music video analysis 1

Video/song: Psychosocial
Artist: Slipknot
Director: P.R Brown
Genre: Nu Metal/Death Metal



Genre Characteristics:
Death metal and nu metal are sub genres of Heavy Metal music that contain loud/fast/distorted instrumentation and often growled/screamed vocals in contrast to the traditional style of vocals. Many songs of the nu metal genre have both harsh vocals (screams/growls) and clean vocals (singing).  To go with this the videos often feature quick cuts and blurred imagry to show the same sense of distortion and chaos that is within the genre and style of music. The screams/growls also connote the horror film style in the music, which the band supply with thier masks. The masks also take away the identity of each member so that the audience think of the whole group as a unit.

Relationship between music and visuals:
The short quick cuts connote the distortion of the instrumentation and the dark focus on the video goes with the harsh vocals.
Relationship between lyrics and visuals:
The often random lyrics are parralleled by the fast editing and camera movements to show the chaotic and random shots of the video.
Close ups of star/motifs:
Slipknot are known for thier shocking and theatrical stage costumes. They often wear matching uniforms to connote their unity as a band, they are not individuals but a whole unit, with no member being more or less important than any others. However, to show thier individualality within the band, all members wear a different horror inspired face masks in order to show thier identity. Slipknot love hiding thier identities. Every member is appointed a number from #0 to #8. They also hide theier faces behind masks. To connote thier anonymous nature, the camera never stays on any member for a long time. hen certain members are shown, other members are often showed in a blurred shot behind them. Quickly alternating which band member the audience see also shows the unity of the band as the video does not fall into the usual band ideal of showing the lead vocalist more than any one else in the band.
Intertextuality:
Sots of creepy figures in woodlands, low key lighting and shots of an abandoned wearhouse connote the horror influenced style of the band.


Another Slipknot video that shows thier anonymity in a more creative way is thier video for the song Before I forget. n this video the band appear unmasked so the camera is carfully positioned to only show parts of each member in close up (the drummers arms, the singers mouth). The result is a very well planned video.