Can you remember where you were when you heard Slipknot for the first time? Did you think their music was mere hideous "screaming" made by strange men wearing nightmarish masks or was your life changed for the better? If your answer was the latter, then we assume you're a metalhead to this day.
To find out what Gen Z listeners think of the Iowan Nine however, YouTube channel React have recorded the reaction of a group of teens as they discover songs such as Psychosocial, The Dying Song, Wait And Bleed, Duality and more.
The first track they listen to is Wait and Bleed, and it immediately has a baffling effect on the listeners, who are taken back by the heaviness of the sound, but also by the band's appearance. "They're some freaky people" says one boy. "Their masks freak me out way too much".
"I kinda like his voice but what is his face?" says another, seemingly confused by Corey Taylor's 1999 self-titled-era mask.
As each kid reacts, their facial expressions appear more and more shocked, or rather disgusted at the music played before them. Clearly, this group aren't fans of metal.
"Heavy metal, and death metal, and anything after that...it gets too much" suggests one listener. Another very frustrated boy says, "I don't hear music, I just hear screaming!".
Although each Gen Z-er appears repulsed by the band, their reactions are still rather funny.
Some of our favourite reactions include, "Is this the Purge?" and "They must have a little bit of concussion, I feel like your brain is doing a lot of shaking", referring to the metal heavyweights' aptitude for constant headbanging. There's also the one kid who thinks Unsainted sounds like a Fall Out Boy track. Yikes!
We can't help but notice that for the most part, none of the adolescents here seem to be at all impressed, and we know for a fact there's Gen Z metalheads out there, so, this video is more about taking a look at what young non-metallers think of metal music, and may be a little biased. React have also helpfully recorded the reactions of elderly folks listening to Slipknot, which you can watch over on their YouTube channel.
Check out Gen Z reacts to Slipknot below:
Earlier this week, it was announced that Slipknot would be headlining the next Download festival, which will take place June 8-11, 2023 in its legendary home at Donington Park as it celebrates the 20th anniversary of the festival.
Topping the bill alongside the band will be Metallica on two separate nights, as well as Bring Me The Horizon.
