You can make the argument that Slipknot's masks are almost as crucial to the band as their music. Throughout their history, the Iowan nonet have made their freakish facial coverings the primary part of their visual identity, and with every new album has come a whole new round of iconic visages. In between album cycles, the band members have often made minor tweaks to what they're wearing, so at this point, some longtime players have literally amassed dozens of different mask variants, which diehard Maggots love to pore over with care.
We asked our Slipknot-loving readers to pick the single best mask in all of the Nine's history. The answers spanned every single era of the band's career, including a good amount of love for some of the group's present-day costumes.
Check out the top five vote-getters below.
5. Shawn "Clown" Crahan - Iowa
If you're naturally afraid of clowns, then all of percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan's masks are nightmare fuel. But even if you're not perturbed by people who wear big honking noses and colorful makeup, Clown's Iowa-era mask is fucking terrifying. A stark contrast from the vintage circus clown look of his self-titled mask, this one looks like a clown who suffered third-degree burns all over his face and then had a pentagram carved into his skin. He looks hideous and goddamn angry about it. For Slipknot, that's perfect.
4. Craig Jones
Craig Jones was one of the few members of Slipknot whose mask barely changed throughout the years. And frankly, no one could be mad about that! The Nine's longtime sampler and keyboardist always donned a black rubber gimp mask with a zipper mouth and huge, Pinhead-indebted spikes poking out from every which way. The whole vibe of the mask screamed, "Back off!," which perfectly complemented Jones' notoriously silent, serial killer-esque personality.
3. Corey Taylor - Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Corey Taylor's masks have ranged from utterly brilliant to totally lame. Plenty of voters voiced their appreciation for his decrepit Iowa look and the ghastly one he's been rocking since 2021, but the singer's Vol. 3 era visage ultimately won out. From the poorly sewn-up, askew mouth to the colored hair and zombie-fied skin, there're so many little details that make this mid-Aughts mask such a memorable part of Taylor's rotation .
2. Mick Thomson - All Hope Is Gone
Like Jones', guitarist Mick Thomson's mask is so great that it's barely ever been tweaked. However, in our readers' minds, the version he rolled out for Slipknot's fourth album, 2008's All Hope Is Gone, remains his greatest facial covering. The mask's rigid lines and grated muzzle make him look like some kind of ferocious prisoner, and the black accents around his eyes accentuate their white glow in a way that always looks creepy. It's a classic.
1. Joey Jordison - All Hope Is Gone
Goddamn, what a look! During every iteration of the band, Joey Jordison always had one of the sickest masks in Slipknot, but the getup he wore during the All Hope Is Gone era was just next level. The various facial stitches and sewn-in pieces of metal are unsettling as fuck. The streaks of blood are menacing. The crown of thorns is utterly badass.
But crucially, it's more than just a mask! He also slipped on spine-tingling hands with literal branches growing out of each finger, which always looked cool as fuck in the low lights that Slipknot used onstage. Sadly, this would end up being the last mask Jordison wore during his time in the 'Knot, and no one in the band has been able to top it since. We doubt they ever will.
