Slipknot Escapes with Star Wars
December 01, 2005
When Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor first laid his eyes on the Dark Lord of the Sith, he was simultaneously introduced to another influential male icon of the '70s.
"My first Star Wars memory took place in a drive-in," Taylor remembers. "There was a double feature of Smokey and the Bandit and A New Hope , so my first heroes were Darth Vader and Burt Reynolds. I loved Star Wars .
Taylor was obsessed with a A New Hope so much that he was determined to convince his classmates there was more to the saga than just the original trilogy.
"One of my fondest memories was trying to tell kids at school that there were three stories before Episode IV and nobody believed me," Taylor adds. "Now I walk a little taller because I knew."
Growing up in Iowa, Taylor says images of Jedi flying starships let his imagination run right passed cornfields into a galaxy far, far away, much like another boy raised on a moisture farm who dared to daydream of a more exciting life.
"Growing up I was very poor, so movies were escapism for me, and Star Wars was the ultimate escape," Taylor reveals. "I played with my friends' Star Wars toys as much as I could. The only Star Wars toy I had before I could buy them myself was the 12" C-3PO. I loved it until the sheen wore off it. I then pretended it was a statue in a jungle somewhere. I never dressed up for Halloween, but when we played Star Wars -- the original LARP game -- I would get into fights with my friends wanting to be either Darth Vader or Han Solo. Sometimes I ended up as Artoo, which sucked."
Though Taylor never got the chance to don Vader's black helmet as a child, he later incorporated rather unusual costumes for his band Slipknot. Forming in 1995 in Des Moines, Iowa, the nine-member lineup includes Taylor, DJ Sid Wilson, sampler/programmer Craig Jones, guitarist James Root, guitarist Mick Thompson, bassist Paul Gray, drummer Joey Jordison, and percussionists Chris Fehn and Shawn "Clown" Crahan.
In 1996, Slipknot's self-released album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. not only attracted fans, but the attention of a few major labels including Roadrunner Records, who signed Slipknot in 1997. In 1999, Slipknot recorded and released their official, self-titled debut album, and toured nonstop -- landing a coveted spot on Ozzfest. Their hard work and bizarre live shows (which includes the band wearing coveralls and horrifying masks with the violent stage antics to match) created such a stir in the alternative metal scene that it resulted in the band's phenomenal fandom. In 2000, Slipknot's official debut went platinum -- a first for Roadrunner.
Slipknot returned for another Ozzfest stint to promote their follow-up release Iowa. In 2004, the band released Subliminal Verses, and headlined yet another Ozzfest. Currently, the band is promoting their two-disc live album, 9.0: Live, released in November 2005. Slipknot also appears as unlockable player costumes in the new PSP-exclusive game Infected, published by Majesco and developed by Planet Moon Studios.
However, music isn't Taylor's only passion, especially when it comes to Star Wars.
"Being a comic geek, I try to get my hands on as much Star Wars stuff as possible," Taylor says. "I still have some loose figures from the original run and some of the comics in fair condition. I love collecting the old stuff because it lets me remember how much fun it was at the time, being a Star Wars fan and a kid. They were our movies. Some parents dug them, but they were mainly for us."
Though A New Hope initiated him into a world where droids and Wookiees were loyal sidekicks, it was the darker story of The Empire Strikes Back that made him a lifetime fan.
"Empire was by far my favorite," Taylor says. "When A New Hope came out I was still kinda young, but when Empire came out, I was old enough to really be into it. My friends and I went like every weekend until they were refusing us at the door. The movies were an instant way to find friends. There were two categories of people then: those who loved Star Wars and those who LLLLLLOOOOOOVVVVVVEEEEDD Star Wars. I was firmly planted in the latter."
With Slipknot's constant tour schedule, Taylor wasn't able to see Episode III on opening day, but he did manage to make an event of it with his friends when he returned home.
"I saw Revenge of the Sith at the big theater in Des Moines, with all my geek buddies who had already seen it like 12 times," Taylor says. "They see everything before me since I'm on the road all the time."
For Taylor, the film was more than worth the wait, especially to see Anakin Skywalker's tragic descent to the dark side.
"I was most into the Anakin versus Obi-Wan fight," Taylor says. "This was the mother of all rivalries, and the hate is almost tangible at the end. What surprised me was the scene in the Jedi Temple with the children. That got to me, being a dad. But it's part of the fall -- you have to understand just how far Anakin will go."
"The thing about this story is it could happen to anyone," Taylor continues. "We step the furthest outside ourselves when we hold too tightly to the things we love. Love should never be as possessive as it gets with Anakin. Then it becomes obsession."
However, betrayal and obsession are only a few of the themes echoed throughout Revenge of the Sith . Political intrigue and deception also run rampant; whether it's Palpatine's corruption of Anakin, or his creation of a pointless war that drives the Senate to hand power over to him as Emperor. However, Taylor doesn't believe the film has any hidden political messages meant to parallel current events.
"It doesn't really matter if the film is considered political or not," Taylor explains. "That's like asking if there are parallels between All The President's Men and Revenge of the Sith. At the end of the day, the story is about the characters involved. In order for goodness to manifest, you have to provide a situation that challenges goodness. That is what you see here."
"People who accuse these movies of being a reflection of today's political climate are just conservative watchdogs worried about people finally figuring out the president," Taylor laughs. "I mean Episode IV came out almost 30 years ago. The prequels had to show how the Empire started! If people think that Lucas knew we were going to have Dubya for president in 1977, they really are morons."
Politicians might not impress Taylor, but Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi sure did.
"My favorite character from Episode III is Obi-Wan," Taylor says. "I think Ewan McGregor was awesome and as his character grew, you could feel it. I am a big fan of paternal characters and Obi-Wan is the ultimate, in my opinion. However, my favorite character overall is of course Han Solo. Maverick, brother, friend, scoundrel -- he is what every guy would love to be when he grows up. I still get my wife with the 'scoundrel' scene from Empire."
As far as which Star Wars character could easily sit in as a member of Slipknot, Taylor is quick to make a suggestion. "Oh that's easy," Taylor smiles. "The entire cantina band. In my opinion, the more freaks in Slipknot, the merrier."
Now that Revenge of the Sith is available on DVD, Taylor is eager to watch the saga in order, without skipping to the more exciting parts.
"I'm not that guy," Taylor says. "I devour movies like books. You can't skip to a scene and feel like you've watched it beginning to end. I start at the top and go to the bottom. I'll be watching the films from Episodes I through VI the way we have always wanted to. It'll be interesting, to say the least."
Being a Star Wars fan since childhood, the lessons surrounding destiny and free choice made an impression on Taylor ever since he first witnessed the Tantive IV fly across the drive-in movie screen years ago.
"Star Wars showed me that doing the right thing is more important than doing what I want, and in turn it made me want to do the right thing," Taylor confesses. "In a world that's way too complicated sometimes, it's nice to know you can follow your heart and do what you feel and never be disappointed. I think all the Star Wars movies will help us through the dark times and show us it's okay to be good. That seems to be a lost concept these days, but I still believe. I hope I always believe."
Listen to the latest tracks from Slipknot and read more about the band by visiting their official site here.
