SLIPKNOT’S ALL HOPE IS GONE: ANOTHER STEP IN A NEW DIRECTION
Monday, August 25th, 2008 at 12:05pm by Axl Rosenberg
Let the haters hate: Slipknot are a good band, and, more than that, they’re a good band that has show substantial growth from album to album – and their most recent release, All Hope is Gone, is no exception. Sonically, the record is something of a codification of everything the band has ever done, which means the Stone Sourisms (clean vocals, reasonably radio-friendly alt-rock anthems, moody power ballads, etc.) of Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses are here once again. Whether or not that’s a good thing, ultimately, will depend solely on the tastes of the listener.
Personally, even as someone who strongly prefers “Eyeless” to “5150,” I don’t mind the change in the band’s sound. For one thing, I’d argue that Stone Sour have just never really written a song as good as Slipknot’s best material, which means the comparison is basically a shallow one that comes down to Taylor’s use of clean vocals in both outfits. But, beyond that, musical evolution in and of itself is never really a bad thing. Load doesn’t suck because it doesn’t sound enough like Master of Puppets – Load sucks because the songs on it are mediocre at best (Of course, you could argue that straying from one’s own signature sound is precisely why certain bands eventually make mediocre music, but I’m not sure that I agree with that, and besides, it’s another argument for another article.). And the songs on All Hope is Gone that (upon a first listen at least) might sound more at home on Come What(ever) May than on Iowa are still totally solid tunes.
All Hope is Gone actually flows better than Vol. 3. ever did. The members of Slipknot said publicly that they wanted Vol. 3 to be their Reign in Blood (and even hired Rick Rubin to produce it), but the truth is that Vol. 3 was more like Slipknot’s Use Your Illusion – a slightly bloated, nonetheless totally rockin’ melting pot of various pop-metal styles. All Hope is Gone still offers a wide range of different types of metal, often within one song – for example, “Vendetta” moves from a death metal-lite riff to a biker rawk verse to a “Beautiful People”-esque audience anthem to Panteric groove metal all in just over five minutes. But the transitions on All Hope is Gone are considerably smoother. Album opener (after “execute,” the obligatory intro) “Gematria (The Killing Name)” is a “The Blister Exists”-like exercise in classic Slipknot mayhem, a song that, were Dave Fortman’s production a little more raw, would fit right in on Iowa, complete with violent threats (“We will burn your cities down”) and philosophical ponderings right out of The Book of Slayer (“What if God doesn’t care?”) – but it flows into the nu-thrash anthem “Sulfur” with incredible ease.
And speaking of Fortman’s production, the band sounds more like a quintet than ever before – with each successive album, having both DJ Sid Wilson and sampler Craig Jones seems more and more extraneous, to say nothing of percussionists Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn – but I actually kinda dig the busy sound of past ‘knot offerings, and thought all the aural layers were of particular interest on Vol. 3, which was the kind of album that was fun to listen to with a good set of earphones.
Taylor’s lyrics are overwrought and cheesy more often than not, but his rhyme schemes play out like punchlines, somewhat unexpected and always with a natural ebb and flow. And Root and Mick Thomson’s guitar solos are, by and large, a step up from those on Vol. 3; they’re missing some of the reckless spontaneity of the solos on the latter album, but more than make up for that with a newfound sense of structure and melody that make them more akin to classic Hammet and Friedman than King or Hanneman.
Like Vol. 3, All Hope is Gone takes a few listens for its strengths to make themselves readily apparent; maybe it’s because I, like a lot of Slipknot fans, still go into every album expecting songs more in the vein of “Disasterpiece” and “Sic.” As it was on Vol. 3, certain songs – “Dead Memories,” “This Cold Black,” and “Wherein Lies Continue” amongst them – took awhile to grow on me. And it’s almost impossible to believe that “Snuff,” a guilty pleasure prom song that Staind would kill to have written, was recorded by the same band that once did “People = Shit.” But I think these tracks are completely worth a Slipknot fan’s time.
Unfortunately, certain songs still do nothing for me. “Butcher’s Hook” sounds like its trying to be a Meshuggah song, but doesn’t even come close to out-Meshuggahing the Swedish legend, and you have to sit through two minutes of “Gehenna” working too-hard to be spooky before getting to a late-Alice in Chains-ish bit of grunge-sludge. And, oh yeah, although I think Joey Jordison is far and away the most talented musician in this band, his drum performance seems kinda by-the-numbers on this album (especially compared with the new tricks he tried on songs like “Prelude 3.0″ on Vol. 3). Jordison does a lot of cool shit on this record, but we know for a fact that he’s capable of even more, so we might as well hold him to that higher standard, no?
