Slipknot masks evolution

When you hear the name Slipknot, you get images of a large band, powerful performances, full of
energy and a very characteristic sound, guttural and deep, but the most symbolic of this band are
its masked members.

Due to their great work on stage, this band has become one of the greats of metal, garnering
millions of fans around the world, and making them constantly interested in both good music and
new aspects during their performances.

The terrifying masks became the hallmark of the band, who had the idea of being recognized for
their talent, not for their identity, so for a while their names were kept secret, although later each
of these would be known.

Even so, they manage to keep all their fans in expectation every time they announce a new album,
as this leads to bring to the scene new masks, with a concept that completely delight new and old
followers of the band.

All this performance full of mysteries was established during the 90's, when they took seriously
the decision to be known only for their musical skills, so their identities should not mean anything,
in fact, they replaced their names with numbers, which started at 0 and ended at 8.

Another of the conditions that would be present forever in the band and in each of its members is
that the masks would be unique for each one, that is to say, they had the freedom to choose the
one they wanted.

Origin of Slipknot masks

Shawn Crahan (the longest-lived member of the band), had the idea of wearing masks, and this
was rejected by the other guys, not knowing that soon this would become their hallmark and that
they would be recognized not only for their brutal talent, but also for the frightening image they
showed through these masks.

What is known of the origin, is that Shawn Crahan was the first to use it, and in an anecdote he
tells that he had gone out with a girl one night, when he passed in front of a store where they
exhibited a horrible clown mask, he declared that it had a price of $49, and he had $50 in his
pocket, apparently the girl got angry because he thought it was a better idea to spend everything
he had on that horrible mask than to invite her to eat.

Since the members of Slipknot started using their terrifying masks, these have changed over the
years, some have incorporated some elements that did not completely modify their initial
structure, while others have managed to look completely different, but none have lost that
terrifying and mysterious touch that has always identified them.

Let's take a look at the evolution of Slipknot's terrifying masks.

 Shawn Crahan

Let's start by looking at the evolution of the person who had the initial idea for the masks. And we
know the anecdote of how he got his first mask.

The first version of Shawn Crahan's clown is quite creepy, almost like the clown that appears in
everyone's nightmares. The next mask was much more terrifying, with a much more sinister and
bizarre face and a pentagram carved all over the face.

Subsequent versions changed in different ways, some bloody bandages, even a clown lacking
color, but always keeping his round nose.

The latest version of this terrifying clown looks much more modern metallic, but without losing its
prominent large spherical nose.
 Jim Root

At the time the band arrived, he decided to wear the mask that belonged to Josh Brainard (former
member). It was a bondage mask, and he declared that it was very uncomfortable to play, so he
decided to change it for a jester mask, and according to him, it went perfectly with his personality.

The jester presented some changes over time, so first you could see some diamond-shaped
wounds in the eyes, later these were converted to black, to this was added a zipper in the mouth.

From The Gray Chapter onwards, the mask completely covers the face, but leaves the lower part
of it uncovered, this is how Jim began to show off his long beard. Currently the mask no longer has
black diamonds on the eyes, but these became red circles around them.
 Craig Jones

Craig Jones is responsible for the sounds with the samplers and also the keyboard, but you can
easily recognize him for being the one with the spikes in the band. Craig's mask, initially was
completely black and had some spikes stuck in it, and this idea would be maintained over time, but
undergoing some changes.

For example, during Iowa, the mask would be made of latex and would have holes for the eyes,
nose and in the mouth we would see a zipper. Then, during other works, the spikes would change
in length until they became very, very long.

For We Are Not Your Kind, the spikes changed length again, on the top of the head they became
more prominent, which causes a visual effect similar to a Mohican hairstyle.
 Mick Thomson

We can say that Thomson's mask is one of the ones that has presented less variations over time
(but not for this reason it is the least frightening), and the guitarist affirms that if you know your
identity well, you don't need to change it.

Initially he wore this field hockey mask that gave him the look of a killer from horror movies. Over
the years he has gradually modified the facial features of the mask, to make it into something
darker and scarier, and the details achieved this.

His current mask retains the bars in the mouth, and has the expression of a guy in a very bad
mood, that when you see him you must run for your life.
 Sid Wilson

Sid Wilson, unlike his peers, is much more experimental with his masks, constantly changing them,
but it was the gas mask that he repeated a few times.

Initially it was the gas mask that this member had chosen to show to the public, however, in each
album he began to change drastically, since none of his masks resemble each other.

Gradually he managed to integrate styles that looked like skulls with shapes a little different from
what we are used to seeing.

For All Hope is Gone, he took a metallic mask with monkey features, and this one had something
very interesting, and that his eyebrows could move, thus giving him diverse facial expressions.

Currently, Wilson has decided to wear a black cape with a huge hood, and under this is a mask
with a much more humanized style that evokes the appearance of Emperor Palpatine, this style is
very different from that of his companions.
 Joey Jordison/Jay Weinberg

The late Joey Jordison established the style of the mask that would later be worn by drummer Jay
Weinberg, who replaced him when he left the band.

Jordison's initial idea came after he received a scare one Halloween night from his mother, who
was wearing a Japanese Kabuki-style mask.

This style was maintained for several albums, only with small variations, adding some details to
the mask, however, the last one he used, incorporating a crown of thorns, gave it an even more
gloomy look.

After this, Jay Weinberg came to the band, and decided to give a very personal touch to the
drummer's mask, his first design was not very striking, but still retained the aura of horror that all
the others had.

But, for the final design, Jay decided to add some much more noticeable details, like a nonagram
on the forehead and some huge staples in the mouth, this gave him a much more sinister and
remarkable look.
 Paul Gray / Alessandro Venturella

The late Paul Gray established the mask of a grotesque pig as his original trademark, and little by
little he made some changes, incorporating more terrifying elements.

This is how he managed to be somewhere between a horrible pig and Hannibal Lecter, even
adding details that incorporated a bullet scar on his forehead.

After his death, his place was taken by Alessandro Venturella who decided to keep some of Gray's
style, but with a much more elaborate mask, but the changes were not long in coming.

Now it incorporates a mask with many details and textures, evoking a baroque style, very
elaborate.
 Corey Taylor

The mask of the band's front man has also undergone significant changes, but it is still iconic.

During his first shows, his dreadlocks were quite noticeable, these came from a leather mask that
did not have too many expressions, it was rather simple. This style was kept a little bit more, with
more details on the mask.

In Vol 3, he changed the dreadlocks for his hair, and dyed it in colors, while his mask simulated a
face with burns.

For All Hope is Gone, he used a simpler one, gray and without many details, but it didn't seem to
be well received by the public. But, in The Gray Chapter, he surprised with a mask with a quite
humanized look, but dark, terrifying and decadent, reflecting horror in his expressions.

In We Are Not Your Kind, Corey showed a mask that gives a cold and puffy look, quite
uncomfortable to see, and if that was his goal, he achieved it.
 Corey's mask today

It was recently, during the Rocklahoma 2021 festival, that Slipknot made their appearance after
almost half a year without playing on stage, and they surprised their fans, not only with their
powerful music, but by the appearance of their vocalist, Corey Taylor.

Corey, who always generates great expectation in his fans for his constant mask changes,
surprised everyone with the new look of this one.

He has his distinctive touch of terror in this mask, which looks simple, with seams on the skull and
also on the mouth. He has no nose, and his eyes are a pair of grommets, giving him a creepy look.