Whatever preconceptions about lackluster musicianship, crappy riffs, and an over-abundance of masked morons jumping around on stage people may have had in the past, are now at a crossroad. You see, with the culmination of Slipknot’s last album Vol. 3 ; The Subliminal Verses and this their latest album All Hope Is Gone, the band has shown an organic maturation in their music that goes beyond the angst filled lyrics of their self titled debut that so many compared with the likes of Korn and Kittie. Now, however, I have been seeing kinks in the armor of haters. The once easily targeted Slipknot has adopted a full on metallic assault with death metal riffs, thrash metal riffs, blast beats and some actual kick ass solo’s. Past attempts at atmospheric creepiness are far less drastic, which was understandably at the heart of why many people disliked this music so much. I will be the first to admit that after buying Iowa back in 2001 when it came out, I absolutely hated the weird little nuances of the album that personified it, which then lead me to completely write off this band as shitty mallcore which all the cool metalheads were expounding upon back then. I was just getting into extreme metal back then, so when I heard that it was uncool to like Slipknot I immediately assumed it must be true. However, whatever doubt I had about this band being a simple object of desecration was washed away with All Hope Is Gone, an album that represents a much more mature, accomplished group of musicians who no longer seem to wish to talk about the hardships of growing up in Iowa all while maintaining that trademarked Slipknot sound.

Haters of this band will have trouble coming to grips with the fact that their scapegoat for hating mainstream metal is no longer there, which brings us to that crossroad I mentioned earlier; will people continue to hate Slipknot because of the name and the costumes? Will people continue to say they are NOT metal? Not liking Slipknot is fine, there are several bands I dislike, but it’s going to be pretty fucking tough writing off this band now simply because they have barcodes on their jumpsuits and wear funky masks.

Looking into the nitty gritty of this album, changes are immediately apparent. Corey Taylor, once maligned for this attempts at clean vocals, has really upped his game, presenting their listeners now with much more improved vocals which surprised the hell out of me, because Corey’s clean vocals was one of the reasons I could not get into this band early on.

Secondly, the diversity in the band’s sound is very apparent, and as I said, represents a clear progression in their maturity level. And unlike many of their peers, they seem to be progressing in a positive way. Slipknot has had the balls to slow down several of their numbers, but none of them are really poppy per se despite an emphasis Corey’s new melodic pipes. However, the heavy, uncharacteristic heaviness that made Slipknot is definitely alive and well and much better than anything they have ever done before. It seems like the band feels like playing more traditional forms of metal is “okay”, and as a result, All Hope Is Gone features an onslaught of post thrash riffs with a healthy dose of some death metal…and when I say death metal, I mean the real fucking death metal, not deathcore.

Finally, the guitar solos on this album are quite an attraction for this album, and really livens up the overall sound tremendously.

Above all else, I think what impresses me most about this album, as I have already alluded to, is its uncompromising sound. Fans of Slipknot will undoubtedly love this album as it maintains their undeniable sound, but to call them the same band they were in 1998 would be laughable.

The bottom line is clear; Slipknot is as metal as metal can be, and any doubt is pure hatred with no basis, because once you listen to All Hope Is Gone with an open mind, there is little evidence to support that they are some cheap “nu-metal” band with no talent. Slipknot has begun to build a positive legacy, which I for one support, and frankly, admire. All Hope Is Gone should be checked out, because you may find youself actually enjoying a band you once loved to hate.

VERY GOOD

Top Tracks: Gematria, Gehenna, Vendetta (a total fucking death metal love track!)

Similar Artists: Machine Head, Trivium, God Forbid, Devildriver

1. “.execute.” – 1:49
2. “Gematria (The Killing Name)” – 6:02
3. “Sulfur” – 4:38
4. “Psychosocial” – 4:42
5. “Dead Memories” – 4:29
6. “Vendetta” – 5:16
7. “Butcher’s Hook” – 4:15
8. “Gehenna” – 6:53
9. “This Cold Black” – 4:40
10. “Wherein Lies Continue” – 5:37
11. “Snuff” – 4:36
12. “All Hope Is Gone” – 4:45

0 Sid Wilson - Turntables
1 Joey Jordison - Drums
2 Paul Gray - Bass
3 Chris Fehn - Percussion
4 James Root - Guitar
5 Craig Jones - Samples
6 Shawn Crahan - Percussion
7 Mick Thomson - Guitar
8 Corey Taylor - Vocals

Roadrunner Records
www.slipknot1.com
www.myspace.com/slipknot1

Review by CODY