Disco de Slipknot: “All Hope Is Gone [PA]”

You know exactly the album I'm talking about. The one that all bands who last longer than one or two albums go through. The one that signals a kind of change, possibly. But also one that does something as old as time itself: divides fans, but also attracts new fans, like me.

While I share a similar taste in music, Slipknot hasn't always been for me. A lot of people like their thrash songs, whereas I need a bit more diversity. And so while I've listened to their previous albums, enjoyed particular songs, I've never had the patience to listen to a whole album. Until now.

All Hope is Gone feels, in some ways, a culmination of everything that's come before; the sometimes melodic nature of Subliminal Verses, the pounding nature of their earlier work in Iowa, with, yes, maybe a smidgen of Stone Sour on the side. The thing is, when Slipknot isn't trying to pound you silly with their music for a dozen or so songs, they can be quite enjoyable.

For me, All Hope is Gone picks up right as "Psychosocial" comes into play. This song, the album version which rocks so much more than the "radio-friendly" version released as a single, exemplifies their nature perfectly: precision trash metal, with an actual melodic hook and a melody that carries through.

But the diversity continues, with "Gehenna" verging into atmospheric territories that sounds reminiscient of a heavier/more technical Korn. And "Vendetta"'s rousing anthem chant of "Are you ready for the time of your life," answered by shouts...perfect live material at shows. Then, of course, there's the Slipknot ballad (how surprising is that?) "Snuff," the song which will invariably have critics calling it a Stone Sour song with heavier drumming.

Don't get me wrong; there's still plenty of thrash songs with the barking vocals and the precision drumming, pounding submission into your head. It's just that there's more here than that. This is the first Slipknot album in which I believe Slipknot has found their niche. They've found a way of distancing themselves from similar acts that stretches beyond wearing masks (which, as an aside, are much better than their previous ones).

So we come full circle. This album will possibly be a divisive one for some fans. But I believe it shows growth, maturity and a willingness to look beyond one song played twelve different ways. Your appreciation may very, but I like this new Slipknot.

Songs to listen to:

"Gematria (The Killing Name)"

"Psychosocial"

"Gehenna"

"This Cold Black"

"Snuff"

This being Slipknot's 4th album of a career nearing 10 years, they are reaching that point where what they as a band call "progression" runs the risk of being called "selling out" by their fans who loved them from the word "go". 20 years ago, my friends and I slapped the "sell out" tag on more than a few bands (Metallica being the biggest offender of our youth). So, I have to wonder if this album will be Slipknot's transition album that leads them to that inevitable fork in the road where they progress beyond their core fans or run the risk of becoming stale. It seems to be a very thin tightrope to walk for every band, especially in the genre metal where fans can turn into foes overnight.

With all of that in mind, I can see the aspects of "All Hope Is Gone" that might make some of Slipknot's original fans angry or disinterested. Compared to the all-out-fury of "Iowa" or the combination of technical mastery and melodic foreplay of "Volume 3", "All Hope Is Gone" is often more straight-forward and subdued by comparison. It is fairly evident that Slipknot is focused more on writing songs first rather than taking a multitude of riffs and building a great song around them. In this case, for me, the approach works well.

What I can sympathize with those disenchanted by this album about is that the singles on this album are clear, present and obviously crafted for radio and mainstream exposure. Granted, I think "Psychosocial" is a very powerful song as far as singles are concerned, but some of the softer stuff on this album can get a little too soft at times. At this point, I like most of it, but I can see why others might not.

For those seeking the Slipknot of old, "All Hope Is Gone" is bookended by two mega-tracks that are as brutal and violent as anyone could ever want, especially the finale which is the perfect rallying cry for this time in our history. Much of this album is still very good, but I do wish they would have explored more of the technical aspects of the last album, as things get to be a tad formulaic at times.

Personally, I think "All Hope Is Gone" meets most of the expectations and anticipation that has heaped upon this album prior to its release. I think that in time, a good amount of people that are initially turned off by this album will find plenty to like about it.

I am not going to compare this album with everything else Slipknot has done. Everyone else is doing that anyway. What is the point, really, of comparing album to album? Do you want to hear the same thing over and over again? Personally I like to hear some variance and a wide range of structure on a record. If you are open to that, then you will like All Hope is Gone.

The album starts out really heavy, like you would expect from Slipknot. And it ends the same way. In the middle there is just about everything you could think of. Even the ballad "Snuff" is a refreshing change for the band. I did not expect to hear anything like this on a Slipknot record, but it is really, really good. I find myself listening to that song over and over.

Lyrically I think the album is great. The flow of the album is a little strange and takes some getting used to. Fast, slow, fast, medium, slow, etc. The recording is very clean and the production is different than past records. As someone mentioned above it is difficult to tell that there are 9 members on this recording. I can rarely distinguish any drums other than Joey's. Chris and Shawn were not really busy with their past amount of activity.

All in all this is a great album. I am still getting used to it and I am shocked and suprised by the variety of music on one disc. I can tell you this, it is not what you expect. And in some cases that can be a good thing. I think this is a refreshing album and I am enjoying listening to it. Quit trying to compare what the band did 15 years ago to now and just appreciate what you have right in front of you........the latest masterpiece.

Apparently some people think Slipknot went way wrong with this, but I just don't see it. This definitely is Slipknot, perhaps at its best. They decided to go with more of a death metal rhythm, but they also used a softer voice more often than before. Overall, I think it works out to the same level of their other albums - Great.

I respect what a lot of you "hardcore maggots" are saying, but just realize that you don't speak for every Slipknot fan. You may not be ready for Slipknot to evolve, but I really didn't want to hear "Slipknot" 4 times in a row. I will admit, I did however think Volume 3 was overall pretty bad but I think this is definitely a step up from that. Honestly, this isn't a bad listen. This album is a roller coaster and has a heck of a build up to start off. The closer of the album All Hope Is Gone(aka, the title track and the leaked track that hit before psychosocial) would probably be my favorite of the bunch. It really has the visceral bite that many of the Slipknot songs of days past had. Overall, I think the album flows together pretty well from track to track. It's a quality album and I would definitely recommend it.

Now to address what I feel is a sad state of affairs involving not just Slipknot, but the genre of "metal" as a whole. So many metal heads are just as bad as the teeny boppers that they continue to mock so easily. Truth be told, they are just as narrow-minded as the teeny boppers. Try out some other music every now and then. Allow yourself to hear something else you dumb meathead jocks. As a musician, I appreciate when a band branches out and tries something different. Rock and metal are all about being heard and if they make an album that is more accessible, that doesn't make them weak, it means they are doing something that your dumb self didn't think of in the first place and they are branching out their sound so that they can in fact, be heard.

I also laugh when the narrow-minded metal fans get mad about bands not remaining "underground." Seriously, why would you not want everyone you know to hear about the good music you like? If you are trying to introduce people into your music and saying you want said band to remain "underground" then you are pretty much a hypocrite. Want them to remain "underground?" Keep your mouth shut and don't go see the band live or buy any of their merch. See how long your "underground" band will remain afloat. Nuff said.