41 not out towards an Australian victory. During the second Test at Perth, he claimed six wickets and finished the series with 22 wickets at an average of 23.45. Australia had a narrow 3–2 win that helped the ACB maintain its optimism that it could win the war with WSC.^{[citation needed]}

Simpson lobbied for Thomson's appointment as vice-captain of the team to tour the West Indies. Thomson produced his fastest spell since his comeback in the second Test at Bridgetown, Barbados, when he knocked off Viv Richards' cap and finished with 6/77.^[12] However, his bowling fell away in the later Tests.^{[citation needed]} During the winter, Thomson expressed a desire to join his teammates playing WSC, which paid for a court challenge to his contract. The ACB had a rare^[vague] victory over WSC when the judge ruled against the proposed move, and criticised Thomson's business acumen. Thomson played a single limited-overs match for Queensland, taking 6/18, and then sat out the season. As part of the negotiations for the peace treaty between the two organisations, the ACB agreed to let Thomson play in WSC's tour of the Caribbean in the spring of 1979. Reunited with Lillee, he returned 16 wickets in five "Supertests", including 5/78 at Trinidad.

The reunion of the partnership for Test cricket was less successful. A number of fast bowlers had enjoyed success for Australia during Thomson's absence from the team, yet the selectors were keen to see Lillee and Thomson attempt to reprise their success of the mid-1970s. However, Thomson managed only two Tests in 1979–80 when he was dropped. He played four ODIs in the first World Series Cup, but bowled erratically in two day/night matches against England at the SCG that confirmed his unsuitability to limited-overs cricket. Thereafter, injuries contributed to his absence from the team. Overlooked for the 1981 Ashes tour of England, he decided to spend the season with Middlesex in the hope that he might be needed as a late replacement in the Australian team.

Thomson reclaimed his place in 1981–82 when he played eight of the nine Tests against Pakistan and the West Indies (in Australia) and in New Zealand. His figures were pedestrian: 20 wickets at 36.4, with a best of 4/51. However, he found a regular place in the ODI team and took 19 wickets (at 27.42 average) in 13 matches during the World Series Cup.

On the tour of Pakistan later in the year, he took just three wickets in three Tests. Dropped for the first Test at home against England, Thomson owed his recall to a knee injury suffered by Lillee. In the remaining four Tests, he enjoyed success in taking 22 wickets at 18.68. At times, he reached top pace, claiming 5/73 at Brisbane, and 5/50 at Sydney in the fifth Test, his last in Australia. His performance in the World Series Cup, 19 wickets in 13 matches with an RPO of 4.01, was his best in an ODI tournament.

Continuing with Queensland as captain, Thomson was chosen for the 1985 tour of England. The rebel tours to South Africa had stripped the Australian team of pace bowlers. In the first Test, his match figures were 2/174 and he was omitted until the fifth Test, when he scored 28 not out in the first innings, his highest Test score since 1977. His only wicket was Graham Gooch, giving him 200 Test wickets.

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Player profile: Jeff Thomson from ESPNcricinfo

v t e Queensland squad – Gillette Cup 1975/76 1 Chappell, G (c) 2 Carlson 3 Davis 4 Dymock 5 Francke 6 Kent 7 Langley 8 Maclean (wk) 9 Ogilvie 10 Schuller 11 Thomson 12 Trimble 13 Walters

v t e Australia squad – 1975 Cricket World Cup Runners-Up 1 IM Chappell (c) 2 GS Chappell 3 Edwards 4 Gilmour 5 Lillee 6 McCosker 7 Mallett 8 Marsh (wk) 9 Thomson 10 Turner 11 Walker 12 Walters

v t e Australia squad – World Series Cricket 1 Chappell, I (c) 2 Bright 3 Chappell, G 4 Chappell, T 5 Davis 6 Edwards 7 Gilmour 8 Hookes 9 Kent 10 Laird 11 Langer 12 Lillee 13 McCosker 14 Malone 15 Marsh (wk) 16 Pascoe 17 Prior 18 Redpath 19 Robinson (wk) 20 Thomson 21 Walker 22 Walters 23 Wessels

v t e Australia squad – 1983 Cricket World Cup 1 Hughes (c) 2 Border 3 Chappell 4 Hogan 5 Hogg 6 Hookes 7 Lawson 8 Lillee 9 MacLeay 10 Marsh (wk) 11 Thomson 12 Wessels 13 Wood 14 Yallop

Joshua Joseph Thomson (born September 21, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts fighter training with American Kickboxing Academy. He has fought in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships and America's UFC, as well as Strikeforce and the World Fighting Alliance. Thomson is a former Strikeforce World Lightweight Champion.

