Under most circumstances, if you walk up to an artist and tell him that his self-portrait is hideous, you're likely to get a black eye. But tell Slipknot percussionist and photographer Shawn Crahan that his picture "Self" is ugly and he'll smile and thank you from the bottom of his heart.

For Crahan, art doesn't simply exist to mirror beauty. He'd rather evoke sensations of dread and awareness of death through images that are sometimes difficult to look at, but impossible to ignore. With his latest picture for "The Eye of a Clown" he's exhumed the torment from his soul and splashed it across the screen for everyone to marvel at. And in doing so, he has once again transformed something disgusting into something strangely appealing. Click "more" to check out "Self" and read Crahan's comments. Read more...

photo by P.R. Brown

As he proved yet again by co-directing the band's evocative new video "Dead Memories," Slipknot percussionist Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) isn't just good at hitting things, he's also got the mind of an artist and a keen eye for detail. In addition to expressing himself through videos, Crahan has taken thousands of creative photos over the years, and we're proud that he's chosen HeadbangersBlog.com as a platform to exhibit some of the shots in a weekly guest blog filled with candid commentary. Click "more" to see the second installment of "The Eye of a Clown." Read more...

The second video from Slipknot's All Hope is Gone, "Dead Memories," will premiere on HeadbangersBlog.com and MTV2 on October 25. The clip was co-directed by Paul Brown and percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan.

"It's actually a short film," Crahan says. "This is a very expensive video and most people thought we were going to bite off way too much, and we did, but that's the way we like it."

We'll hear more from Crahan when we post the video. For now, click more to see the teaser. Read more...

If only Slipknot had campaigned more in the red states
It wasn't miscounted ballots in Broward County or anywhere else in Florida that lost Slipknot the top Billboard album slot to rapper The Game, it was overeager retailers and early Soundscan sales that forced Slipknot to settle for #2. Because these pre-release numbers were included in last week's chart, Slipknot were credited with selling 238,272 copies of All Hope is Gone, just 13 shy of The Game's total for LAX. But, taking into account last week's sales, Slipknot shifted, 239,213 total units -- 175 more than The Game. Slipknot's 2004 album, Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses, also entered the charts at #2, with sales of 254,000. Click more to see Slipknot at the Mayhem Fest. Read more...

Today, Slipknot unleashed their new beast All Hope is Gone, and so confident are the musicians in their new creation that they're streaming the full album so you can try before you buy. Click "more" to listen to the disc, which was produced by Dave Fortman (Evanescence, Mudvayne, Sepultura).
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You may have missed Slipknot's surreal appearance on this week's FNMTV, which was hosted by Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz and featured Nelly, The Jonas Brothers and other things of a non-metal variety.

Adorned in a black leather bondage mask, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan paced menacingly, baseball bat in hand as singer Corey Taylor talked about the band's new masks and drummer Joey Jordison discussed gifts the band has received from fans.

Click "more" to watch the band's spot on the show and to check out their new video for "Psychosocial"