Anders Colsefni, the original frontman for heavy metal titans Slipknot, returned to Des Moines, Iowa, on June 6, 2026, to celebrate a pivotal piece of the band’s early history. Taking the stage at the local venue Wooly’s alongside a backing group he describes as “a new group of old-school Midwest musicians” known as The Crowz, the vocalist delivered a live tribute honoring the group’s 1996 underground release, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat..
Released on Halloween in 1996 and strictly limited to a run of just 600 physical copies, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. laid the necessary groundwork for Slipknot‘s eventual explosion into global metal superstardom. For decades, the project has maintained a legendary, almost mythical status within the heavy metal community. Absent from official streaming platforms, it has been heavily bootlegged and sought after by diehard fans.
Highlighting the significance of the era, promotional material surrounding the release noted: “Before there were Maggots, there were Crowz and the Crowz have been waiting patiently for half their lives for this record to be re-released and now that moment has arrived. This record is the holy grail for the original Slipknot fans.”
The recent live performance follows Anders Colsefni‘s 2024 announcement that he had fully rerecorded the underground album. The project was conceived as a heartfelt homage to the band’s earliest days and two of its late founding members.
“This record is dedicated to [late Slipknot members] Joey [Jordison] and Paul [Gray], my eternal brothers. This project completes their legacy for the original Crowz. This important part of their heritage can now be heard by the Maggot generation of the ’KNOT family. I miss them both deeply every day and I hope that this tribute to them honors their memory and our ever-lasting friendship. Long live the KNOT,'” he stated at the time.
Although his time with Slipknot ended before they achieved massive mainstream success, Colsefni holds no bitterness and remains incredibly supportive of his former bandmates’ achievements.
During a 2023 podcast interview with Kaosis frontman Xen, he revealed that he would be open to collaborating with the nine-piece act again if the opportunity arose.
“Yeah, absolutely,” he said. “If they contacted me and wanted me to do something, yeah, why not?”
During that same conversation, the vocalist also revealed his favorite Slipknot track released after his departure, surprisingly selecting their massive breakout single from their 1999 self-titled debut.
“To be honest with you, I’m gonna say ‘Wait And Bleed‘, the very first one that hit right after I left. And it’s the one that I would have thought that I would have hated the most, just because of my circumstances. But that song, when I heard it, I’m, like, ‘That’s it. I couldn’t have done that like that. So kudos to you, guys.’ So ‘Wait And Bleed’.”
