Album Review: Slipknot - 'All Hope Is Gone'

Along with Metallica’s ‘Death Magnetic’, the new release from Slipknot would probably be one of the most anticipated metal releases of 2008.  Everyone who was into metal in high school was down with Slipknot.  People might not admit it, but we all know everyone spent time in their room head banging and singing along to ‘Left Behind’ and ‘Wait and Bleed’. 

Any doubts that the sound has changed dramatically due to Corey’s commitment to Stone Sour can be safely dispelled.  All the elements that made IOWA and the self titled release huge hits are still incorporated in the new banger with a bit of additional goodness to make the old sound still fresh.   

An interesting but relatively by the book intro featuring some tight drum rolls from the kit master himself Joey Jordison precedes the first song on All Hope Is Gone titled ‘Gematria’.  It’s surprising, but certainly not disappointing to see the band getting stuck into some thrashier riffs and raising the tempo from the previous record, Subliminal Verses.   Corey Taylor’s clean vocals finally get a good run in ‘Sulfur’ and shows he is still capable of belting out a good harmony. 

“Psychosocial” was the first single to be released off All Hope Is Gone and Slipknot have definitely covered all bases. It is one of the strongest tracks and would almost fit on a Bury Your Dead cd (well the first 15 seconds of the song anyway).  The drums are superb and do a fantastic job of hiding the fact that there isn’t much happening with the guitars apart from a reasonable solo mid way through.  “Dead Memories” is one of the more melodic tracks and breaks up the album well.

Songs like Butchers Hook and This Cold Black start solidly, but seem to be too drawn out consisting mostly of bland filler riffs and it seems like the nine started to run out of gas towards the end.  It doesn’t flow as fluidly as the beginning of the album with the exception of the album titled track “All Hope Is Gone”

Sure, there isn’t much progression or change from the Subliminal Verses, and it doesn’t top the first two releases but when you define a genre from the ground up its excusable.  The songs are easy to get into and the signature drum sound and guitars will have dudes in oversized korn shirts frothing over the upcoming tour.

01. Execute 

02. Gematria (The Killing Name) 

03. Sulfur 

04. Psychosocial 

05. Dead Memories 

06. Vendetta 

07. Butcher's Hook 

08. Gehenna 

09. The Cold Black 

10. Wherein Lies Continue 

11. Snuff 

12. All Hope is Gone