On October 31, 1999, a masked nine-piece force from Des Moines, Iowa, unleashed their self-titled debut album on an unsuspecting world. By Halloween 2000—just one year later—Slipknot had already transformed from a cult curiosity into a global phenomenon. But it was the 10th anniversary of that landmark release that would give fans the definitive, brutal, and exhaustive document of an era.
In 2009, Slipknot was at a crossroads. The band had survived the dizzying success of Iowa (2001) and the experimental detour of Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004). But just months before the anniversary, in May 2009, they had been dealt a devastating blow: the sudden death of bassist Paul Gray, the heart and musical anchor of the group. Gray’s passing shook the band to its core. Yet, rather than cancel the planned reissue, the surviving members saw an opportunity to honor their fallen brother by cementing the legacy of the record that started it all.
On September 9, 2009 (9/9/09—a numerological nod the band surely appreciated), Slipknot released Slipknot: 10th Anniversary Edition. It was far more than a simple remaster. The centerpiece was a second disc: a ferocious, raw, and historically essential live recording titled Of the (Sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams. Captured at the legendary Dynamo Open Air festival in Nijmegen, Netherlands, on June 3, 2000, the set captured Slipknot at their most primal—just eight months after the album’s release, before they’d become arena headliners. The sound was a concrete-jungle roar: Joey Jordison’s double-bass blasts, Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s percussive anarchy, and Corey Taylor’s voice, already shredded but brimming with venom. Tracks like “Eyeless,” “Wait and Bleed,” and “Surfacing” exploded with a hunger that the polished studio versions could only hint at.
The reissue also offered a DVD featuring all of the band’s iconic music videos from the era—from the nightmare-asylum of “Spit It Out” to the eerie, basement-dwelling “Left Behind”—alongside a documentary chronicling their improbable rise. But the true treasure for maggots (the band’s devoted fanbase) was the packaging. The two-disc set was housed in a deluxe digipak with unseen photos of each member in their original 1999 masks, liner notes written by the band, and a reproduction of the original handwritten lyric sheet for “(sic).”
The anniversary release did more than just repackage old hits. It arrived as a statement of resilience. With Paul Gray’s ominous, lurching basslines echoing through every track, the reissue reminded fans why the album had shattered expectations a decade earlier: it was a genuine noise riot, a fusion of death metal, hip-hop sampling, industrial clang, and melodic anguish that had no right to work—but did. The anniversary edition debuted at number 26 on the Billboard 200, a remarkable feat for a reissue, proving that the hunger for early, unhinged Slipknot had not faded.
Tragically, Paul Gray would never see the full success of the anniversary release. He was found dead in a hotel room in Johnston, Iowa, on May 24, 2010, less than a year after the reissue hit stores. In retrospect, the 10th Anniversary Edition stands as a poignant time capsule: the final major release to feature Gray’s full participation, and a loud, cathartic celebration of the album that had turned nine Iowa maniacs into metal’s most unpredictable force. For fans, it remains the definitive way to hear those first nine songs—not just as a recording, but as a living, breathing, violent moment in time.
A Decade of Chaos: Reflecting on Slipknot’s 10th Anniversary Reissues
When a band as volatile and culture-defining as Slipknot hits a decade, they don’t just blow out candles—they drop massive reissues that remind everyone why they dominated the metal landscape. Looking back, the band has used these 10th-anniversary milestones to offer fans deep dives into the eras that forged them. 1. Self-Titled (1999) – The 2009 Anniversary
Released on September 9, 2009, the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Self-Titled album was more than just a remaster. It was a time capsule of the raw, "raw, scary, and violent" energy that birthed the "maggots".
The Content: The reissue packed 25 tracks, including the original album plus rare demos and remixes that sounded like "completely different songs".
The Visuals: The accompanying DVD featured Of the Sic: Your Nightmares, Our Dreams, a documentary with fly-on-the-wall footage from 1999–2000, and the legendary Live at Dynamo Open Air 2000 set.
