“Any kind of technical guitar playing was mocked”: Mick Thomson on why Slipknot’s debut album didn’t have guitar solos
Mick Thomson has explained why Slipknot’s self-titled debut has an absence of traditional guitar solos on it, revealing that they got cut out to avoid recreating the “template” of other metal songs of that time.
The band’s debut landed back in 1999, and Slipknot are currently amid a celebratory tour in honour of its 25th anniversary. According to Thomson, technical guitar playing was frowned upon at the time, with producer Ross Robinson and the late drummer Joey Jordison having a particular aversion.
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In an interview Guitar World for its December print edition, Thomson reveals, “Well, I actually had some solos in songs, but they all got cut out. Because between Ross and Joey, guitar solos are stupid now. So…”
He goes on to remember, “Any kind of technical guitar playing was mocked and frowned upon. So, yeah, leads were stripped out. The song (sic) used to be called Slipknot, and there was a lead in that, and then there were solos in some other shit. But they were just massaged out.
“But as I said, I learned a lot from Ross, and that was one thing. I mean, we grew up in an era where you heard one to two guitar solos in every goddamn metal song. And it’s like, ‘Why?’ Just as a matter of course? It’s like paint-by-numbers. ‘There’s your template. There’s where that solo goes.’ Ding!”
Thomson says he gets why it happened, but having his solos cut still “sucked”: “It was one of those things where I’m like, ‘I’ve spent my whole life playing and now fucking here I am, and… nope! Never mind! It’s all gone!’ You know? Like, ‘Just take it all away from me. That’s cool! Never mind that I sat in my room for years obsessing and trying to fucking do whatever, and then here I am and… nope!’”
Tickets for Slipknot’s 25th anniversary tour are still available. They’ll be heading to the UK this December.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
