Slipknot fans and nu-metal historians, get ready — a major new book diving deep into the band’s chaotic early days and their landmark 1999 album Iowa is on the way.
Titled Somewhere Between Screaming and Crying: Slipknot, Nu Metal and 9/11, the unauthorized book comes from respected heavy music author Dan Franklin and will be released on August 6, 2026, via Little, Brown Book Group (Hachette UK).
The book examines how Slipknot’s brutal second album became a cultural touchstone. It explores the turbulent conditions that shaped it — from the madness of Woodstock ’99 to the paranoia following 9/11 — and how tracks like “People = Shit” and “The Heretic Anthem” became anthems for a generation caught between confusion and rage.
Author Dan Franklin uses thorough research and original interviews to show how the band’s raw vision exploded far beyond just music.
Corey Taylor previously reflected on the making of Iowa:
“For us, it was really about being rabid, being wasted, and still being young enough to back it up. Our whole goal was to go in and make this dense, destructive album. We had no idea how destructive it was going to be.”
This release perfectly aligns with the 25th anniversary of the Iowa album.
With Slipknot still one of the biggest and most intense forces in metal, this book arrives at the perfect time. Iowa remains one of the most aggressive and influential records of the nu-metal era, and Franklin’s focus on the cultural and historical context should make for a fascinating read. Whether you lived through that era or discovered Slipknot later, this unauthorized deep dive promises to deliver fresh insights into the madness behind the masks.
