After the death of Chad Grey, it seemed as if "all hope was gone" in regards to Slipknot. Despite the crap from naysayers, the nu-metal titans rose from the ashes like a group of pheonixes with crazy masks. They soldiered on. Another blow came in the form of drum titan's Joey Jordison's departure. The man was like the Neil Peart for nu-metal. Surely even these titans could not survive such a setback, but again Slipknot proved why we call them titans to begin with.
Where does that bring us? 2019 brings us to 2019's new Slipknot album,
We Are Not Your Kind. People wanna diss on the Slipknot, they wanna talk about the masks, they wanna trash them for being popular, but this is just a tad over one straight hour of solid proof that these nu-metal titans are still champions. Corey Taylor is right, he says that we are not his kind and he's right.
This is diverse, almost like Corey Taylor and his titan ensemble's take on
Trout Mask Replica. "Unsainted" is light and playful in tone, its infectious grooves like a fart that sneaks up on you - actually, this is more akin to having a big stinky turd stealthily placed behind one's chair. You're sitting there watching TV, you have no idea someone's dropping a chocolate mud pie right behind you - the smell hits you in the nose and you scream. You also didn't notice that your shoes were tied together by a prankster clown, and when you try to get away you fall down. You hit your head, you can't move. That's "Unsainted." If you think the light vibe is what Corey Taylor is going for, listen on. "Nero Forte" is some of the heaviest music I've ever heard, the lyrics incredibly dark and evil. It's honestly scary how Corey Taylor ended up such a twisted and deranged individual - I always tell new maggots that nu-metal titan Corey Taylor could've been a serial killer, and if you've listened to Tool you'll know that there probably is an alternate universe where Corey Taylor killed people. We luckily live in the universe where Corey Taylor uses his deranged and twisted worldview to not be like The Joker, but he's more like Rick Sanchez, using his twisted and deranged vision to make the world a better place. Like Rick Sanchez, some don't appreciate Taylor's methods, but he's an absolute titan in the world of rock.
Album closer "Solway Firth" is probably the best Slipknot track in a decade, a somber and moody piece which, if its name is any indication, is an obvious nod to Genesis's "Firth of Fifth," one of Taylor's favorite songs. Still, it brings the heavy. But it also comes packaged with goosebumps, so get ready. It even has orchestration. It's like The Beatles! Corey Taylor has really improved as a vocalist. Who thought it was possible? Referring back to "Solway," he hits melodies like John Lennon.
Run, don't walk, to the store to buy Slipknot's new album. The titans aren't going anywhere.
