Next up I’m going to take a look at Slipknot and this one should be an interesting one because their albums all sound so different from each other. I’m actually excited to check this one out because it’s been awhile sinceI listened to their albums and I don’t think I’ve actually really given their songs a careful listen to especially their deeper cuts. So here we go…….
Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.- well this is an interesting album. Totally not what I was expecting and honestly I had never heard it up until this review. First off, this is the only record not to have Corey Taylor and instead have Anders Colsefini. It’s a very different sounding record because it has a jazzy/funk sound to it. The bass on this record really stands out and it makes one really appreciate Paul Gray (RIP) as a bassist. I would actually really love to hear these songs played live now because I know that Corey Taylor can definitely sing them. Anyway, it’s hard to compare it to other Slipknot releases and that’s why I will give this a 8/10.
Standouts: Do Nothing/Bitch Slap, Confessions, Some Feel
Slipknot- so here we go the first Slipknot record with Corey Taylor and what can I say that hasn’t been said about it? It’s very raw and angry sounding and when you listen to it, you can hear the members say things in between tales on some songs. There is some filler on it but regardless it’s a great record and a classic and I am going to give this a 9/10.
Standouts: Purity, Liberate, Get This
Iowa- so the mastering on this one is much better on this one. Apparently the recording on this one was rough on all the members. There are strong elements of death metal on this album too and it’s much darker than the self titled album. This record was my introduction to Slipknot and i wouldn’t have it any other way. There is still a little bit of filler but the songs that aren’t are absolutely badass. I give this one a 9.5/10
Standouts: My Plague, Left Behind, New Abortion
Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses- this album I’d say is their most well rounded album and it’s also my personal favorite. This is the one I feel where they started to mature as a band and really find that sound that made them Slipknot. It has a very good mix of slow and fast songs. The riffs from Mick Thomson and Jim Root are badass as is the drumming from Joey Jordison. Corey Taylor’s vocals are amazing and percussion is very prevalent on here too. It seems like there is always a bit of filler on every Slipknot record and this one is no different except to me it’s not as much here. This is the record that really got me into Slipknot. Overall an amazing record and I give this one a 10/10.
Standouts: Welcome, The Blister Exists, Scream
All Hope is Gone- I must admit that I did not like the song Psychosocial when I first heard it or the song Snuff when I first heard them. I thought that they were too soft and that there was too much Stone Sour mixed in. I figured that by revisiting this album that I would like the other songs on this record and I’ve gotta say that when I actually went back and listened to this record, I can honestly say that my opinion of this record and those songs has NOT changed. What the hell happened while they were recording this? This is probably their worst record by far and I’ll never understand why this record was so hyped after it’s release. This “Slipknot “ record just isn’t that good. The songs are softer and as I said earlier, there is way too much Stone Sour influence mixed with this record. Even members of the band say that this is their least favorite record except Joey Jordison (who got fired during this era). The only really good song is the opening song and some of the songs start off so strong but then just get soft. A terrible record and can easily be skipped. I’m struggling to give this a 1/10
Standouts: Gematria
.5 The Gray Chapter- this is the record that should’ve come out after Volume E and this is the first record not to have Joey or Paul on it. This album would be if you take parts of Iowa and Volume 3 and put them together. This is such an improvement from that abomination called All Hope is Gone. The big riffs are back and the new drummer Jay Weinberg does a great job replacing Joey Jordison. I especially like this record because for me this came out when I was in England working so I would listen to this album all the time. I give it 9/10
Standouts: Sarcastrophe, The Negative One, Nomad
We are Not Your Kind – this is one I had to listen to a few times to really appreciate it. That being said, I’m glad I came around to it. Now is is better than Gray Chapter? No it’s not. Is it a good record? Yes it is. It doesn’t blow me away or is my first choice but the songs are good songs. It’s a little softer than the previous album and why they decided not to include the song All Out of Life is beyond me. That’s the song that should be on this album as the number 1 single and yes I know that they wanted to release that song to let fans know that they aren’t going anywhere but still. I give this one a 7/10
Standouts: Red Flag, Orphan, Unsainted
This was a great band to go back and listen to. Much like Amon Amarth, you really need to see these guys live in order to really appreciate them. I just wish they wouldn’t play at that damn San Bernardino venue. Anyway, almost all these albums are great albums and it shows why they are as big as they are.
Album Rankings
- Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses
- Iowa
- Slipknot
- .5 The Grey Chapter
- Mate Feed Kill Repeat
- We Are Not Your Kind
- All Hope Is Gone
Sinister Reviews 