Without a doubt, “.5: The Gray Chapter” is already on the list of the best of the year, deservedly so.”
by Nando Machado
After six years without releasing a studio album, Slipknot returns with ".5: The Gray Chapter," their fifth album and one of the band's best works to date, praised by critics and acclaimed by fans.
Slipknot , the band has gone through traumatic lineup changes. This is the first album without bassist Paul Gray, who passed away in 2010, and without drummer Joey Jordison, who left the band in 2013. The album title is a reference to Gray, and the sound shows a mature, extremely competent, and unique band—a sound that sometimes recalls traditional thrash without losing its originality, weight, speed, and aggression. Produced by Greg Fidelman (the same producer of Slayer's "World Painted Blood") and recorded at Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, ".5: The Gray Chapter" is already, without a doubt, one of the best albums of the year and, for the second time, takes Slipknot to the top of the Billboard charts, having sold over 130,000 copies in its first week alone.
The album opens with the somber XIX , certainly the opening track for Slipknot's new show, a melody that could be the soundtrack to one of the most terrifying horror films. Excellent lyrics screamed in Corey Taylor's voice already show that the album is going to be spine-chilling.
Sarcastrophe also begins with a dark fingerpicking intro, followed by a very heavy riff, and the song takes another turn, extremely heavy and fast. You can already imagine what this new Slipknot show will be like – a real punch right from the start. You can clearly hear Sid Wilson's turntables, a trademark of the band. The chorus makes you want to scream, "WE ARE KILL GODS!!!!!!"
AOV begins with a very heavy and fast riff reminiscent of Slayer, the vocal part is fast and aggressive, and the chorus shows Corey Taylor singing with a clean voice, as if it were a Stone Sour song. The slow middle section is sensational, with a beautiful bass solo, and then the song returns to Slipknot's characteristic style: heavy, aggressive, screamed, and desperate.
Lech has all the weight of Slipknot and shows why it's one of the best metal bands today.”
Lech has all the weight of Slipknot and shows why it's one of the best metal bands today.”
"The Devil In I ," the album's second single, begins with killer riffs and a different beat; the new drummer shows that when it comes to double bass drumming, he's just as good as Joey Jordison. Corey Taylor comes in with clean vocals, as if it were a Stone Sour song. Beautiful lyrics and melody, excellent chorus, one of the best on the album; what a guitar sound this album has, sensational!
Kilpop , a song that starts slow and calm, gradually builds and becomes heavier and faster. Once again, darkness takes over the atmosphere. In the end, the song becomes very fast and aggressive.
Skeptic is definitely a tribute to bassist Paul Gray. The chorus, " But the world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you! The world will never know another man as amazing as you !", reflects Slipknot's anger at the loss of their bassist and friend, one of the band's founding members, who passed away in 2010 at only 38 years old.
Lech begins with a scream from Corey Taylor, “ I know why Judas wept, motherfuckers Aggressive from start to finish, with a heavy guitar sound and a captivating beat. It's worth listening to at full volume with good headphones. Lech showcases the full weight of Slipknot and why they are one of the best metal bands today.
Goodbye is a sad farewell to Paul Gray. The song starts slow, a beautiful ballad, and from the middle onwards it gets heavier, yet it still shows a lot of feeling and very well-crafted melodies. In the end, the song builds and becomes another Slipknot banger, heavy and aggressive, practically blending into Nomadic .
Corey Taylor is such a versatile vocalist that it sometimes seems like Slipknot has two different vocalists. In the vocal part of "Nomatic ," his voice is screamed, and in the chorus, it's a bit more melodic, showing that Corey is undoubtedly one of the most important personalities in the world of Metal today. Special mention goes to the excellent guitar arrangement throughout the song and to James Root's devastating solo.
In "The One That Kills the Least ," at first it sounds like a Stone Sour song where Corey Taylor sings with a clean voice for most of the song. But soon the weight of James Root and Mick Thomson's guitars shows that it's Slipknot, pure and heavy, and once again, the guitar sound deserves special mention. Beautiful chorus and an apotheotic ending.
Custer starts off with a bang; the lyrics are extremely dirty and aggressive. Once again, we feel like we're in the middle of a horror movie. The track is probably the most brutal on the album.
"An original, heavy band, composed of excellent musicians, and one of the most intense and electrifying live shows I've seen in recent times."
"An original, heavy band, composed of excellent musicians, and one of the most intense and electrifying live shows I've seen in recent times."
"The Negative One" is another unsettling song. The album's first single has a sensational video, definitely worth checking out ( watch it here ). Once again, the new drummer shows extreme skill, with a booming double bass drum, as well as effects from Sid Wilson and Craig Jones. Another song that's hard to stay still to.
"If Rain Is What You Want " is the song that closes the standard version of the album (fortunately, in Brazil, an extended version with two bonus tracks was released ). It's a different song from the rest of the album, slower, more drawn-out, and with cleaner vocals, yet still heavy and very cool. Towards the end, the vocals return to "normal," and Corey Taylor shows a lot of feeling, alternating between a more screamed vocal and a cleaner one.
"Override ," the first bonus track, Corey Taylor's two personalities meet once again. A chilling double bass drum groove and various guitar riffs, a variation of beats and backing tracks, strumming patterns, and a very different vocal arrangement.
The Burden , yet another horror film, once again Corey Taylor shows great flexibility between clean and dirty vocals, once again the arrangements are very well thought out, once again Slipknot shows why it is one of the most relevant bands in the current Metal scene.
An original, heavy band, composed of excellent musicians, and one of the most intense and electrifying shows I've seen in recent times. Without a doubt, ".5: The Gray Chapter" is already on my list of the best of the year, deservedly so. Have you got your copy yet? Meanwhile, we hope Slipknot will return to play shows in Brazil many times.