Mixed martial arts career[link]

Thomson started out very strongly in his MMA career winning his first two professional bouts, before going to a no contest with Norifumi Yamamoto. Thomson would then go on to win his next three fights, including a win over former WEC Lightweight Champion Rob McCullough.

Ultimate Fighting Championship[link]

Thomson made his debut in the UFC at UFC 44 defeating Gerald Strebendt by knockout in the first round. He would then pick up a decision victory over Hermes Franca in an incredible fight at UFC 46, before falling victim in his next fight to a highlight reel KO finish at the hands and foot of Yves Edwards.

Strikeforce[link]

Thomson was 2-1 in the UFC and 7-1(1) overall before leaving the UFC and opting instead to go overseas to Japan and fight once for PRIDE FC. He won his single fight in PRIDE by submission in the 1st round. Thomson then signed with Strikeforce and would lose his debut fight with the company (a fight for the vacant Strikeforce Lightweight Championship to Clay Guida) but would then go on to win his next six fights, including victories over Duane Ludwig and Nam Phan and would earn another shot at the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.

On June 27, 2008, he defeated Gilbert Melendez by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson to become the new Strikeforce Lightweight Champion.

On April 11, 2009, Thomson was scheduled to make his first title defense in a rematch against Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce's debut on the Showtime Network, but had to pull out after breaking his ankle while training on April 1, 2009. Rodrigo Damm was selected to take Thomson's place on the card.

On August 15, 2009, Thomson was scheduled to unify his title with the newly crowned Strikeforce Interim Lightweight Champion Gilbert Melendez at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, but was not medically cleared to fight due to his leg still bothering him. Mitsuhiro Ishida was selected to take Thomson's place against Melendez.^[1]

On December 19, 2009 at Strikeforce: Evolution, Thomson fought Gilbert Melendez for the Undisputed Lightweight Championship.^[2] Thomson would lose the fight by unanimous decision, but the fight would see both fighters put it all on the line in what would prove to be a very fast-paced and exciting fight.

Thomson fought Pat Healy at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum and won by rear naked choke late in the 3rd round. After this win, Dave Camarillo granted him his black belt in Guerrilla Ju-Jitsu. Thomson broke two ribs during the fight on Healy's very first takedown and fought the rest of the fight very defensively.

Thomson fought Gesias Cavalcante on October 9, 2010 at Strikeforce: San Jose where he won a controversial unanimous decision.^[3]

Thomson's next fight was against Tatsuya Kawajiri under the Dream banner at its end of year event Dynamite!! 2010.^[4] He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Thomson was expected to face promotional newcomer Maximo Blanco at Strikeforce World Grand Prix: Barnett vs. Kharitonov but yet another injury forced him out of the bout.

Thomson returned in March 2012 and face K.J. Noons at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey.^[5] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Thomson once again faced Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship at Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier in San Jose, California on May 19, 2012. He lost the fight via split decision.

Personal life[link]

Thomson is of part Mexican descent on his mother's side.^[6]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

• Strikeforce
  • Strikeforce Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • Strikeforce U.S. Lightweight Championship (One time; First; Last)

Mixed martial arts record[link]

