Little, Brown Book Group, an imprint of Hachette UK, is set to release Dan Franklin’s Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying: Slipknot, Nu Metal And 9/11 on August 6, 2026.
Timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Slipknot’s Iowa, the book examines both the making of the album and its lasting cultural impact. Released in 2001, Iowa remains one of the most extreme and unrelenting records of the nu metal era, pushing the band’s already aggressive sound into even darker and more chaotic territory. Produced by Ross Robinson, it was created during a notoriously tense period for the group, with that turmoil bleeding directly into its raw, abrasive sound and themes of anger, isolation, and psychological collapse.
Promoted as the first major deep dive into Slipknot’s early rise and the creation of their breakthrough era, Franklin’s book explores how nine masked musicians from Des Moines evolved into one of the most controversial and influential acts in modern heavy music. Through original interviews, firsthand reporting, and extensive research, it details the pressure-cooker environment of the studio, the intensity of their live performances, and the personal toll of rapid global fame.
The book also situates Slipknot within a broader cultural context, linking the rise of nu metal to the collapse of late-’90s optimism and the seismic events that followed, including Woodstock ’99 and 9/11. It explores how Iowa in particular became a cathartic outlet for a generation grappling with anger, alienation, and identity at a time of global uncertainty.
At its core, Somewhere Between Screaming And Crying asks a larger question about the relationship between art and its era—what happens when music doesn’t just reflect chaos, but seems to intensify it.
You can pre-order the book at this location.
