is the first album recorded by American heavy metal band Slipknot, and their only release with original lead vocalist Anders Colsefni.

was later considered a demo by the band, who have included the majority of its songs on subsequent releases, albeit usually in radically altered forms.

According to Allmusic, the songs contain a stronger "emphasis on non-traditional songwriting" and melodic themes than the band's later material.

[2] In late 1995, Slipknot and producer Sean McMahon entered SR Audio, a studio in the band's hometown of Des Moines, Iowa to work on what they intended to be their debut album.

[3] Retrospectively, McMahon said that the band was "driven" because they spent the majority of their time in the studio for the four months it took to produce the album.

However, during this period, Slipknot refined their percussive sound by experimenting with erecting walls to isolate the drums and rearranging parts.

[10] Tracks such as "Tattered & Torn", "Killers Are Quiet" and "Gently" also include the slow, cerebral angst buildup style that the band retained in some of their more recent work.

[11] Vocalist Anders Colsefni and percussionist Shawn Crahan shared a mutual interest in the game, which largely influenced the band.

[11] The artwork shows a metal cage, made by Shawn Crahan, with drummer Joey Jordison sitting inside of it.

[12] Upon its initial release, the band distributed the album independently, handing them out to fans, radio stations, and record labels.

As part of the Nu Metal Mayhem tour with Waylon Reavis, which took place in Australia and New Zealand in October 2023, Anders Colsefni performed the album in its entirety.

[16] All lyrics are written by Anders Colsefni, Shawn Crahan; all music is composed by Slipknot.All credits adapted from the official CD Liner Notes.