Recording information: Download Festival, Donington Park, England (02/15/2002); London Arena (02/15/2002); Download Festival, Donington Park, England (06/13/2009); London Arena (06/13/2009).
Creator: Sid Wilson.
Photographers: Sean E. Demott; Shawn Crahan.
Arranger: Slipknot.
One part savage metal and one part macabre sideshow nightmare (but in a good way), Slipknot have made a career out of their larger-than-life, kitchen-sink approach to, well, everything. Offering an overview of the Iowa band's wild ride, best-of compilation Antennas to Hell provides listeners with the opportunity to dive headfirst into the weird, dark world Slipknot have created for themselves. Spanning four studio albums, as well as a track from the Resident Evil soundtrack and a pair of live cuts from their Disasterpieces album, the compilation covers a lot of ground, giving an all-inclusive look at the 13 years since the band came storming out of the Midwest with its double-platinum, self-titled debut in 1999. As a bonus, the compilation also includes a second disc featuring Slipknot's live performance from the 2009 Download Festival, which was originally released as a part of the video album (sic)nesses. Being able to hear the band both in the studio and on the stage makes Antennas to Hell a great jumping-off point for new fans looking to get the full sonic experience in one package, but the lack of real rarities might make longtime fans pause before diving in. ~ Gregory Heaney