Guitar Solos REMOVED From Slipknot's First Album?? Exploring Creative Decisions In Legendary Music

For Slipknot and their fans, 2024 is the year their debut self-titled album's 25th anniversary is celebrated. With all the albums the sonic giant has released since then, this is an opportune time to reflect on how far the unit has come. With the growth of each new release testing half of Slipknot's fan base, they evolved and managed to maintain the same ferocity that established them a quarter of a century ago. In a recent Guitar World article, Mick Thomson revealed a huge “what could have been” message about the guitar arrangement of Slipknot's first album. Turns out, the self-titled album originally had guitar solos on it that were ultimately cut out. We're gonna dig into the reasons behind that decision, Mick's attitude about it, and how he ultimately got to flex his shredding skills after all. Along the way, I'm gonna pose some questions that I'd like you, Shredder, to think about. Sit back and relax as we talk about what happened (and what could have happened) with one of modern metal's most influential bands.

Here's The Scoop...

Thomson, Mick "Mick Thomson explains why his solos were erased from Slipknot’s debut album – and how he reacted." Published by Matt Owens. Guitar World, 1 Oct. 2024, https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slipknot-mick-thomson-solos-erased-on-debut-album

From what I understand, the attitude toward guitar solos seems to have taken a drastic turn between the metal era of the 1980s (when shredding was cool) and the grunge era of the 1990s (when shredding was less cool). Throughout modern music history, each new generation seems to have rebelled against the previous one in some capacity. Face-melting solos and physical appearance were some huge elements in ‘80s music. When grunge came along in the ‘90s, both effortful appearance and lightning-fast guitar solos were canceled out. Slipknot, along with other bands lumped into the nu-metal genre in the '90s, seem to have at least adopted the grunge philosophy of face-melters: there is no room for them.

My first question to you is this: do you think guitar solos are lame and outdated?

Practicing For No Payoff (Yet)

In the article, Mick laments the negative attitude toward guitar solos that became so popular. The mindset creates a barrier that eliminates a guitarist's chance of showcasing what his skills are really made of. Mick had spent his whole life pouring himself into his craft. While the opportunity to record and release a wildly successful debut album is one very few are blessed to receive, it simultaneously removed the opportunity for Mick to flaunt his creative and technical prowess.

This reminds me of something I believe I heard the late great Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom say a long time ago. When surrounded by people criticizing shredders for “showing off”, the immediate response is, “I've been working at this my whole life. You better believe I wanna show off.”

If you don't think guitar solos are lame and you actually like them, do you think a song can be complete without one?

Finally Getting To Shred

Fortunately, Mick didn't let the collective opinion stop him for too long as he and Jim Root were able to lay down some of their most unique, mature, and mind-bending guitar work on later releases. In what is my all-time favorite Slipknot album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), Mick and Jim dazzle us with experimental arrangements, leads, and solos. Not to mention on this album, as with the band's following release, All Hope Is Gone, we get a taste of some acoustic guitar work.

In 2008, the dynamic guitar duo took what they did on their previous albums and delivered what I believe to be their most mature and most brutal guitar work to date on All Hope Is Gone. Songs like "Gematria", "This Cold Black", and the title track "All Hope Is Gone" feature guitar riffs and solos that perfectly balance speed, musicality, and brutality. On top of that, I believe this album had some of the band's best guitar tones ever.

Out of everything Slipknot has produced, what album is your favorite? And which works do you think feature the band's best guitar parts?

Conclusion

In celebration of the 25th anniversary of Slipknot's first album, it's pretty cool to appreciate how it turned out, while at the same time thinking about what could have been. Could you imagine leads over "(Sic)" or a solo in "Spit It Out"? Perhaps the album came out the way it did for a good reason. It led to a wildly successful career, left a mark on metal history, and remains one of the band's most popular albums. It's great to be able to flaunt your skills, but showing some restraint could perhaps be better for the sake of the song. Nevertheless, Mick Thomson is an incredibly skilled guitarist who in addition to being technically skilled, also knows a lot about how to get great amp tones.
 

Watch the full lesson here: Guitar Solos REMOVED From Slipknot's First Album?? Exploring Creative Decisions In Legendary Music