How did nine outcasts from Iowa become one of the best selling metal bands of the 21st century? Great songs, a strong work ethic and one hell of an image. The band's eye catching, mask-wearing image caught attention, during a saturated Nu Metal scene, but it's Slipknot's music which has kept the band still relevant all these years. Slipknot in my opinion are the most influential metal band of the 00's, in this blog I hope to shed light on why, so here is all their studio albums ranked and reviewed.
'The Grey Chapter' is not a bad album, but it just doesn't have the same type of energy as on their previous albums. As the title might suggest the album is in tribute to the group's late bassist Paul Gray. The album opens unconventionally with the 3 minute intro song 'XIX', while with most Slipknot albums there is a short 1 minute instrumental intro, while I don't enjoy it as much as the other intro's, it does a good job at setting the tone for the rest of the album. The album fully kicks off with 'Sarcastrophe' which is my favourite track on the album, with it's layered use of turntables, brutal vocals and black metal inspired blast beats, it's one of the bands heaviest songs in recent years. The lead single 'The Devil in I" is another highlight, presenting the band's skill of blending melody and heaviness in classic Slipknot style. 'Lech' is another track worth mentioning, it's captures attention with the opening lyric "I know why Judas wept, Motherfucker!!" and just goes on a fast paced rager until progressing into chants and a up-tempo hardcore punk style outro, ending with the lyrics "No one is Bulletproof". However most of the other tracks seem to lack the same focus, or go into directions that don't fully work in my opinion, "Killpop" sounds much more like a Stone Sour song for the most part and doesn't really fit despite the aggressive ending. While 'Skeptic' is a heartfelt tribute to Paul Grey, I can't help but cringe when I hear it. While I have warmed to "The Negative One" I don't find it as re-playable as most of the bands other songs, on a more positive note I think "Cluster" is a hot mess, but in a good way. Overall "The Grey Chapter" is worth a listen, but it is the bands most forgettable studio album.
"All Hope is Gone" was the bands return after a 3 year hiatus, in that time the band members worked on their own projects before reuniting, while the band never broke up, a lot had changed for the better in the group's personal lives as they were able to sober from their addictions and grow as musicians through other projects. In terms of the band's live performances I think this was the best era for them, they still had their chaotic energy, but now there were seasoned veterans and knew exactly how to craft the best performance, while this isn't about their live performances I think it's important to know how driven the band were at this stage. After a distorted intro the album opens with "Gematria (The Killing Name)" which is of the band's few political songs about gun violence in the United States, it's a great opener with bullet pacing thanks to Joey Jordison's double bass playing. This album has more guitar solos then on their other albums, which Jim Root and Mick Thompson really get to show off their talents and while I usually find solos to be a bit of a pace killer, that is not the case here. Some fans a critical of songs such as "Sulfur" and "Dead Memories" for being too mainstream, but in all honesty I think it brings out the band's best songwriting, similar to Metallica's self titled. "Snuff" is a song that I change my mind about almost daily, sometimes I think it's the group's most daring song and features Corey Taylor's most vulnerable lyrics, on the other hand I think lyrics such as "I pressed your letters against my lips" to be melodramatic even by Slipknot standards. The lead single 'Psychosocial' has now reached "meme status", but don't let that distract you from how great this song really is, from it's infectious groves, sweet riffs, layered percussion and it's slamming "Limits of the Dead" break down, it is one of the band's greatest songs recorded. The title track "All Hope is Gone" is my personal favorite song on the album, it's a relentless death metal/groove metal hybrid, which complements the whole album perfectly. The main issue I have is that the album has too much filler material which kills the flow the first half has built up and while it's not a great record, "All Hope is Gone" has some brilliant tracks on it which makes it worth your time.
