Formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in '92, Stone Sour were basically a local bar band before calling it quits in '97, when singer Corey Taylor joined Slipknot. But Taylor—not content with being just a metal mastermind—reformed Stone Sour in '02 to release their acclaimed self-titled debut. This began a prolific streak, culminating in the two-part concept album series The House of Gold and Bones Pt. 1 & 2. While not as caustic or intense as Slipknot's brand of furious metal, Stone Sour's sound features the genre's aggression and raging riffs, while revealing a sensitive and introspective side.