Result	Record	Opponent	Method	Event	Date	Round	Time	Location	Notes
Loss	19–5 (1)	Gilbert Melendez	Decision (split)	Strikeforce: Barnett vs. Cormier	02012-05-19May 19, 2012	5	5:00	San Jose, California, United States	For Strikeforce Lightweight Championship.
Win	19–4 (1)	KJ Noons	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey	02012-03-03March 3, 2012	3	5:00	Columbus, Ohio, United States
Loss	18–4 (1)	Tatsuya Kawajiri	Decision (unanimous)	Dynamite!! 2010	02010-12-31December 31, 2010	3	5:00	Saitama, Japan, Japan
Win	18–3 (1)	Gesias Cavalcante	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce 28	02010-10-09October 9, 2010	3	5:00	San Jose, California, United States
Win	17–3 (1)	Pat Healy	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum	02010-06-26June 26, 2010	3	4:27	San Jose, California, United States
Loss	16–3 (1)	Gilbert Melendez	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce: Evolution	02009-12-19December 19, 2009	5	5:00	San Jose, California, United States	Lost Strikeforce Lightweight Championship
Win	16–2 (1)	Ashe Bowman	TKO (punches)	Strikeforce: At The Mansion II	02008-09-20September 20, 2008	1	1:14	Beverly Hills, California, United States
Win	15–2 (1)	Gilbert Melendez	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Thomson	02008-06-27June 27, 2008	5	5:00	San Jose, California, United States	WonStrikeforce Lightweight Championship
Win	14–2 (1)	Adam Lynn	TKO (punches)	Strikeforce: Playboy Mansion	02007-09-29September 29, 2007	1	4:45	Beverly Hills, California, United States
Win	13–2 (1)	Nick Gonzalez	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Baroni	02007-06-22June 22, 2007	1	1:42	San Jose, California, United States	Defended Strikeforce U.S. Lightweight Championship
Win	12–2 (1)	Nam Phan	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce: Triple Threat	02006-12-08December 8, 2006	3	5:00	San Jose, California, United States	Won Strikeforce U.S. Lightweight Championship
Win	11–2 (1)	Duane Ludwig	Submission (guillotine choke)	Strikeforce: Tank vs. Buentello	02006-10-07October 7, 2006	2	4:36	Fresno, California, United States
Win	10–2 (1)	Rocky Johnson	Submission (armbar)	PFA: Pride and Fury 5	02006-07-06July 6, 2006	1	1:55	Worley, Idaho, United States
Win	9–2 (1)	Harris Sarmiento	Submission (arm-triangle choke)	Strikeforce: Revenge	02006-06-09June 9, 2006	3	3:19	San Jose, California, United States
Loss	8–2 (1)	Clay Guida	Decision (unanimous)	Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Gracie	02006-03-10March 10, 2006	5	5:00	San Jose, California, United States	For vacant Strikeforce Lightweight Championship; Guida was docked 1 point for eye gouging.
Win	8–1 (1)	Daisuke Sugie	Submission (kneebar)	Pride Bushido 8	02005-07-17July 17, 2005	1	4:35	Nagoya, Japan
Loss	7–1 (1)	Yves Edwards	KO (flying head kick & punches)	UFC 49	02004-08-21August 21, 2004	1	4:32	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	7–0 (1)	Hermes França	Decision (unanimous)	UFC 46	02004-01-31January 31, 2004	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	6–0 (1)	Gerald Strebendt	KO (punches)	UFC 44	02003-09-26September 26, 2003	1	2:45	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	5–0 (1)	Rob McCullough	Decision (unanimous)	WFA 3: Level 3	02002-11-23November 23, 2002	3	5:00	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win	4–0 (1)	Kajan Johnson	Submission (elbows)	SE: North American Sport Fighting Invitational	02002-09-07September 7, 2002	2	4:56	Boise, Idaho, United States
Win	3–0 (1)	Doug Evans	Submission (triangle choke)	NW Submission Fighting 1	02002-05-04May 4, 2002	1	1:29	Boise, Idaho, United States
NC	2–0 (1)	Norifumi Yamamoto	NC (accidental groin kick)	Shogun 1	02001-12-15December 15, 2001	2	2:00	Honolulu, Hawaii, United States	Yamamoto was kicked in the groin
Win	2–0	Víctor Estrada	Submission (triangle choke)	Gladiators Vale Tudo	02001-03-10March 10, 2001			Worley, Idaho, United States
Win	1–0	Jason Abajian	KO (punches)	Bushido 1	02001-01-18January 18, 2001	1		Tempe, Arizona, United States

See also[link]

• List of male mixed martial artists

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Professional MMA record for Josh Thomson from Sherdog

