TG has sneaked a listen to Slipknot's upcoming fourth album All Hope Is Gone and can reveal it is an absolute corker!
Although some of the songs are rough mixes the tracks hint at Slipknot's heaviest and most aggressive work to date. Check out our next issue (on sale 13th August) for a full review!
Here's what we heard...
1. execute/GEMATRIA (THE KILLING NAME)
The album opens with a spoken word intro from Corey Taylor, rallying against corruption in society, before exploding into a furious riff-fest reminiscent of My Plague. "We will burn your cities down!" screams Corey over some tasty twin guitar fretwork from Mick Thomson and Jim Root AND a shredding solo!
2. SULFUR
Seriously driving drums from Joey Jordison and one of the standout choruses on the record. Slipknot have not forgotten how to write a catchy metal tune.
3. PSYCHOSOCIAL
The first single features a piledriving riff sounding like trench warfare and dynamics not a thousand miles off labelmates Killswitch Engage. Classic shouty verse, melodic chorus metal.
4. DEAD MEMORIES
A much quiter tune that sounds like something Alice In Chains would write. The guitars still sound huge and more brash than any metal record we're likely to hear this year.
5. VENDETTA
Meat and potatoes Metallica-style chugging riffs that get pretty busy in parts. The most death metal track on the album.
6. BUTCHER'S HOOK
A trademark Slipkknot syncopated riff drives one of the most energetic and ballsy songs they have ever written.
7. GEHENNA
Slipknot's most experiMENTAL song yet! Corey's shoegazing lyrics start out like something off Nirvana's In Utero, but this builds and builds around doom-inflected guitars into six and half minutes of soaring epic heavy metal.
8. THIS COLD BLACK
"My ghosts have found their way home," growls Taylor over a discordant shred solo that sounds like something Kerry King would write! A less accessible track, but still features a gargantuan breakdown.
9. WHEREIN LIES CONTINUE
A huge chugging verse riff leads into another incredible soaring chorus.
10. SNUFF
Mick breaks out his signature acoustic for the languid intro that builds into an epic ballad. Mick and Jim seem to have experimented with a lot of tone to get this sound. Could be Vermillion III.
11. ALL HOPE IS GONE
Another thrashy, blast-beat verse building into a furious chanting, apocalyptic chorus that is sure to sound HUGE live. More rapid fire shred soloing, but which never becomes indulgent. Culminates with yet another outrageously heavy syncopated breakdown.
