The End, So Far By Slipknot | Album Review
The metal titans return with their 7th studio album
--
With an album title like The End, So Far, you’d think that this would be a final farewell from the masked madmen from Iowa. Make no mistake, Slipknot’s new album is far from the end, but rather the start of something new. While in the literal sense as this is the beginning of their departure with long-time label Roadrunner Records, but also in the artistic sense as well. The End, So Far takes Slipknot into a whole new sonic direction that will carve the path for their career going forward.
Sound-wise, lead singer Corey Taylor has alluded to TESF as sounding like a “heavier version of Vol. 3”. To recall, Vol. 3, Slipknot’s 3rd album, saw them at their most subversive and experimental. toeing the line between alt-metal and more radio-friendly tracks (“Before I Forget”, “Duality”) As opposed to their heavier nu-metal style.
The singles leading up to The End, So Far barely scratch the surface of what to expect on this new album as they don’t paint the full picture. A majority of the album is contrary to the band’s past work, and sees them pick up from the creative peak they touched on in 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind.
The End, So Far taps into familiar territory with a slew of pummeling tracks that longtime fans will appreciate. Slipknot’s trademark style of sinister riffs and hammering percussions are amplified to the extreme on songs like “Hivemind” and “H377”. The latter of which I can only describe as an auditory apocalypse. Songs like these are stark reminders that the band will never stray away from their brutal style. It’s here where drummer Jay Weinberg and percussionists Shawn Crahan and Michael Pfaff showcase some insane blast beats and militant drum patterns.
When The End, So Far decides to get expansive and branch out a bit is when the album really hits its mark. The sludgy moodiness of “Medicine for the Dead” and the prog rock-influenced “De Sade” make for some of the album’s best moments. They even play with genres and incorporate elements of blues on songs like “Acidic” and “Adderall”. Easily two of the most left-field songs on the album. These more experimental tracks make the album incredibly immersive and allow guitarists Mick Thompson, Jim Root as well as techno-masterminds Sid Wilson and Craig Jones to toy around with their sounds.
Vocally, lead singer Corey Taylor does a fair amount of singing, songs like “Heirloom” will draw many comparisons to his alt-rock band Stone Sour for its clean vocals. However, in the album’s heavier moments, Corey dials it back to 1999 with some of the most guttural and visceral screams to date. It makes the ending of songs such as “Warranty” feel both ethereal and hellish at the same time.
Unfortunately, this is where my positives for the album ends. While sonically I think the album excels in its instrumentation my biggest gripe with The End, So Far stems from its lyricism. The End, So Far revisits most of the misanthropy Slipknot’s music has always touched on but doesn’t necessarily improve upon it.
If anything it’s quite stagnant. On the album’s heavier tracks, expect to hear the usual musings of dissatisfaction with society. Again nothing really new or noteworthy, if anything Corey’s rage has been updated to include outrage culture and social media (“The Dying Song”, “The Chapeltown Rag”) which can come off as too literal.
Some themes from 2004’s Vol 3. return on this new album. Such as gothic romanticism as heard in “Yen”, where Corey Taylor expresses sadistic desires from a lover: (“You’re the sin that I’ve been waitin’ for. The hands around my throat, it’s all I can think about.”). At times it gives some edgelord vibes but luckily the song’s production helps carry it forward. Lyrically there isn’t a whole lot of substance on The End, So Far. The only real exception here would be the album’s closer “Finale”. A dedication to the fans that despite them going off on this new path, they’ll be here to stay.
Overall I’d say this is a decent Slipknot album at best. I applaud the fact they experimented with their sound and offered up something new, hearing them switch up from their usual nu-metal and offer something different was a welcome change in my opinion. But if I’m being honest, the only thing that really carried this album for me was its production and song structures. Lyrically it's another tried and true Slipknot album that rarely deviates from the norm.
I’m giving The End, So Far a 6.5 — a slight 7/10. It’s not necessarily a bad album, but as their exit album from Roadrunner Records, it’s a bit disappointing. Considering this is the start of a new chapter in their careers, this album offers a little bit of hope that Slipknot can improve the next time around.
Final Rating: 6.5–7/10
Favourite Tracks: Hive Mind, Medicine for the Dead, H377, De Sade, Finale
Listen to The End, So Far: Apple Music | Spotify