So, yes, All Hope is kind of a mixed bag. But at the end of the day, all the positive outweighs the negative here; I suspect that All Hope is Gone will only get better with more listens, and even having just had it for a week, I find it a totally satisfying musical experience. Unlike certain other big metal bands that are about to release highly-anticipated new albums, Slipknot continue to prove that you can change and even lighten your sound without sacrificing the elements that won you your fanbase in the first place. For Slipknot, all hope most certainly is not gone.
(three and a half out of five horns)
-AR
Hell yea Slipknot are a good band. They’re responsible for getting me into metal. I’m proudly wearing a brand new Slipknot tee as I patiently wait till midnight tonight to download my preorder of All Hope is Gone.
I had the pleasure of hearing the Japanese release of All Hope Is Gone and I’ve listened to it nonstop since then. To me it’s taking the best aspects of Vol. 3 but taking them back to a production style that was more prevalent on Iowa. (btw, loved Vol.3, hate Rick Rubin because he can’t produce good albums 9 times outta 10). Sulfur is definitely the best song on the album with the only weak point being Butcher’s Hook.
And Joey is BEASTLY on the drums. If this isn’t him at his best than I can’t WAIT to hear what is.
not a huge fan, but i saw these guys at the roskilde festival a few years back and they put on one hell of a show.
Slipknot will probably go down as one of the most important bands in the 21st century, both visually and sonically.
This album does quite well on first listen, I agree with Axel that Gehenna was probably the weakest song, it was a good attempt but I don’t think it was pulled off completely, especially vocally. The album does sound a lot cleaner than all of their previous albums, a solid effort by the band all in all.
I agree with this review 100%. For me the heaviest songs on the album are very very good while the slow songs dont really do it for me. Vendetta could have been one of the best songs on the cd but Coreys vocals ruin it. He should keep those for Stone Sour. I have a special edition and the vermillion remix on it is by far the worst song I have heard in a long time by any band. All in all this cd is a real good listen and continues to grow on me everyday.
i downloaded this album last week, and i’ve been playing it non-stop ever since.
it’s a really fantastic album, and definitely their best. everything just clicks for me.
“For one thing, I’d argue that Stone Sour have just never really written a song as good as Slipknot’s best material, which means the comparison is basically a shallow one that comes down to Taylor’s use of clean vocals in both outfits.”
I agree. Stone Sour, for the most part, aped Slipknot’s softer tendencies, just in an ill-formed, mediocre way. Taylor’s an excellent vocalist in both forms, and it’s nice to know he hasn’t totally forsaken singing, although that may rile the Neanderthals.
Fucking brilliant cd. The wait was well worth it.
With this addition I’d have to say my favorite albums by Slipknot go in this order…
1.) Iowa
2.) Vol 3
3.) Slipknot
4.) All Hope Is Gone
Now this isn’t to say that I don’t think All Hope is Gone is an amazing album. I think it did a good job of combining the darker elements of Iowa to the mainstream elements of Vol 3. I do agree that it sounds like Joey is kind of simplifying his drumlines to maintain a more steady and consistent flow and not stepping outside the box and writing to his capacity.
I still think All Hope is Gone and Psychosocial are catchy as hell while still being brutal.
My rating is; great album, but definitely not Slipknot’s best material.
Axl, you rock for having the balls to say that Slipknot are a good band. I haven’t heard this disc yet but I’m interested in checking it out, especially because you say there’s a bit of them trying to be things they’re not. Butcher’s Hook is a must-hear for me.
Great.I’m not the only person who thinks that Butcher’s Hook is kinda pseudo-Meshuggah.I agree whole heartedly.Heard the album last week and thought it started weak but built up.Still not nuts on This Cold Black or Wherein Lies Continue, but overall it has grown on me with each listen.
While I don’t agree with everything that was said, great review Axl. You managed to display all your opinions about the album in an honesty way without turning it into a Blabbermouth-like bashfest or a forums.slipknot1.com-like jizzfest.
I really like the album.
Hey, Axl: you almost sound ashamed when you say you like “Snuff” and other melodic songs. “Snuff” is a GREAT song. Don’t be afraid of loving it.
You guys are worrying me…….
I was of the mindset that Slipknot was more the “metal for beginners” kinda thing….They got me back into metal after the whole ’90s metal shutdown, but then i moved on when i found more punishing and brutal bands.
When i saw them at Mayhemfest, I started to regain my respect for what they do, but it’s gotta be heavy. Iowa is hands down the best record, and I’m pleased to hear that AHIG is a “collaboration” of previous releases (i was too cheap to pay the extra $$ for expedited shipping, so who knows when I’ll get my pre-order,)
But I don’t want ‘Knot to be Stone Sour Version 1.0 (I know, Corey started SS before being asked to be vox in “Knot.)
