Snuff (song)
Encyclopedia
"Snuff" is a power ballad by American heavy metal
band Slipknot
, Released as the fifth single
from their fourth album All Hope Is Gone on September 28, 2009, the song charted at number two on the Billboard
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, their highest charted single to date, surpassing "Dead Memories
". It was not included in the All Hope Is Gone World Tour
setlist but the band performed the song live at the October 11, 2009 performance in Kennewick, Washington.. The song is also available for free on www.roadrunnerrecords.com
Roadrunner Records
placed "Snuff" at No. 6 for its greatest music videos of all time. The song was also nominated for "Best Single
" at "The 2010 Kerrang Awards
", but lost to "Liquid Confidence
" by You Me at Six
.
It is the final single released from the band before the death of their bassist
, Paul Gray who died just eight months after its release. During recent Stone Sour
shows, Corey Taylor has performed an acoustic version of Snuff as a tribute to Paul Gray.
This track, along with Wait and Bleed
, Left Behind
, and Pulse of the Maggots, were released as downloadable songs in the Rock Band series.
said the following:
that a music video fit within enough production quality to be considered a short film was to be released for "Snuff", which premiered on December 18, 2009 at 9:09 PM PST
. It was co-directed by Shawn "Clown" Crahan and P. R. Brown
, and features Malcolm McDowell
and Ashley Laurence
of Hellraiser
fame. Corey Taylor is seen for the third time in a Slipknot video without his mask (the other two times being: Dead Memories
and Vermilion
) and is cross-dressed at the end of the short film.
Slipknot
Production
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Released as the fifth single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from their fourth album All Hope Is Gone on September 28, 2009, the song charted at number two on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, their highest charted single to date, surpassing "Dead Memories
Dead Memories
"Dead Memories" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The song was released as the third single from their fourth album All Hope Is Gone. The track was released on December 1, 2008. The music video for the single was directed by P. R. Brown and Shawn Crahan. The video premiered on MTV2...
". It was not included in the All Hope Is Gone World Tour
All Hope Is Gone World Tour
The All Hope Is Gone World Tour was a concert tour by Slipknot that took place in 2008 and 2009 in support of the group's fourth studio album All Hope Is Gone. The tour consisted of nine legs and took place in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe...
setlist but the band performed the song live at the October 11, 2009 performance in Kennewick, Washington.. The song is also available for free on www.roadrunnerrecords.com
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
placed "Snuff" at No. 6 for its greatest music videos of all time. The song was also nominated for "Best Single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
" at "The 2010 Kerrang Awards
The Kerrang! Awards
The Kerrang! Awards is an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine, Kerrang!. The awards feature a mixture of readers' and critics' awards. The annual Kerrang! Awards ceremony is usually held in mid-August in London...
", but lost to "Liquid Confidence
Liquid Confidence
-Chart performance:"Liquid Confidence" first debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 196 on 11 April 2010. Upon physical release, the single climbed into the Top 100 at number 86, under the released title of "Liquid Confidence ". On 2 May 2010, the single fell 12 places to number 98, marking its...
" by You Me at Six
You Me At Six
You Me at Six is a British rock band from Weybridge, Surrey. Formed in 2004, the group rose to fame in 2008 with the success of their debut album, Take Off Your Colours, which included the singles "Save It for the Bedroom", "Finders Keepers" and "Kiss and Tell", with the latter two peaking at #33...
.
It is the final single released from the band before the death of their bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
, Paul Gray who died just eight months after its release. During recent Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
shows, Corey Taylor has performed an acoustic version of Snuff as a tribute to Paul Gray.
This track, along with Wait and Bleed
Wait and Bleed
"Wait and Bleed" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot, featured on their 1999 debut self-titled album. The song was re-mixed with more prominent clean-sung vocals, and released as the lead single from the album in July 1999, and peaked at number 34 on the American Billboard Hot...
, Left Behind
Left Behind (song)
"Left Behind" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The song was released as the second single from their second album Iowa.-Reception:...
, and Pulse of the Maggots, were released as downloadable songs in the Rock Band series.
