By Luis Olguin, Oct. 18, 2022
Attention gym rats and heavy metal lovers, the masked-wearing legends are back, and they come with a new album and upcoming world tour dates. American heavy metal band Slipknot released their seventh studio album “The End, So Far” on Sept. 30 This will be their final album to be released with the label Roadrunner Records as the band is parting ways with this label.
No matter what a “Blond Doll” with a black tongue says about this band, they are pioneers of heavy metal with nearly two decades under their belt. With sold-out festival shows like Aftershock where Slipknot was a headliner, it is clear to say they are a household name that has a distinguishable appearance.
Slipknot formed in 1995, and although their roster has changed throughout the years, their core identity hasn’t. The band often bleeds into genres other than heavy metal, for example, they have been known to bleed into genres like nu metal, alternative metal and groove metal to name a few.
Slipknot’s appearance is like no other band in their genre. Their appearance revolves around a dark, cryptic mask and mysterious attire. Their music is no different from their appearance and follows the same energy. Their music can be described as this aggressive, energetic and evil style of music. The music you would use to fight the gods.
“The End, So Far” delivers this aesthetic quite perfectly. This album satisfies both recurring fans and possible new ones. The album feels like a breath of fresh air for heavy metal fans. This is one of their most experimental and innovative albums yet. It contains the trademark classic Slipknot feeling with a new twist. The usage of more melody, strange song structure, and production sets this album apart from previous releases. From beginning to end, the album flows and transitions as a cohesive project, it doesn’t feel like just a collection of tracks put together.
The beginning track “Adderall” and the ending track “Finale” are slow burners that help transition in and out of the album. All the tracks in between are adrenaline-inducing, mosh circle makers. These are tracks to fight your inner demons or to break a personal record in the gym.
Slipknot’s previous album “We Are Not Your Kind” was released in 2019, almost a three-year gap from this current release. Slipknot did release three singles before releasing the whole album. “The Chapeltown Rag” was released on Nov. 5, 2021, then “The Dying Song (Time to Sing)” was released on July 19 and “Yen,” the final single of the album, was released on Aug. 5.
Currently, “The End, So Far” is receiving positive reviews online with positive commercial performance. Slipknot is currently sitting at number 1 in Billboards Artists 100 this week. The album itself is sitting under top album sales and top rock album according to Billboard.
This album complements the current spooky season. Slipknot’s full discography is perfect for Halloween activities and throughout the whole year.
Feature image by Jackson Gray