Clean vocals have they’re place….ATR’s Fall of Ideals, Bleeding Through’s The Truth, and even Bury Your Dead’s BYD (though they really shouldn’t,) but on a “Knot album it’s really gotta be limited, or else I feel the intensity is lost.
If they’re doing ballads and “lightening their sound”, oh jeez. They oughta just go out before the true maggots start hating them.
Am I the only one who got bored with this half way through? I mean there are some cool little suprises and new things here and there but overall it just lacks that punch their previous material had.
I’ll probably give it a few more listens but so far I don’t hear anything to go crazy over
Just finished my first listen. Overall, I put this as their 3rd best release but I think that is almost the same as comparing all 4 Indiana Jones movies. No matter what, you liked all 4, but you have your little loves and hates from all of them. I do love, how, they constantly change and tweak their sound without a complete departure from what makes them work in the first place.
I am a fan, I dont like to call myself a maggot, since I saw them at Ozzfest 99, and have purchased each record on release day. Myself being the only loser at Tower Records at midnight when Iowa came out. I liked the political punch of the record, but if you want politics go for a rage against the machine or fucking Bob Dylan at that point. They want to be taken seriously, you cant blame them, they should be. They started off as this extreme 9 piece take no prisoners style and it made them huge worldwide, now they’ve been able to continue and grow up right in front of us. Who wants nothing but screaming on a record their whole life. I know I dont.
I love the fact they dont to want scream their whole lives either. How could you when you have a couple of bucks in the bank, wife, kids, houses, etc. Best tracks is America the Killing Nam, Im not calling the approved title, and Snuff, which best represents what this band is about. Appearances are not everything, on the surface is anger, but inside is love. I think that is very metal. I know more people hate them then love them, which is fine by me, but I think any metal fan could at least understand what they attempting on each record. So many bands have their debut and then everything else is just there, repeating what they did before, not really trying. I actually hope they have another record in them, and really, take chances, do a pink floyd kinda thing, jam out, go nuts….isnt that what slipknot really is all about?
I agree with a lot of you guys. It doesn’t stand up to Iowa or Slipknot, but it definitely progressed from Vol. 3. I’m sure it’ll take a few more listens to get into it a little more, but after the first one I heard a lot of new technical guitar work that I’ve always wanted to hear from them.
It’s kinda cool to hear influences from bands like Pantera and Lamb of God in there too. I’ve always enjoyed a good groove in my metal.
I think All Hope is Gone is a very necessary step in the direction of getting the “Nu-metal” label off their backs if anything else.
Anyone else notice how “Dead Memories” sounds like a Stone Sour b-side? Not that I’m complaining, Stone Sour kicks ass IMO.. but it just doesn’t sound like a Slipknot song to me.
I wasn’t instantly blown away, but after the first listen, it has growth potential. It is a progressive step more in tune with the Slipknot vibe than Vol. 3 was. It may alienate fans who expect Iowa and Slipknot over and over, but it can bring some people who have been fringe Slipknot fans into a greater appreciation for the band. I do agree that this release should put the final nail in the death of the Nu-metal comparison. Finally!
When I first heard the 30 second clips, I was pretty disappointed. Then I heard the entire album, and was still disappointed. But, after listening to it a few times, there’s really only a couple songs I don’t like very much. Those songs being Snuff and Gehenna. I just went into the album expecting it to be the heaviest yet because of how much Slipknot hyped it up. Corey Taylor even said, “the album is going to rip your face off.” That’s a very bold statement and unfortunately, it isn’t very accurate. Self titled and Iowa ripped my face off, not AHIG. All in all, i really like the album now. And what’s up with all this burying the nu metal hatchet talk? Everyone seems to agree that their first 2 releases are the best. Their first 2 releases are much more nu-metal than their newer stuff. Yet people are saying it’s good that they are straying from nu metal…that doesn’t make any sense to me. If their first 2 albums were nu metal and everyone likes those 2 the most, why would you want them to stray from their nu metal roots? There’s nothing wrong with nu-metal, I don’t get why people despise it so much. It was, at one time, on top in the music world and everyone loved it. But now it’s the “cool” thing to bash it even tho 99% of the people that bash it used to love it. Like whatever you want, and don’t say something is lame just because other people are saying it. Fuck what other people think. As long as you like it and enjoy it, that’s all that matters.
@Dustin
I agree completely about the Nu-metal thing man. My thing is I never agreed with the idea that they were Nu-metal in the first place, which is why I would love for them to have more solid ground against ignorant assholes who just bunch anything they don’t immediately like because everyone else does into the Nu-metal genre.
