Year: 2022
Total Time: 57:31
Label: Roadrunner Records

SLIPKNOT are currently at the time one of extreme music biggest names and  every new release is currently a huge event. So, band’s announcement for releasing a new album this year, three years after the mediocre “We Are Not Your Kind”, caused a grat fuss among fans, ranking the album as one of the most anticipated of the year. Also, Corey Talor’s statements that it will be a heavier version of Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) exhilarate those who believed him.

However, between these two albums,there was the tragic event with the sudden death in 2021 of former drummer and co founder of the band Joey Jordison. Also, then several rumors began to published about how Jordison was actually kicked out of the band from Taylor and Crahan.Also in 2020, SLIPKNOT reached an out-of-court settlement with their other former member Chris Fehn, who had sued the band for financial reasons. Besides these events we should also take in consideration the coronavirus situation and band’s desire for the immediately finishof their the record contract with Roadrunner Records. So, we cas say that in band’s camp during the last years there was not the ideal enviroment for a new record and there was a mystery how the new album would sound. But the time passes and the judgement day arrived.

The album starts with “Addrall”, which could be  described as the worst song we’ve heard from SLIPKNOT, a melodic composition with influences by Pink Floyd, but which at the same time touches the boundaries of Pop music. Realizing nowwhat Clown meant with his recent statements about his influences from Pop music and Christina Aguilera. Then we have the three singles which already released before record’s release, ‘The Chapeltown Rag’, ‘The Dying Song’ and ‘Yen’.  The is a decent song with the well-known SLIPKNOT anger, but the others are two mediocre compositions with “The Dying Song” sounding like it was left out of band’s previous album as it slighty reminds us “Unsainted”. Also, “Yen”, although has a faintly TYPE O NEGATIVE aesthetic ends up sounding like a boring ballad that could have been written by STONE SOUR.

Continue with “Hivermind” in which we hear the old good SLIPKNOT. Rage, blastebeats and  among with “H377”, which moves in similar raw musicalcpaths, are album’s best songs. Next we have “Warrantly” and “Acidic” and the frustration for the low musical quality hits red, as we have two indifferent compositions in a mid tempo rhythm, with “Acidic” have some Blues influences. “Heirloom” which follows, is another annoying STONE SOUR composition. The album ends with “The Sade” and “Finale”. The first one sounds like a filler song from band’s previous album and ‘Finale’ moves as the album opener and could be described as the lost brother of ” Addrall”, bringing the end to a dissapointed record. As for the production is concerned, is of course perfect and we should also mention the awesome performance of drummer Jay Weinberg.

After “We are not your kind” I could not imagine that SLIPKNOT could release a worse record, but with “The End, So Far” they managed to disprove me. Also, Corey Talor wanted to troll us, as this record not only can’t even stand up againts Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses), but cannot considered as its heavier version. I don’t know if they were in such a hurry to get free from Roadrunner Records and didn’t pay much attention to the music, but the record is so mediocre that it doesn’t honor band’s legacy. Something that is also reflected in recent statements of band’s guitarist Jim Root, who mentioned that he is not very happy with how this record came out. We all remembered that SLIPKNOT used to be “frightening” and have raging elements that are missing from the new record as it is full with mediocre filler songs that remids us more of STONE SOUR.

Unfortunately Corey Talor and Shawn Crahan have decided to drive the band in a more radio friendly musical path and this is reflected in their latest album. Yes, they are amazing in their live perfomances, but this is not enough. Just as it is not enough to refer SLIPKNOT as the ones who could take the place of great bands of Metal genre, as some weird people claim in recent years, when these bands are going to retire. Of course, something like this is not going to happen and the only common that someone could find between SLIPKNOT and bands like IRON MAIDEN and METALLICA is only with the second ones  and concerns the fact that when their bass player passed away, their DNA changed. Personally I believe that SLIPKNOT can’t musically suprised us as they did in the past, as we have reached the third consecutive indifferent record with the inspiration and the rage, that made them special, missing. As the days when they proudly mentioned IMMOLATION, MALEVOLENT CREATION and SLAYER as their influences are past  as now claim that Pop music, THE CURE and PRODIGY are some of their main influences.

Rating: 5,5/10
Editor: Nikos Manousis
Related Link: SLIPKNOT – Official Page