Slipknot
Slipknot performing at Metaltown Festival in 2009.
Background information
Origin	Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Genres	Heavy metal, nu metal, alternative metal
Years active	1995 (1995)–present
Labels	Roadrunner
Associated acts	Stone Sour, Murderdolls, To My Surprise, DJ Starscream, Dirty Little Rabbits, The Black Dots of Death
Website	www.slipknot1.com
Members
Joey Jordison Shawn Crahan Craig Jones Mick Thomson Corey Taylor Sid Wilson Chris Fehn Jim Root
Past members
Paul Gray Josh Brainard Anders Colsefni Donnie Steele Greg Welts

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in their early days, the band consisted of nine members for the greater part of their tenure: Sid Wilson, Paul Gray, Joey Jordison, Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Craig Jones, Shawn Crahan, Mick Thomson, and Corey Taylor. However, the death of Paul Gray on May 24, 2010, left the band with only eight remaining members. Former guitarist Donnie Steele was the band's touring bassist in 2011.

Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image, aggressive music style, and energetic and chaotic live shows. The band had somewhat of a meteoric rise to success following the release of their self-titled debut album in 1999. The 2001 follow-up album Iowa further increased the band's popularity. After breaking for their first hiatus, Slipknot returned in 2004 with Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and once again in 2008 with their fourth album All Hope Is Gone, which debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200. The band has also released one live album and four DVDs.

History[link]

Early days (1995–1998)[link]

Slipknot was formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in September 1995 when drummer Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray started a band named The Pale Ones.^[1] The lineup was made up of friends who met through the local music scene, including vocalist Anders Colsefni and guitarist Donnie Steele.^[1] Not long after their inception, Gray invited Joey Jordison to a rehearsal because the band were interested in experimenting with additional drum elements. Jordison subsequently joined the band as their main drummer, moving Crahan to custom percussion.^[1] Furthermore, Colsefni also took up custom percussion while remaining the band's vocalist. The band then decided to invite Josh Brainard as their second guitarist, bringing their lineup to six members.^[2] On December 4, the band made their live debut; playing a benefit show using the name Meld.^[3]

Much of the band's early development was retrospectively attributed to late-night planning sessions between Gray, Crahan and Jordison at a Sinclair gas station where Jordison worked nights. It was there, in late 1995, that Jordison suggested changing the band name to Slipknot after their song of the same name.^[2] In December, Slipknot began recording material at SR Audio, a studio in the band's hometown.^[4] Without a recording budget, the band were forced to self-finance the project, the costs of which came to an estimated $40,000.^[5] In February 1996, guitarist Donnie Steele decided to leave Slipknot due to his Christian beliefs. When questioned in 1999 about Steele's departure, Jordison explained: "we were prepared to keep him on, but he didn't want to stay." During the mixing stages of their project at SR Audio, Craig Jones was recruited as Steele's replacement on guitar.^[6] However, throughout their time in the studio, the band were adding samples to their recordings but could not produce these sounds live. Subsequently, Jones became the band's sampler and Mick Thomson was brought in as the replacement guitarist.^[7] After a complicated time with mixing and mastering, the band self-released Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. on Halloween, October 31, 1996.^[8]

	"Slipknot" (1996) noicon 29 second sample from the song "Slipknot" which the band was eventually named after. Slipknot's earlier music was slower than their later material and vocalist Colsefni had a much deeper vocal style than that of Taylor.[9]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Distribution for the demo was initially left to the band and their producer Sean McMahon, before it was handed over to the distribution company Ismist in early 1997.^[10] Slipknot received a small amount of airplay on local radio stations off the back of the demo. However, it didn't lead to any kind of interest from record labels, so the band returned to the studio to develop new material.^[10] It was at this time that the band sought more melodic vocals for their music. As a result, Corey Taylor was recruited from fellow Des Moines band Stone Sour; this moved Colsefni to backing vocals and percussion.^[11] While working in the studio, Slipknot continued to do local shows, during one of which in September 1997, Colsefni announced on stage that he was leaving the band.^[12] The gap on percussion was filled by Greg Welts, who was affectionately known as "Cuddles."^[13] In early 1998, Slipknot produced a second demo featuring five tracks exclusively for record labels.^[14] The band began to receive a lot of attention from record labels, and in February 1998, producer Ross Robinson offered to produce their debut album after attending rehearsals in Des Moines.^[15] Soon after, DJ Sid Wilson was recruited as the band's ninth member after showing great interest and impressing band members.^[16] In late June, Slipknot received a $500,000 seven-album deal from Roadrunner Records; the band signed the deal publicly on July 8, 1998.^[17] Two days prior to this, Welts was fired from the band, something which Slipknot refuse to comment on.^[17]

[edit] Slipknot and emergence (1998–2000)

	"(sic)" (1999) noicon 16 second sample from Slipknot's "(sic)". Their debut album was much faster than their demo album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. and, with nine members, their sound had changed drastically.[18]
Problems listening to this file? See media help.