Corey’s had his “rap” metal moments, but mostly just on Spit it Out. That would pretty much be the only time I would ever actually call them Nu-metal, and that song(both mixes) was heavy as fuck.
I just listened to the new album 3 times in a row. I think it’s awesome. “Gehenna” is pretty weak but I give Corey Taylor kudos for putting a song out there that he was obviously going to take shit for. Leaving that song on the album shows he definitely has heavy metal cajones. Personally I like Snuff just as much as Sulfur. Maybe I’m too old but I don’t need my metal to be 1000 mph every song for an entire album. I’ve always liked that Slipknot mix it up on every album. In the end this album sounds like Slipknot and that’s a MFin’ good thing.
Why does everyone whine about a new album when it first comes out. Most of the people crying about the album, are the same people who cried about the last one when it came out. And now those people are like Subliminal Versus is the best album. These guys have laid down some very technical riffs on this new album. You can’t judge an album by less than a weeks worth of hearing it. You have to take it all in over and over. Slipknot and Stone Sour are two different projects and because Cory uses his singing voice actually makes Slipknot seem to mature and evolve. Now if this was an album of cover songs then we would know that they are getting old and close to being finished, Metallica is a perfect example of this. This album is sic and their stage show has stepped up another notch. Thanks Axl for being a dick in your biased review.
I see Slipknot like I see Hed PE, while both are much maligned due to their nu-metal aspects, they both always have songs on their albums that just stand out as solid metal/rock songs. I never jumped on the I hate nu-metal bandwagon because it was popular, I jumped on it becuase the genre hit the wall as far as being able to progress and offer anything but a rehashing of what had already came. I don’t see any of the nu-metal bands trying to progress within the genre, with the exception of maybe the Deftones. Slipknot is trying purge themselves of nu-metal, Hed PE has become a cover band of their own shit, and many of the other old guard nu-metal bands have split. Where is the prog-nu-metal or trip-hop-nu-metal. We do have Necro (a post Brotha Lynch Hung horror rapper), who virtually created death rap, although his music is too sampled to actually sound like death metal, he keeps the feel of the genre. Anyways, what I am trying to say is Slipknot is nu-metal and we all still dig them, so it is possible that many of these other nu-metal acts, if they would progress, could become popular again and make all of us snobs look like fools.
Seems there’s a pattern with all the latest works from Slipknot, 4 great songs and the rest is just fillers and All Hope Is Gone is no different. Worst part of it is the unashamed collage to Stone Sour which actually sound like leftovers from Come What(ever) May sessions.
Went and listened to it after this glowing review.
God, you know, no matter how many times I hear it Corey’s clean singing vocals are not only generic, and have little range, but they just sound wrong within the musical sound-scape Slipknot creates, it literally makes my skin crawl.
What also unnerves me to a greater degree is the few songs where Slipknot sound like a generic post-grunge band, that’s more apparent than before, I don’t like it at all.
I decided to just be a sheep and not even bother with the lyrics(like all of you guys), and focus on the band’s strength, and it was more of the same that I could bob my head to, pummeling drums, catchy riffs, shouting vocals, the solos are nice.
So that’s what I think, and I of course disagree with the review, but hey, oh well.
What happend to once chaotic and crazy nine masked men band ? watered down, un-inspired and predictable crap for those kids who just grow out of linkin park. Corey have lost it since he took his mask of and became celebrity with Stonesour. They are a good hard rock band but this effort to turn Slipknot into Stonesour pt 2 doesn’t work for me. There’s no agression at all. They’re just trying so hard and yet keep failing since Vol 3. Anything these nine guys with mask record, other metal bands with four members without masks can do it better. New masks ? who give a damn? This isn’t a Superhero comic. Who cares what they’re wearing. It only comes second after music. Psychosocial ? I want to throw up. Half assed attempt to rip off Rammstein and Stonesour melodies.
I just cannot get into these guys. There isn’t a shred of originality in their act. The whole mask-and-jumpsuit shtick was done by Mr. Bungle almost 20 years ago, and the trite lyrics and boring music make me want to just ignore them and listen to good metal/grindcore. I also read an interview with Corey Taylor a while back, and all he could do was talk about how much GWAR sucks and how much better the ‘Knot is! Yeah bro, whatever.
uggg, more pussy vocals from a once great vocalist.
i think slipknot are the heaviest band ever i heard the likes of devil driver and job for a cowboy and they just arnt heavy in the same way people dont understand me when i say this they just have the huge booming sound that gets to your heart and slipknot for me are the only band that can pull off songs like get this and snuff and make me love them both
Not the heaviest band ever, by any means. Listen to Disembowelment or old school dm.
Anyway, this is my favorite album by my favorite band. Fucking fantastic. Love the intensity and the diversity.