Nearing the half way mark we usher in Day 10 of our Album Of The Year advent calendar. Having previously seen albums that have been the epitome of evolution, creative aspiration, the age old if ain’t broke don’t fix it mentality and now we see the comeback. After having such a turbulent career with the passing of key songwriter and true friend Paul Gray, Slipknot were significantly wounded. Add to this last year’s departure of Joey Jordison and things were not looking good for the nontet.
Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter
Come early August the band had unleashed their first vignette of new material since 2008. Building anticipation to fever pitch with emphasis on this being the first record since the passing of Gray. The album was beginning to create a real buzz throughout the entire metal community, whatever genre you may be in allegiance to everyone knew that Slipknot were coming back. Fast forward now to October 21st when .5: The Gray Chapter was unleashed upon the masses, Slipknot not being content with unleashing such a monstrous album debuted their own festival, Knotfest. Days after their performance it was announced that Slipknot’s new effort had reached a Number 1 position in the main stream metal charts.
Now Slipknot have and always will be mainstream metal, whatever angle you try and spin on the band. They have catchy accessible hooks and some of their earlier work recalls true ferocity that is at the heart of metal. .5: The Gray Chapter is arguably the bands most honest work, after going through the ordeal of losing their band member the band created a homage truly worthy of the man’s prowess. With the (nine) different facets of Slipknot being shown throughout the album. Embodying the spastic berserker that was their Iowa period with cuts “Custer” and dissonant battering of “Lech”. Whilst also satisfying the more melodic seeking fans with the melodious “Killpop” and the eerie “Sarcastrophe”. Recalling their Volume 3 type sound whilst also bringing its own flavours, not forgetting the monolithic single “The Devil In I”. Seeing Slipknot rewrite their image with the single being a snapshot of what the new album encompasses ushering in .5: The Gray Chapter.
The reason this album is undeniably an album of the year is the sheer emotion felt in the record. Listening to the fourteen track album it’s clear that the band have poured their heart and soul into the record to create some of the most brutally honest, at times ugly and at times beautiful record. A fitting obituary for the memory of Gray. Seeing them now have all the hallmarks of a legend, with an integral member leave, numerous festival appearances and now the death of a member, these are all the ingredients that will not only make Slipknot one of the biggest bands in metal but effigy’s in metals lauded history.
