Instant Impressions: 'The End, So Far' by Slipknot

Friday, September 30 marked the return of the notorious nine-piece metal band Slipknot, with the release of their seventh studio album, The End, So Far. Coming three years after their previous album, We Are Not Your Kind, this is the band’s fastest turnaround since 2004, when they came out with their sensational third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)three years after their iconic second album, Iowa.

With a title like The End, So Far, there has been an abundance of speculation amongst fans over whether or not this album would be Slipknot’s last, but members of the band have assured anxious supporters that this is just the beginning for them. However, the album does mark the end of an era – this is their last release with Roadrunner Records, the label that they’ve been with for the entirety of their career. Sonically, it’s difficult to set expectations for a new Slipknot album because while they do have a consistent heaviness that listeners have come to know and love, they still make room for changing things up and incorporating new elements in their sound.

We Are Not Your Kind was a very strong release and fans perceived it as a sort of return-to-form for the band, providing a good balance of familiar heaviness to please the fans and unexpected sonic twists to keep things interesting. Despite the three singles released before the album, the fact that they appear one after the other on the record itself leaves a lot of mystery to the overall sound of The End, So Far. However, the wait’s over now and it’s time to listen to the whole thing – feel free to listen along with me and follow my real-time reactions here:

1.     Adderall (5:40)

• My attention was already caught with the first three chords, and the shift about a minute later really threw me for a loop – the laid-back drumming, the groove in the bass, the electronic sounds, Corey Taylor’s clean vocals – it’s not at all what I was ready for, but I don’t hate it
• As if the verse wasn’t enough, the chorus really brings it together and makes it feel like a funk-rock track – I bet that’s not at all what someone would expect to hear about a Slipknot song
• I’m curious to hear how hardcore OG Slipknot fans feel about this song, because correct me if I’m wrong, but this is unlike anything they’ve ever done
• And just like that, the song’s over – way to keep me on my toes, Slipknot

2.     The Dying Song (Time to Sing) (3:23)

• The first ten seconds transition play off the previous song well, then it kicks into the classic Slipknot craziness immediately after
• Listen, I could do a full lyrical analysis on the songs I write about, but this isn’t the time or place for something like that – just know that Corey Taylor is such a clever lyricist, and there are so many great lines being sung here. Maybe I’m biased because I’ve always been a fan of his approach and what he writes about, but still, I’m only a verse in and loving every second of it
• The ringing guitar in the pre-chorus is a fantastic touch *chef’s kiss*
• The second half of the chorus revisits the intro very well
• Only way to describe this is “classic Slipknot” – feels like a modern version of something from Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)

3.     The Chapeltown Rag (4:49)

• Perfectly rides the wave of the previous song right off the bat
• Pre-chorus reminds me a little bit of ‘Sarcastrophe,’ from .5: The Gray Chapter
• It’s always hard to pick favorite lyrics just within a single song, but I absolutely adore the entire second verse
• It’s impressive how Corey Taylor’s able to take the story of the “Yorkshire Ripper,” Peter Sutcliffe, and tie it into a modern context to reflect the issues of today – sonically, I can also understand why they decided to make this the first single to promote the album

4.     Yen (4:43)

• Stylistically different from the previous two tracks, but a welcome shift
• Corey Taylor said in an interview with Metal Hammer that the title is a slang word for “yearning,” and that kind of feeling is very prevalent sonically and lyrically
• Feels like a showcase of Taylor’s vocal versatility – he seems to do a little bit of everything in this one

5.     Hive Mind (5:15)

• Nothing like spending the entire first minute of a song building up suspense and anticipation because you just know this song’s about to go crazy
• Okay that guitar riff from 0:53-1:06 is EERILY similar to the bridge of Marilyn Manson’s ‘Irresponsible Hate Anthem’
• The chorus is pretty calm in comparison to the chaotic verses – Slipknot’s always done well with juxtaposing conflicting vibes like that, and it definitely works on this track without feeling like it’s losing steam
• Again, it’s hard to decide (especially when I’m barely halfway through the album), but this song might have my favorite lyrics on the entire album