Chris Fehn was brought in to replace Welts on percussion before Slipknot traveled to Malibu, California to work on their debut album in September 1998.^[19] Partway through the recording process of the album, Slipknot returned to Des Moines, Iowa for the Christmas period, during which guitarist Brainard decided to leave the band.^[20] Speaking about his decision, Brainard explained: "some decisions were made that I wasn't particularly happy with."^[21] Slipknot recruited Jim Root to complete their lineup and returned to Malibu to continue work on their debut album.^[21] Work on the album concluded in early 1999, allowing the band to go on their first tour as part of the Ozzfest in 1999.^[8] The tour proved to expand their audience greatly and their self-titled album was released on June 29, 1999.^[22] Slipknot went on to release their first home video Welcome to Our Neighborhood and the two singles; "Wait and Bleed" and "Spit It Out".^[8] The singles received some airplay, but Slipknot developed a large following very quickly mainly from touring and word of mouth.^[8] The band toured several countries throughout 1999 and 2000 in support of the album. In early 2000, Slipknot was certified platinum, a first for an album released by Roadrunner Records.^[23]

[edit] Iowa and hiatus (2001–2003)

Slipknot performing in Buenos Aires in 2005

Anticipation for Slipknot's sophomore effort was intense and in early 2001, the band began recording their second album at Sound City and Sound Image studios in Los Angeles.^[8][24] It was about this time that conflicts began to arise between band members due to their extensive touring and recording schedules.^[25] Despite this, recording on their second album came to a close in February 2001 and Slipknot embarked on their Iowa World Tour.^[26] Iowa, the band's second album was released on August 28, 2001, peaking at number three on the Billboard album charts and at number one on the UK album chart.^[27] The album produced three singles; "The Heretic Anthem", "Left Behind" and then "My Plague" which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Resident Evil.^[28][29] In 2002, Slipknot made their first (and to-date only) appearance in a movie, performing the song "I Am Hated" in a scene in the remake of Rollerball.^[30] The release of the album and the promotion in support of it proved great for the band's popularity, to the extent of them selling out shows in large arenas in several countries.^[31] However, in mid-2002, Slipknot went on hiatus for the first time due to internal conflicts, seeing several band members focus on side projects.^[32] Vocalist Taylor and guitarist Root revived their band Stone Sour, drummer Jordison created the Murderdolls, percussionist Crahan founded To My Surprise and DJ Wilson went solo as DJ Starscream.^[32] At this time, the future of Slipknot was unclear and there was speculation over whether the band had split and the possibility of a third album.^[33] Despite this, on November 22, 2002 Slipknot released their second DVD Disasterpieces.^[34]

[edit] Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and second hiatus (2003–2007)

After several delays, Slipknot moved in to The Mansion in Los Angeles, California in mid-2003 to work on their third album alongside producer Rick Rubin.^[36] By early 2004, work had finished on the album and they began The Subliminal Verses World Tour with their appearance on the Jägermeister Music Tour in March 2004.^[37] Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) was released on May 24, 2004, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard album charts.^[38] The album produced six singles; "Duality", "Vermilion", "Vermilion, Pt. 2", "Before I Forget", "The Nameless", and The Blister Exists. Slipknot recorded their first live album, 9.0: Live while touring in support of their third album. Released on November 1, 2005 9.0: Live peaked at number 17 on the Billboard album charts.^[39] Touring in support of Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) continued through 2004 and up to the end of 2005 before Slipknot went on hiatus for the second time.

