Mick Thomson grew up having a "fascination with death metal bands", including Morbid Angel, although he has also named the Beatles as one of his major musical influences. He began his career playing guitar in a number of local bands in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, most notably death metal outfit Body Pit, formed in 1993. Original Slipknot members Anders Colsefni (vocals), Donnie Steele (guitar) and Paul Gray (bass) were all fellow members of Body Pit during this period. In addition to performing in the band, Thomson gave guitar lessons to local students at Ye Olde Guitar Shop on 70th Street in Des Moines.\n', '

Thomson joined Slipknot in the summer of 1996, replacing Craig Jones on guitar after he became the band\'s full-time sampler. The first Slipknot album on which Thomson performed was the 1999 self-titled debut. Speaking about the process of recording the album, he recalled in an interview for Revolver magazine that "It was a nightmarish hell to do that fucking record", primarily due to the group\'s lack of money, poor quality of food, and other band members\' bad habits.\n', '

Upon joining the band, Thomson wore a hockey mask which he bought from a store, compared by author Joel McIver to that worn by Hannibal Lecter in the film The Silence of the Lambs. The guitarist\'s mask would remain much the same throughout his career, with only minor changes made for each album cycle, which he claimed was because he "pretty much nailed it ... for being able to get across how I am". Speaking in 2008, Thomson played down the amount of consideration which went into the mask\'s design and meaning, proclaiming that "I had my original latex hockey mask way back and then my leather one and I was using those designs and it morphed into what it is now. There isn\'t something crazy creative about it." Thomson also chose #7 in the band, claiming that it was his "lucky number".\n', '

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