6.     Warranty (3:51)

• The writing on this song is so witty – the way Taylor writes about the transactional tones listeners can sometimes evoke when speaking about artists and/or their reputations is on point here

The call-and-response kind of gang vocals in the chorus makes the song feel bigger in a way – it’s cool to hear the rest of the band involved like that

7.     Medicine for the Dead (6:16)

• Just a minute and a half in – thought at first that it was going to be a slower song, realized the error of my ways when the drums and guitars kicked in, but then came to find out it wasn’t going to be as frantic as most Slipknot songs are (unless I’ll be blindsided again in the next five-ish minutes, which I wouldn’t put past Slipknot)
• I don’t know how exactly to describe it, but there’s a syncopated/shuffling sort of feeling with this song and even though the vocal patterns in the verses don’t always sound like they fit with it rhythmically, the song still sonically works well as a collective unit somehow

8.     Acidic (4:50)

• A bluesy, sludgy track definitely wasn’t on my bingo card for this album, but I’m here for it
• The guitar work is the standout of this song – between the chords in the intro, the solo work, and the outro, there’s a lot to like with the guitar work here

9.     Heirloom (3:31)

• Interesting choice for Corey Taylor to sing the verses, as opposed to screaming them – I like the change, but it’s just surprising because Slipknot doesn’t always do that with these kinds of songs
• I can even hear myself trying to imagine what the verses would sound like if they were screamed instead, that’s how much the switch is messing with my head
• Well-written lyrics, as usual – love the vocal melodies as well

10.  H377 (4:23)

• Starting the song with gang vocals was a cool idea, along with having their vocals match the timing of the drum beats
• I wasn’t at all prepared with how fast Corey Taylor was going to be screaming those verses, really takes the word “frenetic” to a whole other level
• This song puts the metal back in nu-metal
• Taylor’s screams sound incredible here too

Love the guitar tone during the solo

11.  De Sade (5:39)

• Really digging the work of the rhythm section in the first minute before the vocals come in
• Next time I hear someone say metal singers scream because they can’t sing, I’ll just show them this song to shut them up

The drums bring this song together – the tempo and time signature changes led by the drums help make each section of the song feel emphasized as separate entities while also being tied together so cohesively. I don’t know if any of that makes sense at all, but it does in my head (it’d honestly be easier to just listen to the song at this point)

12.  Finale (5:07)

• Like the title would suggest, the song does feel like a finale of sorts – in a way, this would work well as the last song of Slipknot’s career, but it works even better as just the closing of a chapter, like it was intended to be

As previously stated, it’s hard to set expectations for a new Slipknot album, but I’ll say that this album proved to be a worthy follow-up to its predecessor, We Are Not Your Kind. I didn’t have any preconceived notions of what I wanted The End, So Far to sound like, but I got everything I’d want from a Slipknot record and then some. There was a decent amount of the band’s trademark heaviness, but enough room for experimentation that yielded interesting results.

Musically, this is one of, if not the most varied and diverse albums Slipknot’s ever released, featuring styles of nu-metal, sludge metal, space rock, and alternative metal, to name a few. Lyrically, Slipknot has yet to make a weak album, and this one is up there with the best of them. Vocally, I’d say this is Corey Taylor’s strongest effort with the band – he really puts his talents on full display here, with his screams sounding at the top of their game and his clean singing taking the forefront on more songs than previous releases permitted. He exhibits the high-level power and control in his voice with every line he sings without ever taking his foot off the gas. All in all, The End, So Far is an strong chapter-closer of an album, leaving the listener invested and interested in what the future has in store for the band moving forward.

Slipknot is currently on their fall Knotfest Roadshow tour with support from modern metalcore masters Ice Nine Kills and Crown the Empire. The tour ends next Friday, October 7 at the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA.

On the first listen, the top 3 standout tracks for me are:

-       Hive Mind

-       Warranty

-       Heirloom

If you listened along and also enjoyed the album, you can buy/stream The End, So Far here.

To keep up with the band’s tour dates and buy their merch, click here.

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