"We Are Not Your Kind" is the band's latest release and is largely seen as a return to form for most fans. Having plenty of material to write about with not only their personal lives, but the outside world as well, Slipknot make every song standout more with their most experimental album yet. The album has the strongest use of concept with the use of multiple interludes and bookend closing lines of the opening and closing tracks. After the arcade inspired "Insert Coin" the album opens up with the lead single "Unsainted", while I wasn't a fan of the track initially it has really grown on me, the choir vocals are unorthodox, but in many ways that is what this album is. The single has some thought-provoking lyrics and a oddly catchy hook, from then on then it's classic Slipknot with all the bells and whistles you expect, the turntable break down is the highlight for me, bringing back some of the style from the band's debut. "Birth of The Cruel" is a groove metal stomper with a suitably nihilistic set of lyrics. "Nero Forte" feels like Corey venting his rage out of being betrayed, while backing vocals provide the melody, while it's not my favourite song on the album, I admire the heart and energy that went into it. "Liar's Funeral" feels like a spiritual successor to 'Snuff' and I have similar feelings to that track with this one, however the growling vocals midway through add some spice. While "Red Flag" isn't as flashy as other tracks, it's fast pacing helps the album keep flowing. The albums most experimental song is "Spiders" and while it's not the type of song you expect from Slipknot, it's 'Halloween (1978)' inspired keyboards give it a spooky feel and plays into the bands imagery well. One of the most divisive songs on the record is "My Pain" which starts off as a slow tempo instrumental and ends with whispered vocals, I love the first half of the track with it's intense and brooding instrumental sounding like something off the 'Dunkirk (2017)' score, but the track is ruined in the second half with cringey lyrics and vocals. The latter half of the album features my two favourite songs of this release, 'Orphan' and 'Solway Firth', the first feel like someone rising up from their lowest point and it has all the aggression to support it's dark, but motivating themes and the final track 'Solway Firth' is one of the groups most powerful songs in my opinion, it is in my view a meditation on depression and grief as the song just takes on a unhinged emotional journey, one of my personal favourite songs from the band. "We Are Not Your Kind" takes risks that payoff and proves that Slipknot can still put out solid material, while I am not sold on every song and I think the interludes go on for too long, it is an album which signifies a new chapter in the metal acts career.
After the destructive Iowa world tour the nine piece needed to heal together as a unit. The band worked with famed producer Rick Rubin in his own home studio which was once rumoured to be owned by Harry Houdini. The band's working relationship with Rubin was mixed, some members found him to be absent and lazy, while others found him to be an insightful genius, the proof was in the pudding as this album is still there most eclectic to date. Slipknot is one of very few bands who can make more commercial music without diluting their signature sound. This album is the perfect gateway into Slipknot's music, it's heavy, but also very melodic without sounding like generic "butt rock". The album opens with the melodic "Prelude 3.0" which must of been a shock to fans coming off 'Iowa', it's a steady song, which while not as creepy as the other intro's it does set you up for the introspective songs that follow. "The Blister Exists" is a multi-percussion heavy song, which reassures fans that this is still a metal record, while incorporating hard rock elements which blend seamlessly with the bands metal sound, the highlight has to be the midway chant, emphasised by marching drums which really add anticipation. The next track "Three Nil" is one of the band's most underrated, the track opens with a catchy riff before throwing you off with blast beats that come out of nowhere, it's unconventional, but very Slipknot. The lead single 'Duality' is a career defining song, it has everything you want from the Knot and more, from Corey's iconic fry vocal delivery, Clowns beer keg smashing, Jim and Mick's down-tuned guitars, Paul's fat sounding bass and Craig's haunting keyboard (sorry Sid), it is a must listen to for any rock and metal fan. 'Opium of the People" sounds strangely similar to a System of a Down song, from it's use of dynamics and the guitar tone, perhaps it's Rubin's influence or just coincidence. The album then sadly has the skippable 'Circle' which is the groups attempt at an alt rock song, which they achieve with much greater success with the two part track "Vermillion", the first being more hard rock while the second part is a soft ballad. The song 'Pulse of the Maggots' is the bands love letter to their fans which are affectionately dubbed as "maggots", while some might find the song a little on the nose, it has a great message with a strong sense of groove. The second most popular track of this record is "Before I Forget" which was arena ready from it's inception, it's the type of song in which the crowd can shout and sing right back at the band, whether you have heard it once or 1000 times it's as anthemic as ever. "The Nameless" use of dynamic song structure and chaotic percussion are reminiscent of their debut. The closing track is "Danger - Keep Away" is perhaps the most "alternative" sounding song on here which seems to borrow some of it's influences from Radiohead's 'OK Computer (1997)' it's an interesting listen, but not a go to track for me. "Vol 3" proved that Slipknot were much more than a pissed off Nu Metal band and they won a Grammy as well as plenty of new fans for their efforts.
