The one thing that immediately identifies and seperates Slipknot from the rest of the pack is their image, specifically their masks. Much like KISS with their makeup before them, the masks created an aura around the band that cannot be replicated. Of course, KISS famously took off their makeup when the band's career hit a wall, so in a recent interview with Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor, by Ontario, Canada's 97.7 HTZ-FM, Taylor was asked if Slipknot would ever consider performing without the masks:
"I think in a way we could, but I don't think we'd want to. I mean, I always think back to when KISS took the makeup off back in the '80s, and I know why they did it, because they kind of hit a wall and it was time to evolve for them. But for us, the masks always evolve, for the most part, and our look always evolves, and I think because we're constantly changing, we don't feel that pressure to take them off, because we allow ourselves to roll with the times and to change with the albums. So even though I think we could, I don't think we will. Because it's not just about the masks, it's about everything."
He continued: "If you think about an engine, an engine is not just carburators, an engine is not just the fuel injectors, an engine is not just the intakes in everything, it's all of those parts working together that makes that engine work. And that's what this band is — it's not just about the masks, it's not just about the outfits and coveralls, it's not just about the insanity; you have to have all of those parts included with the music and the art and everything, and that is what Slipknot is about. It would be like saying, 'Do you think Slipknot could be Slipknot without playing that type of music?' And no, [I] absolutely [do] not. I think the music is just integral as the masks are."
Asked what the masks mean to him, Taylor gave a pretty poignant answer:
"When I joined, I wasn't really sure what the masks represented, and the great thing is that nobody really told me and I kind of had to figure it out on my own. And that was one of the reasons why I wanted to be in that band is because I was a fan — even on a local level, I was a huge fan of this band. So without really talking to anybody, I kind of figured out that maybe the mask means something different to everyone and that's why it works. It doesn't have to be that all-encompassing value."
"For me, and just from my point of view, the mask for me represents the person inside who may or may not have a voice, or you may or may not have the courage to give that person a voice, because it may be controversial, it may be a little too dark, it may be a little too harsh, but if you don't give that person a voice, it almost becomes like your inner disenfranchise, that the person who gets looked over, who doesn't get to speak their mind and speak their heart, and it gets held back and then all of a sudden it overcompensates and takes over for the rest of you. So that's what it became to me and that's what it still means to me to this day."
Ultimately, I don't think Slipknot will ever perform without masks unless it's some sort of last-minute benefit show where they couldn't get their gear in time. Simply put, Slipknot without the masks and all the spectacle of fireworks and their stage show is simply not Slipknot. The spectacle is just as much a part of the show as the music is at this point.
