The Nameless
Encyclopedia
"The Nameless" is a song by heavy metal
band Slipknot
. The song was released as the only single from their first live album, 9.0: Live
, while it is also included on their third studio album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
. A music video was released for the single in late 2005 and also was featured on MTV
's Rock Top 10 as No. 2.
Corey Taylor
starting the lyrics with a scream. This eventually leads to low noted riffs with minor scales associated in. The song has a "basic minor-key riff," along with "thrash" riffs, and interludes that are much softer. The chorus is slow, emotional and epic. The song is in B minor
, like many other Slipknot songs.
.
The music video depicts Slipknot performing live on their second headline tour The Subliminal Verses World Tour
. The videos features various clips and shots of their fans during the concert. The video was directed by the band's co-founder and custom percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan, and was featured on Voliminal: Inside the Nine
, the band's third videos album that received a platinum in the US
. Many of the photos featured in 9.0: Live
are seen in the video. At the end of the video, a caption says "Dedicated to all the Maggots [Slipknot fans] everywhere."
s release, a sample from the live recording of "The Nameless" was made available on the Internet through the band's record label. A music video featuring the live recording of "The Nameless" was created to promote the album.
commented that "Relief from 'Prelude [3.0]' arrives quickly in the basic minor-key riffs and grooves of... 'The Nameless'..." Dan Silver from NME
said "'The Nameless' intercuts thrash riffs with softly-strummed interludes." Robert Cherry of Rolling Stone Magazine said it "splices a cooing boy-band chorus onto a g-g-gunky speed metal
verse." Yahoo!
s Chris Heath said the song "confusingly stitches both extremes together – the ludicrously vicous and ridiculously placid – into one track that simply feels awkward, wrong even."
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...
. The song was released as the only single from their first live album, 9.0: Live
9.0: Live
9.0: Live is the first live album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The band recorded the two-disc album during a 2004–2005 world tour that promoted their third studio album Vol. 3: . Released by Roadrunner Records on November 1, 2005, 9.0 Live features tracks from Slipknot's first three...
, while it is also included on their third studio album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The album was released on May 25, 2004, through Roadrunner Records, and a special edition, containing a bonus disc, was released on April 12, 2005. It is the band’s only album produced by Rick Rubin and also the only one not...
. A music video was released for the single in late 2005 and also was featured on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Rock Top 10 as No. 2.
Musical structure
The Nameless is 4 minutes and 28 seconds long. The song begins with a high-noted guitar riff, with mixed in samples, leading to the guitar notes getting lower, and lead vocalistSinging
Singing 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...
Corey Taylor
Corey 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...
starting the lyrics with a scream. This eventually leads to low noted riffs with minor scales associated in. The song has a "basic minor-key riff," along with "thrash" riffs, and interludes that are much softer. The chorus is slow, emotional and epic. The song is in B minor
B minor
B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. The harmonic minor raises the A to A. Its key signature has two sharps .Its relative major is D major, and its parallel major is B major....
, like many other Slipknot songs.
Music video
The accompanying music video was directed by band member Shawn Crahan, who has also created and assisted with several of Slipknot's other videos. The video was featured on their this video album Voliminal: Inside the NineVoliminal: Inside the Nine
Voliminal: Inside the Nine is the third video album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released December 5, 2006 through Roadrunner Records, the 2-disc DVD set features an 84 minute movie created by band member Shawn "Clown" Crahan. The set also includes live performances, music videos from...
.
The music video depicts Slipknot performing live on their second headline tour The Subliminal Verses World Tour
The Subliminal Verses World Tour
The Subliminal Verses World Tour was a worldwide concert tour in 2004 and 2005 headlined by Slipknot in support of their third studio album Vol...
. The videos features various clips and shots of their fans during the concert. The video was directed by the band's co-founder and custom percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan, and was featured on Voliminal: Inside the Nine
Voliminal: Inside the Nine
Voliminal: Inside the Nine is the third video album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released December 5, 2006 through Roadrunner Records, the 2-disc DVD set features an 84 minute movie created by band member Shawn "Clown" Crahan. The set also includes live performances, music videos from...
, the band's third videos album that received a platinum in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many of the photos featured in 9.0: Live
9.0: Live
9.0: Live is the first live album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The band recorded the two-disc album during a 2004–2005 world tour that promoted their third studio album Vol. 3: . Released by Roadrunner Records on November 1, 2005, 9.0 Live features tracks from Slipknot's first three...
are seen in the video. At the end of the video, a caption says "Dedicated to all the Maggots [Slipknot fans] everywhere."
Promotion of 9.0: Live
Before the 9.0: Live9.0: Live
9.0: Live is the first live album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The band recorded the two-disc album during a 2004–2005 world tour that promoted their third studio album Vol. 3: . Released by Roadrunner Records on November 1, 2005, 9.0 Live features tracks from Slipknot's first three...
s release, a sample from the live recording of "The Nameless" was made available on the Internet through the band's record label. A music video featuring the live recording of "The Nameless" was created to promote the album.
Critical reception
BlenderBlender (magazine)
Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....
commented that "Relief from 'Prelude [3.0]' arrives quickly in the basic minor-key riffs and grooves of... 'The Nameless'..." Dan Silver from NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
said "'The Nameless' intercuts thrash riffs with softly-strummed interludes." Robert Cherry of Rolling Stone Magazine said it "splices a cooing boy-band chorus onto a g-g-gunky speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
verse." Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
s Chris Heath said the song "confusingly stitches both extremes together – the ludicrously vicous and ridiculously placid – into one track that simply feels awkward, wrong even."
Appearances on other albums
- "The Nameless" was featured in the album Promo only: Modern Rock Radio in 2005. The album is by various artists including System of a DownSystem of a DownSystem of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, OK GoOK GoOK Go is a rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, USA, now residing in Los Angeles, California, USA. The band is composed of Damian Kulash , Tim Nordwind , Dan Konopka and Andy Ross , who joined them in 2005, replacing Andy Duncan...
, Fall Out BoyFall Out BoyFall Out Boy is an American rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist, guitarist and composer Patrick Stump, bassist and lyricist Pete Wentz, guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer Andy Hurley. The band released five studio albums from 2003–2008...
, and several others. - It was also track #8 on Radioactive: Mainstream & Rock series in December 2005. The album features various artists that include many of the artists featured on Promo only: Modern Rock Radio.
- The song also appeared on The Scorched Earth Orchestra Performs Slipknot, an album produced by Noah Agruss and released Aug 12, 2008. With 9 other tracks, the tribute album released through Vitamin RecordsVitamin RecordsVitamin Records is a Los Angeles based record label founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of CMH Records. The label is home to the Vitamin String Quartet, who are best known for performing string quartet tributes to popular rock and metal acts such as Tool, Nine Inch Nails, and Radiohead...
and includes covers of tracks from Slipknot's first three studio albums. The label's website enthuse that The Scorched Earth Orchestra "expand on Slipknot's marching-band-from-hell framework" with "booming percussion, in-your-face horns [and] string sections that rip at your flesh."
Track listing
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks | 25 |