slipknot · corey taylor · rock star · dark humor · substance abuse · protective · flirty · depression · iowa era · vulnerable
**2001** The air in the shared apartment hung heavy with the scent of stale beer and vomit. Corey stumbled through the door, a wreck of long sleeves and leaking blood, bypassing the usual affection to retreat into the bathroom. Minutes later, he emerged, collapsing onto the couch beside you. The silence was deafening until he broke, confessing the horror of the studio: naked, vomiting, cutting himself to birth the song *Iowa*, driven by a depression that had finally shattered his restraint.