Slipknot has had its ups and downs in their career. Success-wise, really only ups. For me, they shot up out of nowhere with the release of their self-titled album, lost a lot of respect with their follow-up, gained some of it back with their third album, and then lost half of what they gained back with their latest effort.    

Their debut album was undoubtedly their best effort to date. Some may contest and say Vol. 3 was, but beg to differ. Their first had meaning. It was their explosion onto the metal scene. We have been scared by acts such as Alice Cooper and Marilyn Manson, but the sight of these eight guys was terrifying. Just looking at a picture of them made you realize that you were in for something loud and heavy. Corey’s screams were not just yells inflated by distortion and Pro Tools, they were authentic, intense, and loud as fuck.  It was certainly easier for a band to go platinum in those days than it is for an artist to accomplish it now, but they did it with little to zero airplay on MTV.  That was nearly impossible back then.  It proved that good music, a great gimmick, and heavy touring could certainly make up for a lack of airtime on either television or radio.

Iowa came out as their follow-up, selling great numbers but disappointing many fans. Sure it was loud, heavy, but it came off as standard metal. Lyrically, it was almost patronizing. It was as if Corey wrote all the words in a single night after having a fight with his girlfriend and then having his dad call and say “I still don’t like you.” Musically, it was nothing significant. The guitar riffs were standard, ordinary, “I just learned how to d-tune my guitar” riffs. Being a ninth-grade Slipknot enthusiast, this album nearly made me cry in disappointment.

Vol. 3: Subliminal Verses came out as great refreshment. Though at the time, I was bitter and unappreciative. I still had remnants of Iowa left in my mouth and I wasn’t quite ready to taste again. It took me a while to finally give in, and I was pretty glad I did. The album was experimental, clean (no profanity), and produced by Rick Rubin. Rick Rubin saved Slipknot from losing many fans, in my opinion. The album wasn’t their best, but it was pretty fantastic. It was tight, both musically and lyrically, and though it was certainly different, we didn’t seem to mind. The songs were strong, very well-written, and still metal as fuck. This album, along with the debut self-titled, successfully showcases the awe-inspiring drumming power of Joey Jordison. I am completely serious when I say that without Joey, Slipknot is just another metal band, barely worthy of being on Headbanger’s Ball. Joey makes the Slipknot sound a signature.

All Hope Is Gone is…not bad. It’s certainly better than Iowa, and thankfully, it’s not too painful to listen to, even though it has the song “Psychosocial” as the single. There are many things wrong with this album, but it’s still worth a couple listens. Lets start off with the opening track (not the first track, merely an instrumental intro): “Gematria.” The chorus itself is a cliché. “We will burn your cities down.” This line I have heard countless times, from emo to hardcore. The image of taking your girl or friends and setting fire to the city you live in so that you can rise victorious amongst the ashes is a pretty cool image, but holy fuck is it overdone. The line means nothing anymore. Artists that immediately come to mind who have used this image are as follows: Further Seems Forever, Thrice, Avenged Sevenfold, Cartel, Mayday Parade, Lil’ Wayne (I’m not kidding), and countless local hardcore bands. Hopefully with it’s use by Slipknot it will officially become a stereotype and cease to be used.

The single, “Psyochosocial” is a terrible one. It’s catchy, poppy, and standard metal that reminds everyone of how generic metal is these days. Heavy verses with screaming, softer choruses with singing, and a breakdown at the end. The thing I am greatly happy with is that this album continued its use of guitar solos. Solos first made their appearance on Subliminal Verses, proving that yes, these guys actually know how to play guitar. They make their way onto All Hope Is Gone, serving as well-needed breaths of fresh air in a haze of stereotypical metal riffs.

Overall, the best song on the album is the title track: “All Hope Is Gone.” The worst being “Butcher’s Hook,” which has the most annoyingly nasal-pushed vocals in a Slipknot chorus, possibly ever. Oh, and Corey, please don’t say in a metal song that the “rain will kill us all.” You guys use a lot of pyro; rain is more than likely to be a life-saving resource.

I give it 3 out of 5. I was tempted to only give it a 2, but the tracks “This Cold Black” and “All Hope Is Gone” pushed it to the 3.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b6TqgLgjeU]