In 2005, several members of Slipknot where involved in Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions, a collaboration album of artists signed to Roadrunner Records. 2006 saw Slipknot win their first (and to date only) Grammy Award, picking up the Best Metal Performance award with the single "Before I Forget".^[40] On December 5, 2006, Slipknot released their third DVD Voliminal: Inside the Nine.^[41] While Slipknot were on hiatus, several band members once again focused their attentions on side projects; vocalist Taylor and guitarist Root returned to Stone Sour, drummer Jordison toured with several bands and produced 3 Inches of Blood's third album Fire Up the Blades, Crahan founded Dirty Little Rabbits and Wilson returned as DJ Starscream once again.

[edit] All Hope Is Gone, Gray's death and third hiatus (2008–2010)

Preparation for Slipknot's fourth album began towards the end of 2007; however, work began when the band entered the Sound Farm Studio in Jamaica, Iowa with producer Dave Fortman in February 2008.^[42][43] Work came to a close on the album in June, prior to the beginning of the All Hope Is Gone World Tour on July 9, 2008.^[44] Slipknot's fourth album; All Hope Is Gone was released on August 20, 2008, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard albums chart.^[45] The album produced five singles; "All Hope Is Gone", "Psychosocial", "Dead Memories", "Sulfur" and "Snuff". 2009 marked the 10-year anniversary of Slipknot's debut album; to commemorate the event, the band released a special edition version of Slipknot on September 9, 2009.^[46] Touring in support of the album continued throughout 2008 and 2009, before coming to a close on October 31, 2009, resulting in Slipknot's third hiatus.^[47]

Taylor performing in Chicago, Illinois in 2009

During the hiatus, several band members focused on respective side projects; vocalist Taylor founded Junk Beer Kidnap Band and returned to Stone Sour with guitarist Root, Crahan continued working with his band Dirty Little Rabbits, drummer Jordison returned with his band Murderdolls and became the new permanent drummer of Rob Zombie, percussionist Fehn is now a full-time bassist with metalcore band Will Haven and Sid Wilson founded the band, Sid named after his first name.

In 2010, bassist Gray was planning to tour with the supergroup, Hail!. However, on May 24, 2010, he was found dead in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa.^[49][50] Circumstances surrounding his death at the time were not immediately known; an autopsy suspected that his death was not caused by intention of anyone, but still did not reveal the cause of it.^[51] The day after his death, the remaining eight members of the band held a live press conference alongside Gray's widow and brother, expressing their feelings about the incident.^[52] On June 21, the cause of death was confirmed as an accidental overdose on morphine and fentanyl, the latter being a synthetic morphine substitute.^[53]

The band was hesitant to comment on the future of Slipknot. The members made conflicting statements in interviews regarding the situation; drummer Jordison told The Pulse of Radio "there is another Slipknot record already kinda in the making".^[54] Vocalist Taylor revealed to FMQB Productions' that he is "very conflicted about whether or not [he wants] to do anything with Slipknot".^[55] The band released their fourth video album (sic)nesses on September 28,^[56] where it debuted at No.1 on the Billboard Top Music Video Charts.^[57] The DVD features Slipknot's complete live performance at the 2009 Download Festival and a 45 minute film documenting their tour in support of All Hope Is Gone,^[58] and served as a tribute to Paul Gray.^[59]

Return to the stage and recent events (2010-present)[link]

Regarding the continuation of Slipknot, Taylor later told NME that Paul Gray would want them to continue and in that spirit he feels that they should, although he feels "on the fence" about returning to the band.^[60] Slipknot returned to touring in 2011 for a small run of shows in Europe. They headlined the Sonisphere Festival and Rock in Rio along the likes of Iron Maiden and Metallica and performed at Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting.^[61][62][63] Taylor stated that the shows served as a "celebration and tribute" to the late bassist. Slipknot founding guitarist, Donnie Steele substituted for Gray in the concert shows, however was obscured from the audience's view.^[64][65] Percussionist, Shawn Crahan has stated that the band will tour the United States by June, 2012.^[66]

Slipknot has also confirmed that they will complete and release their fifth studio album with no plans of replacing Gray, however Taylor stated that he was unsure whether he would like to record again with the album and did not see it happening very soon.^[68][69] He elaborated by saying that he might be open to recording with the band in "a couple of years".^[70] Drummer Jordison responded to these comments by stating that the writing process for the band's fifth studio album had already begun and that he had written 17 songs. In response to Taylor's comments about his uncertainty of his future with the band, Jordison stated that 'Slipknot will continue with or without [Corey Taylor]' [sic].^[71] A contrasting statement was made by Crahan on his Facebook page, where he stated that no songs were written yet. He supported Taylor's notion of it being too early to record another Slipknot album.^[72]

