I’d never heard of Blue Felix before a couple of days ago; I’d wager almost no one had heard of ‘em. But Slipknot’s Sid Wilson appears in their new video, for the song “Middle Finger Up,” so suddenly they were on every metal site in the webernetosphere.

When the song started, I was like, “Oh, okay. So they make Misfits-tinged hard rock and wear ridiculous outfits. They’re the Murderdolls. Got it. That’s not the end of the world.”

And then the dude started singing.

And then the dude started rapping.

And then I closed my laptop and used it to beat ten MetalSucks Mansion Monkeys to death. And, no, I don’t care what Vince says, I will not clean up the carrions.

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There are really two questions on the mind of every Slipknot fan right now: “How did Paul Gray die?” and “Will Slipknot go on without him?” And, unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that either question is getting answered just yet.

Slipknot, Gray’s widow, Brenna, and his brother, Tony, held a press conference yesterday, but the question of Slipknot’s future wasn’t addressed – which makes sense. These guys are clearly grieving, and to even think about whether or not to try and replace their friend is probably just too much right now. So the press conference basically amounted to Brenna, Tony, and various members of the band eulogizing Gray. It’s sad and it’s touching and there isn’t really much else to say about it.

Meanwhile, Metal Insider reports the immediate results of Gray’s autopsy were inconclusive – although there are no signs of foul play, and it could take four to six weeks for the toxicology reports to be delivered. Consequently, the cause of death is “still under investigation” by the Urbandale, IA police force.

-AR

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.

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