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Yes, Slipknot managed to create an album worthy of their discography with ".5: The Gray Chapter," even exceeding expectations
Yes, Slipknot managed to create an album worthy of their discography with ".5: The Gray Chapter," even exceeding expectations
by Marcel Ianuck
After the release of the album "All Hope Is Gone," the lives of the Slipknot members were turned upside down. They lost two founding members, the late bassist Paul Gray and the fired drummer Joey Jordison. Guitarist Jim Root was fired from his side project (but now not so much a side project) Stone Sour, which created tension between the guitarist and vocalist Corey Taylor. They also dealt with news that their vocalist might be negotiating a move to other bands like Anthrax and Velvet Revolver. Even with the group continuing with live shows, including in Brazil, the question that wouldn't leave the fans' minds was: Could Slipknot go into the studio, without two of their important songwriters, and come out with an album on par with the band's classics?
The answer comes with the release of the album “.5: The Gray Chapter” , a title that is in itself a tribute to the late Paul Gray. After the release of the singles The Negative One and The Devil In I , the arrival of Slipknot's new work seems to have recaptured some of the brutality of the seminal “Iowa” and its predecessor “All Hope Is Gone”, with melodic parts in the style of some songs from the album “Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)”. Greg Fidelman's production perfectly matched the chaotic proposal of the album.
The album begins with the track XIX , a climactic and anguished introduction, with dark keyboards and a nervous, desperate vocal, perfect for that hypnotic start to Slipknot shows. Anyone who has seen the band live knows how intense it is, and this introduction would be perfect for that purpose. From then on, the band seems to "take out" all that turbulent period they went through with a sequence of bangers to knock the unsuspecting out of their seats! Right off the bat, "Sarcastrophe" is a characteristic punch from the band, with very heavy riffs, melodic and screamed vocals at the same time, percussion and electronic effects in sync, drum tempos that vary from measured passages to nervous blast beats.
Another impressive aspect, although not new, is how vocalist Corey Taylor manages to transition between guttural vocals, fast vocals in an almost Thrash/Hardcore style, and beautiful melodies, with personality and skill
Another impressive aspect, although not new, is how vocalist Corey Taylor manages to transition between guttural vocals, fast vocals in an almost Thrash/Hardcore style, and beautiful melodies, with personality and skill
Right off the bat, it's noticeable that the drummer who recorded the album (whose identity has not yet been officially announced) comes from the same school as Joey Jordison, almost seeming like a clone of him, something the album's production team also made sure to emphasize. This is an interesting aspect to observe at the upcoming shows supporting the album.
Another impressive aspect, although not new, is how vocalist Corey Taylor manages to transition between guttural vocals, fast vocals in an almost Thrash/Hardcore style, and beautiful melodies, with personality and skill. Even those who don't like the band recognize that Taylor is one of the best vocalists of the "new" generation of Metal. Just check out his performances in special appearances in recent years, such as in the tribute to the late Ronnie James Dio.
The album continues to captivate the listener, highlighting songs like the fast and heavy "AOV" (one of the best on the album), songs that hark back to the band's past like "Nomadic" and "Lech ," the melodic and no less heavy "The One That Kills The Least" and "If Rain Is What You Want ," and the ever-present Industrial Metal influence, as in "Custer ," the album's third single. Speaking of singles, it's impossible not to also highlight the insane "The Negative One ," one of those songs that perfectly represents what Slipknot is: heavy riffs, catchy choruses, percussion, crazy effects, bass drums at full blast, a soundtrack to the apocalypse. It reminded me a lot of the atmosphere of the song "All Hope Is Gone ," from the previous album of the same name. The other single, "The Devil In I ," also stands out, showing the band's slightly more melodic side, but without abandoning the heavy sound.
Returning to the question from the beginning of the text: Yes! Slipknot managed to make “.5: The Gray Chapter” an album worthy of their discography, even exceeding expectations and ensuring that Corey Taylor and his gang still have a lot of fuel to burn in the future.
Listen and check it out!
*Marcel Ianuck is the vocalist and bassist of the band
NW77 . **This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.
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