2: Slipknot/Self Titled (1999)
This album was the world's introduction to the nine crazed masked men. During summer 1999 Nu Metal was the dominating force in alternative music, after the success of 'Korn' and 'Limp Bizkit' the Iowa band came onto the scene with the iconic red jumpsuits and homemade masks, with a much heavier sound and aggressive style that had never been seen. During the early years the band made a name for themselves with their intense and chaotic live performances, which includes setting each other on fire and jumping off lighting rigs; this high energy is recognised in the music as well as this debut is one of the most chaotic albums I have ever heard. The album opens with "742617000027" which is an intro which includes sped up dialogue from a Charles Manson documentary with the sample repeating the words "The whole thing, I think it's sick." before the percussion blast you into the opening track "(SIC)" a complete horror show of a track with it's insane percussion, jittery turntables and heavily downtuned guitars and an industrial use of distorted samples. After (SIC) you are not given a second to breathe as the even more brutal "Eyeless" kicks in, a song which is as hostile as it gets. The more melodic single "Wait and Bleed" is next and presents the more dynamic stylings of the band. If three classic Slipknot songs in a row aren't enough for you, the fourth track "Surfacing" is a live favourite and features one of my favourite guitar openings of all time with thanks to Mick Thompson, the song then goes into a bullet pace like it's trying to rip you to shreds with it's double bass drumming and seething vocals. Directly after that is "Spit it Out" which is probably the bands most played song during shows and it's easy to see why, the energy just builds and builds until it reaches bursting point with the "Fuck me, I'm all out of enemies" chant, if you listen closely you can hear the background vocals on "fuck me" are sampled from the classic horror film "The Exorcist" (1973). At this point the album takes a change in pace and in some form style, as the song "Tattered and Torn" is one of the more experimental songs from the band which is based more on industrial and hip-hop influences rather than traditional metal, while the change in pace is startling and the song isn't as striking as it's predecessors, I am glad of it's inclusion as it adds more to the haunted house concept for the album. Depending on what version of the album you have the song 'Purity' may or may not be included, it's a solid song which goes into more of a gothic style with it's haunting imagery of a girl being buried alive, unfortunately on the original re-release the song was removed due to containing lyrics related to the online story "Frail Limb Nursery" which led a copyright claim against the band to remove the track from the album, the good news is that if you have the digital version the track is available. The next track "Liberate" is a bouncy mosh pit ready song which is underrated in my view. "Prosthetics" is admittedly the weakest song on the record for me, it has some interesting use of samples and a good hook towards the end, but it feels like the track was an afterthought. "No Life" is the most "Rap Metal" of the tracklist and while some might cringe at the rapping, I find the track a lot of fun with it's nasty guitar tone and catchy lyrics. "Diluted" is another underrated track, which might not stand out on a first listen, but it makes more of an impression each time I hear it. The final official track "Scissors" is an 8 minute improvisational song, which sounds much better than you would expect from something done on the fly, the song creates a unnerving atmosphere until it climax's with some of Corey Taylor's most emotional vocals. This album was my first real introduction to the band, so I may have a stronger attachment to it, but I think for the most part it holds up really well. There isn't a track I dislike here, my only minor complaint is that the album is a little repetitive, but for a debut this album is exceptional.
