The Heretic Anthem

"The Heretic Anthem" / "Heretic Song"
"The Heretic Anthem" / "Heretic Song"
	Cover art for the "Heretic Song" single
Promotional single by Slipknot
from the album Iowa
A-side	"Heretic Song"
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Nu metal; death metal;
Length	4:19
Label	Roadrunner
Songwriter(s)	Paul Gray; Joey Jordison; Corey Taylor;
Producer(s)	Slipknot; Ross Robinson;

"The Heretic Anthem" (released as "Heretic Song" as a single) is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The song was released as a promotional single from their second album Iowa. Revolver magazine praised the track and described that it "flirt[s] with full-on death metal in their extremity, both sonic and thematic."^[4]

Song meaning[edit]

The song was written about record labels who initially showed no interest in signing a recording contract with the band. The lyrics, "I bleed for this and I bleed for you/ Still you look in my face like I'm somebody new/ TOY – nobody wants anything I've got/ Which is fine, because you're made of/ Everything – I'm – NOT", reflect this attitude.

Track listing[edit]

Promo single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Heretic Song" (rough mix)	4:19

Live single

No.	Title	Length
1.	"The Heretic Anthem" (live)	4:45

Enhanced content
No.	Title	Length
2.	"The Heretic Anthem" (live video)	4:45
3.	"Disasterpieces DVD Trailer" (enhanced video)	2:12

Covers[edit]

The American band Periphery covered the song in 2012 and released as a bonus track for the limited edition of Periphery II: This Time It's Personal.^[5]

Punk band Spite covered the song and released it as a single in 2014

Deathcore act Carnifex covered the song on their 2018 EP Bury Me in Blasphemy

Personnel[edit]

Slipknot

(#0) Sid Wilson – turntables
(#1) Joey Jordison – drums
(#2) Paul Gray – bass guitar
(#3) Chris Fehn – percussion instrument, backing vocals
(#4) Jim Root – guitar
(#5) Craig Jones – samples
(#6) Shawn Crahan – percussion instrument, backing vocals
(#7) Mick Thomson – guitar
(#8) Corey Taylor – vocals

Production

Ross Robinson – producer
Mike Fraser – engineering
Andy Wallace – mixing
Monte Conner – A&R
Steve Sisco – assistant engineering
George Marino – mastering
Steve Richards – executive producer

References[edit]

^ "10 Best Nu Metal Albums To Own on Vinyl". VMP.
^ "The Top 50 best Slipknot songs ever". The Louder Sound.
^ Billmann, Pete; Jacobson, Jeff; Story, Jeff (2001). Iowa (Guitar/vocal/tab. ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. ISBN 0634037374.
^ "SLIPKNOT'S 'IOWA': 6 INSANE STORIES FROM MAKING OF BAND'S MOST BRUTAL ALBUM". Revolver. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
^ Rosenberg, Axl (March 14, 2012). "MEMBERS OF PERIPHERY COVER SLIPKNOT'S "HERETIC ANTHEM"". Metalsucks. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

[1] "10 Best Nu Metal Albums To Own on Vinyl". VMP.

[2] "The Top 50 best Slipknot songs ever". The Louder Sound.

[3] Billmann, Pete; Jacobson, Jeff; Story, Jeff (2001). Iowa (Guitar/vocal/tab. ed.). Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. ISBN 0634037374.

[4] "SLIPKNOT'S 'IOWA': 6 INSANE STORIES FROM MAKING OF BAND'S MOST BRUTAL ALBUM". Revolver. Retrieved 29 November 2020.

[5] Rosenberg, Axl (March 14, 2012). "MEMBERS OF PERIPHERY COVER SLIPKNOT'S "HERETIC ANTHEM"". Metalsucks. Retrieved May 6, 2016.

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v t e Slipknot
Shawn Crahan Craig Jones Mick Thomson Corey Taylor Sid Wilson Jim Root Alessandro Venturella Jay Weinberg Michael Pfaff Joey Jordison Donnie Steele Paul Gray Brandon Darner Chris Fehn
Studio albums	Slipknot Iowa Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) All Hope Is Gone .5: The Gray Chapter We Are Not Your Kind The End, So Far
Live albums	9.0: Live Day of the Gusano: Live in Mexico
Compilation albums	Antennas to Hell
Demo albums	Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.
Singles	"Wait and Bleed" "Spit It Out" "Left Behind" "My Plague" "Duality" "Vermilion" "Before I Forget" "All Hope Is Gone" "Psychosocial" "Dead Memories" "Sulfur" "Snuff" "The Negative One" "The Devil in I" "Custer" "Killpop" "Goodbye" "All Out Life" "Unsainted" "Solway Firth" "Birth of the Cruel" "Nero Forte" "The Chapeltown Rag" "Yen"
Promotional singles	"The Heretic Anthem" "Vermilion Pt. 2" "The Nameless" "XIX" "Sarcastrophe" "AOV" "Skeptic"
Video albums	Welcome to Our Neighborhood Disasterpieces Voliminal: Inside the Nine (sic)nesses Day of the Gusano: Live in Mexico
Tours	Livin la Vida Loco World Domination Tour Tattoo the Earth Iowa World Tour The Subliminal Verses World Tour All Hope Is Gone World Tour Memorial World Tour Knotfest
Related articles	Discography Awards Songs Behind the Mask Behind the Player: Paul Gray Infected List of Slipknot tribute albums Nic Diederichs Technical High School slashing Outside the Nine Up to Our Necks Dirty Little Rabbits Junk Beer Kidnap Band Murderdolls Stone Sour To My Surprise Big Orange Clown Great Big Mouth CMFT Look Outside Your Window Smite
Category

"The Heretic Anthem" / "Heretic Song"
Cover art for the "Heretic Song" single
Promotional single by Slipknot
from the album Iowa
A-side	"Heretic Song"
Released	May 15, 2001
Recorded	2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Genre	Nu metal^[1] death metal^[2]
Length	4:19
Label	Roadrunner
Songwriter(s)	Paul Gray Joey Jordison Corey Taylor^[3]
Producer(s)	Slipknot Ross Robinson