During an interview with Guitar World, Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson opened up about getting his solos removed from the band’s 1999 self-titled debut album. According to him, the parts were scrapped because producer Ross Robinson and the group’s late drummer Joey Jordison felt like soloing was “stupid” at the time.
Thomson said the following:
“I actually had some solos in songs, but they all got cut out. Because between Ross and Joey solos are stupid now. Any kind of technical guitar playing was mocked and frowned upon. So, yeah, leads were stripped out. The song ‘(sic)‘ used to be called ‘Slipknot‘, and there was a lead in that, and then there were solos in some other sh*t. But they were just massaged out.”
“I mean, I get it… but it sucked. Because it was one of those things where I’m like, ‘I’ve spent my whole life playing and now f*cking here I am, and… nope! Never mind! It’s all gone!’ You know? Like, ‘Just take it all away from me. That’s cool! Never mind that I sat in my room for years obsessing and trying to f*cking do whatever, and then here I am and… nope!’”
Despite this, he accepted the decision, saying “What are you gonna do? Throw fits?.” He also added:
“I learned a lot from Ross, and that was one thing. I mean, we grew up in an era where you heard one to two guitar solos in every goddamn metal song. And it’s like, ‘Why?’ Just as a matter of course? It’s like paint-by-numbers. ‘There’s your template. There’s where that solo goes.’ Ding!”
Metal Anarchy 
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