GTGC Reviews
email: gavinals69@aol.com
  • Reviews
  • Live Music
  • THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE

Slipknot - ".5: The Gray Chapter" Review

25/10/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Absolutely nobody is safe in music…it doesn’t matter what genre your band is, how successful you are, nothing is guaranteed, and if anything were to hammer that point home, it would be SLIPKNOT. The 18-legged Iowan metal monster was on top of the world back in 2008 when they released “All Hope Is Gone”; headlining festivals, massive tours…they were the biggest metal band on the planet…but…it all seemingly crumbled. In 2010, bassist and founding member Paul Gray was found dead in a hotel room having accidentally overdosed on morphine, much to the shock and dismay of many, many people around the world, but not only that, in late 2013, iconic drummer Joey Jordison was himself released from the band, sparking much debate over the future of the masked nine piece. Was this the end of the band? Hell. Fucking. No. This is Slipknot, and despite the hardships the nu-metal survivors face, they always triumph, so in 2014, it’s no surprise we see them release the brand new album “.5: The Gray Chapter”…is this closure, a memoir, or simply a new beginning? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with “XIX” (19 for those who aren’t familiar with Roman) and it seems very much like a fresh start. It’s a long drawn out intro, it’s slow, it’s brooding and lyrically you can feel the struggle, you can feel the trepidation surrounding the band and whether they should even be doing this…it’s simple but emotionally perfect and you can see this album isn’t going to pull any punches right away. “Sarcastrophe” follows next, harking back not only to the days of “Disasterpiece” in its play on words, but it’s style generally. There are slight elements of “Iowa” era Slipknot here mixed within the ever progressive heaviness the band dabble in from album to album and Its equally refreshing and reflective.

First single proper; “The Devil In I” pushes things further toward the notion of cleansing and continuation within the band. The video for the track depicting each member destroying their former selves, working behind new masks, new persona’s…bass and drums are filled by newly masked mystery performers, it’s all done very artistically without feeling pompous and really hammers home the message; “We’re back”. Talking of statements, it wouldn’t be a Slipknot album without some fine-tuned brutality…and we get that in abundance within tracks such as “Lech”, “Nomadic” and “Custer”, especially the latter, very reminiscent of the “Vol. 3” era.

There are moments though where front man Corey Taylor showcases his powerful vocal range with his singing, he’s not happy simply pummelling you, with moments during “Killpop” and “Goodbye” proving what a versatile performer Taylor really is, on occasion his voice is simply beautiful. Debut new track “The Negative One” is again an amalgamation of styles spanning the bands career, bridging the gap between past, present and future in terms of where they fit in in today’s scene, before we finish up on “If Rain Is What You Want”, a deeply passionate, morose, almost death ballad of sorts, rounding off what’s quintessentially a brilliant album.

The initial question was, is this new album closure, or the rebirth of one of the biggest bands of the modern era, and to be honest, it’s both. The sentiment and retrospect is there for all to see, the tip of the hat in remembrance to Paul, the acknowledgement of all the success behind them, yet the progression is there too, proving that even with the world falling down around you, there’s always light, and all hope is in fact not gone. This is easily one of the albums of the year, even removing the hype surrounding it, and it’s easily one of the best chapters in the bands career to date. If you haven’t heard it…be prepared for hell… [9]


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slipknot

iTunes: .5: The Gray Chapter (Special Edition) - Slipknot



0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    News & Reviews

    Gavin J Griffiths, a.k.a GavTheGothicChav, lover of new music and supporter of bands. Inspired by a mixture of horror and comedy, and fueled by a blend of alcohol and sarcasm...if you're a singer / in a band and would like a review written up, please do get in touch via the email address at the top of the page and I'll get back to you ASAP. Much love x

    Follow @GavinJGriffiths

      CHAV CHAT

    ASK GAV!

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acoustic
    Alternative
    Article
    Black Metal
    Blues
    Book
    Classic
    Classic Rock
    Comedy
    Competition
    Compilation
    Country
    Death Metal
    Doom
    Electronic
    Emo
    EP
    France
    Funk
    Games
    Glam Rock
    Gothic
    Grime
    Grunge
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Metal
    Hip Hop
    Hip-Hop
    Indie
    Industrial
    Interview
    Jazz
    J-Rock
    Melodic Death
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Newport
    New Wave
    Nu Metal
    Nu-Metal
    Pop
    Pop Punk
    Pop-Punk
    Pop Rock
    Post Punk
    Post-Punk
    Prog
    Punk
    Punk Rock
    Rap
    Reggae
    Rock
    Rock 'N' Roll
    Shoegaze
    Ska
    Sludge
    Soft Rock
    Southern Metal
    Southern Rock
    Stoner
    Symphonic Metal
    Synth
    Thrash
    Unsigned
    Urban

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly