SLIPKNOT
The End, So Far (Roadrunner)
I saw a commenter in the online wild label Iowan stalwarts Slipknot as ‘dad metal’ recently, and listening to their seventh studio album The End, So Far I can hear why. Opening track Adderall is gentle and melodic, almost prog rock, and no indicator of what is to come. Lead single The Dying Song (Time To Sing) is fast and screamy; its followup Yen is a mixed bag, if not quite the advertised power ballad.
The End, So Far, Slipknot’s seventh album, has a split personality – it tries hard to be different, but the result is a bit of a jumble. Tracks often cross several genres in one verse, which doesn’t give the listener chance to settle in, and the softer songs feel at odds with the louder, faster ones. Still, Slipknot’s overall sound is a familiar one, sometimes generic – but in spite of this, or perhaps because of it, I found this enjoyable. Mostly.
words LYNDA NASH