“Not only is the album a thrash and hard rock classic, but it brings in all the eclectic elements that have shown how Slipknot have evolved over the years…AllAxess.com‘s record of the year for sure.”
Slipknot have endured a couple of tough years recently. First, they were shaken to the core by the tragic death of bass player and founding member Paul Gray. Then, 2013 saw their split with original drummer Joey Jordison. In the midst of all the turmoil, the band pulled itself together like never before to create a new album. It’s not only a new record, but it’s a well-crafted collection which further cements which Slipknot as the titanic force it is. The pressure involved with releasing a new album after 200u’s All Hope Is Gone debuted at number 1 on Billboard top 200 was to put lightly, “significant” and the Iowa metal masters came through with flying colors even achieving #1 once more in the midst of a stacked release week against T.I. and Logic.
The anonymity surrounding Slipknot has always left them with an ere of mystique, while the sheer presence and force these men possess have established one of the biggest bands in the world and one of the most important bands of all time. Since their game-changing 1999 debut, nobody else has made the same impact on hard rock.
Having played with Slipknot at October’s KnotFest, I had the pleasure of witnessing the band with the new stage set and new members. It was as always, an amazing performance. The new songs came across extremely well in the live environment. I have always believed that all the bands songs were tailored to play live.
Their triumphant return, .5: The Gray Chapter, has all the great elements one would hope a Slipknot record would have. It’s got the crushing riffs, complex drumming, grooves that anyone can jam along to. At the eye of this storm, there are the captivating vocals from the best singer in rock, Corey Taylor. Not only is the album a thrash and hard rock classic, but it brings in all the eclectic elements that have shown how Slipknot have evolved over the years.
The definite stand out tracks are “The Devil In I,” which is the first single, “AOV” which touts one of the best choruses on the entire record, “The Negative One” which is another awesome, bulldozing track and “Be Prepared For Hell,” which features an eerie vocal from none other than M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan.
Check out the newest Slipknot album, available everywhere on Roadrunner Records. This is AllAxess.com’s record of the year for sure.