Fan Perspective: Collectors often note the "flipped" cover art on this edition, a subtle nod for those who own the physical digipak or box set. 2. All Hope Is Gone (2008) – The 2018 Anniversary
While Iowa surprisingly lacked a major standalone "10th Anniversary" campaign of the same scale, the band returned to the tradition for All Hope Is Gone in 2018.
Reimagined Aesthetic: Percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan provided newly reimagined artwork for this release, giving the chart-topping album a fresh visual identity.
Bonus Materials: It featured a bonus disc containing the band's full 2009 headline set from Madison Square Garden. slipknot 10th anniversary
The Legacy: Fans still debate the production and style of this record, but the anniversary served as a reminder of its massive commercial impact, featuring staples like "Psychosocial" and "Snuff".
Dive deeper into the physical releases and historical context of these anniversary milestones with these unboxings and retrospectives: Slipknot - Slipknot (10th Anniversary Edition) CD Unboxing 4K views · 2 years ago YouTube · Unbox Kings International SLIPKNOT's "All Hope is Gone" Turns 10 Years Old 5K views · 7 years ago YouTube · MetalSucks
Here’s a concise review of Slipknot’s 10th Anniversary reissue of their 1999 self-titled debut album:
Overall Verdict:
An essential upgrade for fans and a brutal history lesson for newcomers. It’s not just a cash-grab re-release; it’s a lovingly assembled time capsule that captures the raw, dangerous energy that made Slipknot a phenomenon.
What’s Great:
Potential Drawbacks:
Best For:
Maggots who want to study the band’s primal origins, collectors of physical media, or anyone who thinks modern metal is too clean.
Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5)
Minus half a star only because the bonus tracks are more archival than repeatable, but as an anniversary package, it’s a gold standard.
In the annals of heavy metal history, few moments carry the raw, visceral weight of the summer of 1999. When Slipknot unleashed their self-titled debut album on June 29, 1999, they didn’t just enter the music industry; they crashed through the wall like a battering ram, covered in coveralls, blood, and rage. A decade later, in 2009, the landscape of metal had shifted entirely. The Slipknot 10th anniversary celebration wasn’t merely a nostalgic victory lap. It was a cathartic reckoning, a reclamation of a legacy defined by tragedy, triumph, and the loudest noise humanity could manufacture.
Fans who purchased the "10th Anniversary Edition" weren't just getting a remaster. They got a two-disc digipak that became an instant collector's item. Disc one featured the original album remastered, but the real treasure was Disc two, titled Live from Download 2009.
This live recording captured the band at the peak of their live powers. Performing at Castle Donington in England, the setlist was a love letter to the first album. Listening to the crowd roar for Purity—a track that had been legally removed from the original 1999 pressing due to a lawsuit—was chilling. It proved that the underground had a long memory.
A major talking point during the Slipknot 10th anniversary tour was the evolution of the masks. The 1999 masks were crude—leather faces, clown paint, salvaged gas masks. By 2009, the masks had become sophisticated instruments of horror.
The visual shift during the anniversary tour signified growth. They weren't the angry children of Iowa anymore; they were seasoned executioners.
The Slipknot 10th anniversary was more than a nostalgia trip; it was a statement of survival. These nine men had endured lawsuits, lineup changes, addiction, and the crushing weight of expectation. Yet, when they hit the stage in 2009 to play those first few notes of "(sic)" , they were tighter, meaner, and more precise than they were in 1999. On October 31, 1999, a masked nine-piece force
We look back on that anniversary now not just as a celebration of an album, but as a celebration of a brotherhood that would soon be fractured by death. It stands as the final chapter of Slipknot’s "golden era" with Paul Gray and Joey Jordison.
If you want to understand why Slipknot became the biggest metal band on the planet, don't listen to the radio hits. Put on the 10th anniversary edition of Slipknot. Turn it up until the speakers distort. And remember: People = Shit. But this album? This album is sacred.
