Detractors on Slipknot

Some detractors accuse Slipknot of not being sincere in their music, to show violence on stage and to scream only to sell better and not because they are really angry with the world. As one detractor of their music says: "Slipknot are intense the same way your little sister screaming is intense. It's loud and angry, but also very annoying and not the least bit menacing".

The band is also frowned upon by many critics due to their appearance which many attribute to shock marketing and are described as "gimmicky". Some argue that this is no different to other nu-metal bands and that image is promoted in all mainstream bands.

Another detractor is that many fans of the band Mushroomhead claim that Slipknot copied them. (The rumor has it Roadrunner Records, Slipknot's record label, offered Mushroomhead a record deal around '95. Mushroomhead declined, and a year later Slipknot was signed.) But the fans of Slipknot says otherwise, along with Mushroomhead and Slipknot. And then there are people who are fans of both bands and say that they both came out around the same time, in different states, so neither band copied the other.

Other methods of shock marketing that the band incorporates are epitomized in songs like The Heretic Anthem suggest Satanic undertones. The lyrics "If you're 555 then I'm 666! What's it like to be a heretic?" imply the dark purpose strongly, but the band members say otherwise, agreeing that it is part of the shock marketing.

Slipknot is also accused of creating positions within the band for the sole purpose of increasing the total number of members; for example, no other popular bands hold a position for a sampler, even if samples are included in the music. The band and fans claim that they have these extra members to create a unique sound, such as their two extra percussionists to add drum fills. However many critics argue that the extra members add little to the music, especially in a live setting.

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