Slipknot, the scary mad band

The members of Slipknot are known for wearing nefarious masks and jumpsuits for public appearances.

The members of Slipknot are known for wearing nefarious masks and matching jumpsuits during every public appearance, but don't think it's all a gimmick.

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These guys insist they're artists. The nine-piece band has one drummer and two other percussionists. Their sound is driving, loud and complex. Members go by numbers 0 to 8, which are sewn onto their black uniforms.

Their gruesome masks, which include a clown face with a bloody head wound and one that looks like dead skin sewn together, are worn to make sure fans listen to the music and not watch the faces. They look so unsettling because, well, that's how the music makes them feel.

Slipknot hails from Des Moines, Iowa, and they're angry about it. Many of lead singer Corey Taylor's lyrics are about pain and frustration growing up in the middle of middle America. People can relate. By the time Slipknot finishes their current nationwide tour, their latest CD, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), should become the group's fourth platinum album.

The members of Slipknot are known for wearing nefarious masks and matching jumpsuits during every public appearance.

On a recent afternoon, eight of the members were crammed into a tiny NBC dressing room for an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. (Shawn

Clown

Crahan had to stay behind with a sick wife.) Joey Jordison (No. 1), Chris Fehn (No. 3) and Taylor (No. 8) brought some seriously sardonic humor to their talk with

The Associated Press.

Q: How did you come up with the concept for this band?
Taylor: Just looking at not only what was going on a local level but an international level and just kind of being disgusted. It was all flash and no filling. It was very plastic with no presence. The thing we wanted to do was make a statement. It occurred to us that if we remove ourselves from the equation and just presented a unified front, it would have a greater impact, a more artistic impact. It's really a physical manifestation of what the music is.

Q: And what is the music?
Jordison: Dark, very dark, but at the same time very moving and beautiful in its own way.