A new book chronicles the rise of Slipknot and their seminal 2001 album ‘Iowa’

Dan Franklin’s book “Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying: Slipknot, Nu Metal And 9/11” will be published on August 6, 2026, according to Little, Brown Book Group, a division of Hachette UK, as per Blabbermouth. What if the moment the world changed could be captured on a single album? Twenty-five years after its release, this is the compelling inside look at Slipknot’s “Iowa” album and how it came to represent a generation on the verge of collapse. “Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying” is the first book to thoroughly examine Slipknot’s ascent and the production of their seminal 2001 album “Iowa”—a record that transformed heavy metal and came to define not only a band but also the emotional climate of the early 21st century.

This compelling deep dive into how nine masked maniacs from Des Moines, Iowa, became one of the most controversial and culturally influential acts of their time was released to commemorate the album’s 25th anniversary. Franklin presents the intimate story of a band, capturing the mayhem of the studio, the intensity of their performances, and the personal toll of popularity, addiction, and creative pressures through unique interviews, first-hand reporting, and in-depth research. From Woodstock ’99 to the aftermath of 9/11, the book traces the rise of nu metal alongside the collapse of late-’90s optimism, placing Slipknot within a broader cultural moment. It also examines how their music became a vehicle for a generation’s rage, alienation, and identity crisis.

“Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying” essentially poses a more significant, unsettling query: what happens when art appears to create disorder rather than merely reflect it? With hits like “Disasterpiece,” “The Heretic Anthem,” “People = Shit,” and “Left Behind,” “Iowa” went on to become a massive international success.

You can get your copy by clicking here.

Heavy music journalist Dan Franklin is the author of “Come My Fanatics: A Journey Into The World Of Electric Wizard” (White Rabbit/Orion, 2023) and “Heavy: How Metal Changes The Way We See The World” (Constable/Little, Brown, 2020). In this rough trilogy about hard music, “Somewhere Between Screaming and Crying” is the third part.