Background
On the background and themes of "Snuff", vocalist Corey TaylorCorey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
said the following:
Music video
It was announced on October 14, 2009 by Roadrunner RecordsRoadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
that a music video fit within enough production quality to be considered a short film was to be released for "Snuff", which premiered on December 18, 2009 at 9:09 PM PST
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. It was co-directed by Shawn "Clown" Crahan and P. R. Brown
P. R. Brown
Paul R. Brown is a graphic designer, photographer, and music video director.In 1996 he founded Bau-da Design Lab, which currently operates out of Los Angeles and New York. P.R. Brown is well-known for his album designs for musicians such as Mötley Crüe, Korn, Godsmack, and early in his career he...
, and features Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
and Ashley Laurence
Ashley Laurence
Ashley Laurence is an American film and television actress. She is noted for her appearances in horror films, particularly the Hellraiser series.-Career:...
of Hellraiser
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is a 1987 British and American horror film based upon the novella The Hellbound Heart by Clive Barker, who also wrote the screenplay and directed the film. Hellraiser explores themes of sadomasochism and morality under duress and fear. The film spawned a series of sequels...
fame. Corey Taylor is seen for the third time in a Slipknot video without his mask (the other two times being: Dead Memories
Dead Memories
"Dead Memories" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The song was released as the third single from their fourth album All Hope Is Gone. The track was released on December 1, 2008. The music video for the single was directed by P. R. Brown and Shawn Crahan. The video premiered on MTV2...
and Vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
) and is cross-dressed at the end of the short film.
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
14 |
| U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| U.S. Billboard Rock Songs Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
6 |
Personnel
Aside from their real names, members of the band are referred to by numbers zero through eight.Slipknot
- (#8) Corey TaylorCorey TaylorCorey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - (#7) Mick Thomson – guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
- (#4) Jim RootJim RootJames Donald "Jim" Root , also known by his number #4, is an American musician known for being the rhythm/lead guitarist of the heavy metal band, Slipknot, and the lead guitarist for rock band, Stone Sour...
– guitars - (#2) Paul GrayPaul Gray (Slipknot)Paul Dedrick Gray also known as The Pig or by his number #2 was an American musician, best known as the bassist, primary songwriter and one of the founding members of the Grammy Award-winning metal band Slipknot....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - (#1) Joey JordisonJoey JordisonJoey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - (#6) Shawn Crahan – custom percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, backing vocals, directorMusic video directorA music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles... - (#3) Chris FehnChris FehnChristopher Michael "Chris" Fehn , or known by his number #3, is an American musician known as one of the two custom percussionists of the Grammy Award winning nu metal band Slipknot and is the current bassist for the band Will Haven.-Personal life and career:Fehn was born and raised in Des Moines,...
– custom percussion, backing vocals - (#0) Sid WilsonSid WilsonSidney George Wilson also known as Ratboy or DJ Sid, #0 , is an American disc jockey known as the turntablist of the Grammy Award winning band Slipknot. He is the youngest member of the band.-Biography:...
– turntablesTurntablismTurntablism is the art of manipulating sounds and creating music using phonograph turntables and a DJ mixer.The word 'turntablist' was coined in 1995 by DJ Babu to describe the difference between a DJ who just plays records, and one who performs by touching and moving the records, stylus and mixer...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - (#5) Craig Jones – samplesSampler (musical instrument)A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
, mediaSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
Production
- Dave FortmanDave FortmanDave Fortman is the guitarist for the band Ugly Kid Joe. He currently is an American music producer. He has worked with bands such as Superjoint Ritual, Watership Down, Eyehategod, Mudvayne, Otep, Slipknot on their new fourth studio album titled All Hope Is Gone, and Simple Plan, as well as on both...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... - Jeremy Parker – engineeringAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Colin RichardsonColin RichardsonColin Richardson is a British record producer, mixer and recording engineer. He has worked on over 100 albums, and is most frequently associated with heavy metal and its subgenres such as:*Anathema*As I Lay Dying*Behemoth*Bullet for My Valentine...
– mixerAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may... - Matt Hyde – mix engineering
- Oli Wright – assistant engineering
- Ted JensenTed JensenTed Jensen is an American recording engineer. Jensen is the chief mastering engineer at Sterling Sound. He started his career as a mastering engineer in 1976 and is currently the most active Mastering Engineer in the industry...
– masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...