If there is one album that represents Slipknot best it is "Iowa". During the time of recording the band were going through their most turbulent times, most of the band members hated each other after constant touring and drug addictions plagued the band, it was so bad that the band almost quit after their debut. Working again with Ross Robinson the band went in with a destructive attitude and all that anger and hatred went into this record. This album is the band's heaviest and nastiest to date and wastes no time is setting a disturbing atmosphere with the intro "(515)" which was a recording of member Sid Wilson grieving his late grandfather soon after learning of his passing. The opening song "People = Shit" is my all time favourite Slipknot song and I think one of my favourite songs period, it's a cathartic experience, it's the best song to listen to if your mad at someone or just the whole general public. It runs the gambit of metal with Death Metal, Groove Metal and Nu Metal influences (as does the rest of the album) it has a fantastic build up, then grips you in a vice and doesn't let you go until it's done with you. Directly after we get my second favourite Slipknot song "Disasterpiece" which manages to be even more intense than the opener, while their is some good melodic lines, this track is brutal throughout, both musically and lyrically. I don't think many songs capture the feeling of depression better than 'Disasterpiece', in my opinion it is the bands darkest song, which also captures the groups technicality. The first single on this album is 'My Plague', the version attached to the Resident Evil soundtrack is more accessible with the heaviest parts toned down and the vocals cleaned, but the album version is just as brutal as the first two tracks, with a heck of a catchy hook and a completely possessed breakdown. 'Everything Else' sounds like the ultimate break up song, with some all too real lyrics about despair and betrayal. The Heretic Anthem is Slipknot's fastest ever song hitting over 210BPM, it's a death metal inspired anthem against the world's conformists, which is amplified with Joey Jordison's blast-beat drumming and Corey Taylor's throat-shredding vocals. The record then slows down with the experimental 'Gently', which I wasn't a fan of at first, but it's really grown on me, mostly due to Paul Gray's dark and fat bass line and the well executed transition into the songs explosive finale. "Left Behind" is the lead single from 'Iowa' and it is the perfect successor to 'Wait and Bleed', it has a more grand sense of melody, with Taylor being able to present his talents further then ever before, before the chorus rips into the chaotic style of metal Slipknot are known for. "The Shape" presents the band's alternative metal side as it continues to change and evolve as it progresses, while it is slower and slightly less aggressive than the other tracks here, it still carries that dark and destructive atmosphere. "I Am Hated" is the only track I don't care for as it feels like a step back for the band stylistically and it is the only track that I think hasn't aged well due to it's production and vocal delivery. The nine's most apocalyptic song is "Skin Ticket" which starts slow and eerily builds and holds you in suspense until it slams you with the weight of the world as Taylor screams the refrain "Keeping Myself Alive!", it's menacing to say the least. The song "New Abortion" makes great use of Sid Wilson's talents as the distorted scratching creates a real frantic vibe. Debatably the most heavy Slipknot track is "Metabolic", which starts off mean then just gets even meaner as Corey screams in sync with Joey's blast-beats, it reminds me of the opening scene in 'Jaws' (1975) where the woman is attacked by the great white, every time she reaches the surface, the shark pulls her deeper into the sea, playing with it's food, it feels as if the band release you for a second only to hit you even harder next time, it's a relentless 4 minutes. The final track is the title track "Iowa" which is Slipknot's longest song to date at 15 minutes. The first half of the song is entirely instrumental and doesn't sound out of place in an extreme horror film with it's haunting bass and unsettling samples, when the vocals begin Taylor sounds as if he is on the edge of insanity, legend has it that he was self harming during the recording of the song, which seems likely after hearing it (not that I am praising any self harming). 'Iowa' might be a little too upsetting or heavy for some people to enjoy, but as an album it is the band's most important and influential work, it was a huge statement that this band were going to do things on their own terms and they have done that since the beginning.
Comments
Post a Comment