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On September 9, 2009 (09/09/09), Slipknot released a massive special edition to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their genre-defining self-titled debut album. The 10th Anniversary Release Highlights
Expanded Tracklist: The anniversary edition includes 25 tracks, featuring the original album plus rare demos, remixes, B-sides, and the long-lost classic "Purity". Bonus DVD Content:
"Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams": An hour-long documentary directed by M. Shawn (Clown) Crahan, featuring never-before-seen footage from the band’s early days in 1999.
Live at Dynamo Open Air 2000: A full concert film capturing the band's legendary intensity at the peak of their debut cycle.
Music Videos: Includes official videos for "Spit It Out," "Wait and Bleed," and the rare "Surfacing" video.
Collector's Formats: It was released in both a digipak and a deluxe steel box set. The steel box included physical memorabilia such as a patch, trading cards that form a puzzle, a keychain, and a stencil. Why It Matters
This anniversary marked a decade since Slipknot shook the hard rock world with their raw, brutal sound. Critics and fans noted that while the sound was "simpler" than later works like Iowa or Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), the 10th-anniversary package highlighted the band's massive evolution and the enduring power of producer Ross Robinson's "raw garage" sound.
The release also importantly reinstated "Purity", a track that had been removed from many early pressings due to copyright issues.
The 2018 anniversary tour is historically significant because it was one of the final runs featuring the "Gray Chapter" lineup before further changes occurred in 2019. It was also a period where the band was actively testing new material that would eventually become the 2019 album, We Are Not Your Kind.
If the report was written around 2011, it almost certainly refers to the 10th anniversary of their second album, Iowa.
Key points such a report would highlight: The Remastering: The original album was intentionally raw,
If you missed the Slipknot 10th anniversary tour in 2009, don’t despair. You can still relive it through high-quality bootlegs from the Download Festival 2009 (UK) or the Madison Square Garden show from December 2009. Furthermore, the Slipknot (10th Anniversary Edition) CD/DVD set is widely available on streaming platforms.
Listen to it with headphones. Pay attention to the layering: the percussion of Crahan and Chris Fehn, the samples of Craig Jones, the insanity of Sid Wilson on turntables. The Slipknot 10th anniversary is more than a date on a calendar. It is a document of chaos, a memorial to a fallen brother, and a reminder that when nine men in masks decide to burn the world down, you can either get out of the way or join the mosh pit.
The Verdict: Fifteen years later (and now looking toward the 25th anniversary), the Slipknot 10th anniversary remains the definitive celebration of the band’s legacy. It captures them at their most confident and most dangerous. Before the tragedy, before the lineup changes, before the world caught up to their speed, there was 1999. And in 2009, Slipknot proved that the fire still burns—louder, faster, and heavier than ever.
(Stay (sic).)
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their landmark self-titled debut, Slipknot released a massive special edition on September 9, 2009 (09/09/09). This date was a symbolic nod to the band's iconic nine-member lineup. The 10th Anniversary Release Highlights
The anniversary was marked by a comprehensive CD/DVD package designed to give fans a "definitive chronicle" of the band's 1999 breakthrough.
Expanded CD Content: The reissue featured 25 tracks, including the original album, rare demos, and alternate mixes like the "Hyper Version" and "Stamp You Out" remixes of Spit It Out. Notably, it restored the track "Purity," which had been removed from early pressings of the 1999 album due to legal issues.
Bonus DVD: Included the 50-minute documentary "Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams," directed by percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan. It featured never-before-seen footage from the band's early days.
Live Performances: Fans received the full concert video from the band's performance at Dynamo Open Air 2000, alongside all music videos from the debut album cycle.
Collector's Box Set: A "Super Deluxe" version was released in a safety deposit box-style package, containing a T-shirt, patch, beanie, and a personal note from Corey Taylor. Legacy and Impact
Critics at the time, such as those from Record Collector Magazine, noted that the anniversary served as proof that Slipknot had transcended the nu-metal movement to become a premier global metal act.
While the self-titled album had its 10th anniversary in 2009, the band similarly honored their follow-up album, Iowa, with a 10th-anniversary reissue in November 2011. You can find various editions of these releases on marketplaces like eBay or Walmart.
Slipknot (10th Anniversary Edition) Lyrics and Tracklist | Genius