The '9' turns 10

Well, technically, they're 14, but 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of Slipknot's eponymous debut album. The Des Moines, Iowa heavy metal outfit, which has had the same nine members since "Slipknot," is celebrating with a special edition re-release of the album along with some other goodies on their Web site. "The Playlist," on the other hand, has no goodies, but rather a list of the 10 best songs written by Corey Taylor and company. 1. "(Sic)" - The first taste listeners got of the band (after the album's introduction) 10 years ago. The raw anger in Taylor's voice in indescribable. Every line is barked with fierce tenacity as if he can tell the opposition he and the band will face 14 tracks later. 2. "Disasterpiece" - Classic Slipknot - grotesque, hard-hitting and all around not family friendly. How grotesque? The track's opening lines are, "I wanna slit your throat and f--- the wound / I wanna push my face in and feel the swoon." 3. "Duality" - If "The Heretic Anthem" or "Pulse of the Maggots" is the theme song for Slipknot fans everywhere, "Duality" is their national anthem. 4. "Circle" - It's not commonplace to find Slipknot songs that can actually be labeled as beautiful, but alas, here's one. The vibe is totally not what you expected. The lyrical content takes on a folk-y feel; the instrumentals are acoustic laced with strings, cymbals and bells, and Taylor's vocals are clean and inspiring. A must-listen. 5. "Wait and Bleed" - The first Slipknot single featured clean vocals on the chorus, sporadic barking on the verses and a catchy collection of percussion instrumentals. It also earned the band its first Grammy nomination (they lost). 6. "Before I Forget" - Slipknot's brand of metal is distinct. It's brutal, abrasive and relentless - it's one of the side effects of having three percussionists. But on "Before I Forget," they manage to mold it into the most metal pop song you'll ever hear. A huge sing-a-long chorus, big-but-not-so-intimidating riffs and a breakneck tempo make it tick. 7. "Vermilion Pt. 2" - "Vermilion" started as a sadistic, almost perverted, track about an obsessive, fragile-minded narrator who can't come to grips with reality. While it's a great song, the acoustic "sequel" (a re-recording included on the end of the album) adds a haunting tinge that's nearly impossible to peel from your eardrums. 8. "Surfacing" - "Don't you f---in' judge me!" It's hard to believe that Taylor would be self-conscious about anything, but hey, some kind of anguish has to be hidden beneath all that hate. 9. "The Heretic Anthem" - This is the band's response to big record labels during the production of their second full-length album "Iowa." 10. "People=Shit" - It was on "Iowa" that Slipknot stopped hating themselves so much and began hating everyone around them. "People=Shit" is the perfect example of this.