Slipknot is scheduled to perform at Mayhem Festival 2012.^[73]

On May 29, 2012, Roadrunner Records posted a teaser video on their website titled Antennas To Hell.^[74] Later that day, Corey Taylor revealed on twitter that Slipknot will release a greatest hits album on June 17, 2012.^[74] He also tweeted saying the band are not recording new material yet but are putting together demos for a new album.^[74]

Style and lyrical themes[link]

Slipknot draw influence from an array of styles and bands, most notably including hard rock and heavy metal bands such as Kiss, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Fear Factory, Godflesh, Skinny Puppy, Neurosis, Judas Priest, Metallica, White Zombie, Led Zeppelin and Beastie Boys.^{[75][8][76][77]} Slipknot are seen as pioneers of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal and have been compared to groups such as Pantera, Machine Head, Biohazard, Life of Agony, and Prong.^[78] They are also considered a nu metal band. However, band members prefer to distance themselves musically from bands such as Korn and Limp Bizkit. Slipknot describe their sound as simply "metal metal" and equate their link to nu metal solely as a coincidence in their time of emergence.^[79] The band's sound typically features a heavily down-tuned guitar setup, a distinctly large percussive section, samples and turntables.^[80] Utilizing a variety of vocal styles, their music typically features growled vocals, screaming, rapping, backing vocals and occasional melodic singing.^[80] However, the band have continually experimented with their sound – most notably developing tracks led by acoustic guitars and melodic singing first introduced on Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses).^[81] Slipknot's lyrics generally follow a very aggressive tone, occasionally featuring profanity while exploring themes such as darkness, nihilism, anger, disaffection, love, misanthropy and psychosis.^[8][81] Often drawing upon topics like the music industry, politics, personal strife and reflection, among others.^[82] Rick Anderson of Allmusic described their lyrics as "discernible [and] not generally quotable on a family website".^[22] However, on Vol. 3, Taylor has made a point of using no profanity in response to claims that he relied on the use of it.^[83]

Slipknot are known for their chaotic and energetic live shows, which contributed to their success.^[8] These typically feature most band members headbanging, several members stage diving and even fighting.^[79][84] Their early performances featured extreme acts such as stage dives from high balconies and band members setting each other on fire.^[85] However, in recent years, they tend to refrain from acts as extreme as this. Ex-bassist Gray explained that this was due to receiving lawsuits and to prevent harming other people, adding that it was a "better move" for the longevity of the band.^[85] Along with the band's energetic and unpredictable performance, Slipknot often incorporate elaborate stage setups. Which have featured; pyrotechnics, elevated stage areas, hydraulic drum risers and computer screens among other things.^[84][86] While reviewing a Slipknot performance, Alistair Lawrence of Kerrang! enthused, "the choreographed chaos is too multi-faceted to fully describe,"^[87] on a similar note, NME described one of their shows as "a scene of chaos".^[88]

Image and identities[link]

Shawn Crahan wearing the variation of his clown mask in 2009

The band is known for its attention-grabbing image; the members wear matching uniforms, have unique masks respectively and have aliases which are simply numbers.^[8] The original idea of wearing masks while performing is often attributed to a clown mask that percussionist Crahan would bring to rehearsals when the band first started.^[1] The concept developed, and by late 1997, the band decided that every member of the band would wear unique masks and matching jumpsuits.^[89] Vocalist Taylor had this to say when questioned about the masks in 2002: "it's our way of becoming more intimate with the music. It's a way for us to become unconscious of who we are and what we do outside of music. It's a way for us to kind of crawl inside it and be able to use it."^[90] The concept behind wearing matching jumpsuits has been described as a response to commercialism in the music business and led to the idea of assigning the band members numerical aliases. "Originally, we were just going to wear the jumpsuits [...] we figured we might as well take that further and number ourselves. [...] We were basically saying, 'Hey, we're a product!'" explained Taylor.^[91] Their image has been the subject of much criticism, generally thought of as a gimmick to try sell more albums.^[92] The band strongly objects to these claims, proclaiming that the masks are used to draw the attention away from themselves as individuals and put it on the music.^[93] Several band members have noted that wearing the masks also helps keep their personal lives private. During an interview in 2005, percussionist Fehn went as far as saying it was a "blessing" that they do not get recognized.^[94]

Throughout their career, Slipknot have developed their image; changing their uniforms and each member's mask accordingly with the release of each album.^[95][96] The masks do not differ drastically in appearance between albums and follow a similar style but with new elements. Drummer Jordison addressed the issue in an interview in 2004, stating that it is to show growth and difference within age in each individual.^[97] Alongside their usual masks, Slipknot have incorporated special masks for specific reasons throughout their tenure. Most notably; for the music video and live performances of the song "Vermilion" in 2004 and 2005 the band members wore death masks made from casts of their own faces.^[98] Then in 2008, the band wore a set of large masks entitled "purgatory masks" during photo-shoots prior to the release of All Hope Is Gone and are seen burning them in the music video for "Psychosocial".^[99] In the early days, Slipknot's masks were homemade; however, since 2001, they have been custom made by the special effect artist and musician Screaming Mad George.^[100]

Controversy[link]

Slipknot performing at 2008's Mayhem Festival

Slipknot has been the subject of many controversies throughout their career, both for their image and their music. The lyrical content of some of Slipknot's songs has been linked to several violent and criminal incidents. One such case from 2003 involved a pair of young killers who blamed the lyrics from the song "Disasterpiece" for their vicious crime.^[101] Another from 2006 involved the lyrics from the song "Surfacing" being found at the site of a grave robbing.^[102] Slipknot deny any responsibility in cases like this and to date have not been proven to be liable in any cases of this nature. In 2008, vocalist Taylor commented on a stabbing in South Africa that Slipknot were linked to, saying: "obviously, I'm disturbed by the fact that people were hurt and someone died, as far as my responsibility for that goes, it stops there, because I know our message is actually very positive."^[103] Furthering his point by saying: "there are always going to be mental disorders and people who cause violence for no other reason than the fact that they're fucked up and lost."^[103]

The band's image has also been subjected to several controversies. A longstanding feud came from the band Mushroomhead, who along with their fans, claimed that Slipknot "stole their image."^[104] While Slipknot acknowledged that their images had similarities, they never actively got involved in the feud, stating it was just a coincidence. Taylor explains: "we both started at the same time — neither one of us knowing anything about each other."^[105] In 2009, Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis stated that they were no longer interested in feuding with Slipknot, saying: "they're not the first masked band, we're not, no one was."^[106] Recently, a Facebook page called FilthyMaggots has been set up; its goal is to unite Slipknot and Mushroomhead with Mudvayne and Gwar in a big tour. More than 27,000 Facebook members have joined the page.^[107] Another controversy was the band's 2005 lawsuit against Burger King — claiming that the company created the advertising based band Coq Roq to capitalize on Slipknot's image.^[108] Burger King responded to the suit with a countersuit, pointing out that many other bands, such as Mr. Bungle, Mushroomhead, Mudvayne, Kiss, Insane Clown Posse and Gwar have used masks as part of their image. However, after negotiations, the advertising campaign and lawsuit were both dropped.^[108]

Awards[link]

RIAA certifications[link]

These statistics were compiled from the RIAA certification online database.^[109]

Grammy Awards and nominations[link]

Slipknot has been nominated for seven Grammy Awards, resulting in one win.

• "Wait and Bleed" – Best Metal Performance, 2001 (nomination)^[110]
• "Left Behind" – Best Metal Performance, 2002 (nomination)^[111]
• "My Plague" – Best Metal Performance, 2003 (nomination)^[112]
• "Duality" – Best Hard Rock Performance, 2005 (nomination)^[113]
• "Vermilion" – Best Metal Performance, 2005 (nomination)^[113]
• "Before I Forget" – Best Metal Performance, 2006 (winner)^[40]
• "Psychosocial"- Best Metal Performance, 2009 (nomination)^[114]

Band members[link]

Discography[link]

Tours[link]

References[link]

Footnotes

Bibliography

External links[link]

• Official website