Band Members on record : This band has #9 members but numbers have come and gone over the years, hence being incomplete. Corey Taylor (#8 - Lead Vocals and backing vocals), Mick Thomson (#7 Guitar), Shawn Crahan (#6 percussion, backing vocals), Craig Jones (#5 Keyboards/Sample music), Jim Root (#4 Guitar), Chris Fehn (#3 Percussion), Sid Wilson (#0 Turntable / Keyboard), Alessandro Venturella (Bass), Jay Weinberg (Drums)
Slipknot : We Are Not Your Kind
Year Released : 2019
Produced by Greg Fidelman and Slipknot
Label: Roadrunner records
Price Range: $ 55 - 70AUD
Speed: 33 1/3RPM
Album Before : .5 : The Gray Chapter
Album After : Yet to be released 2022 album (Get excited!)
Further Listening: We Are Chaos - Marilyn Manson
LP : 2 x Red limited edition 180gm
Mood for enjoying: This is best enjoyed when you need to let off some steam or vent about a bad day at work. Turned up LOUD and if you have long hair, let it out and headbang!
Track Listing:
LP 1
Side A
Insert Coin - 1:38
Unsainted - 4:20
Birth Of The Cruel - 4:35
Death Because of Death - 1:20
Nero Forte - 5:15
Side B
Critical Darling - 6:26
A Liar's Funeral - 5:27
Red Flag - 4:12
Side C
What's Next - 0:53
Spiders - 4:04
Orphan - 6:01
My Pain - 6:48
Side D
Not Long For This World - 6:36
Solway Firth - 5:56
What's in the Sleeve?
This is the 2 x LP red pressing that is a gatefold with lyrics printed in the middle. There is an insert that has on one side - all the members of Slipknot and then flip it over for a distorted image of a goat....bringing back memories of Iowa (second studio album). Some haunting imagery across the front, inner and back which doesn't surprise me when it comes to Slipknot record.
"Oh, I'll Never Kill Myself to Save My Soul. I was gone, but how was I to know? I didn't come this far to sink so low. I'm finally holding on to letting go" ~ Unsainted - Side A
Welcome to Spin #7 - Slipknot : We Are Not Your Kind
I chose this record for our #7 spin because I wanted to mix things up a bit and what better way then the complete opposite to our last spin (catch #6 here, if you missed it.) Not everyone will like this but everyone will have an opinion and that's what I love about music. It makes you feel something and that's what matters. What I hold in my hand is Slipknot : We Are Not Your Kind record on limited edition red vinyl.
For the review I used the set up in our front room! Yes, we had to bring the Marshall Woburn II speaker and Audio-technica turntable into the front office because the rain was too loud and started to drown out the music. Plus our little ones were asleep and I wanted to play this one loud.
Drop the Needle (of course means place the stylus nicely on your wax):
Come Come little Maggots (a term used for Slipknot fans and yes, if you're reading this then that means you). Lets take the record out and place LP1 on the platter. It's a solid pressing with no warp at all and they have spent the time and money crafting a well packaged record. The first track starts like an old theme song heard on an arcade machine that you had to put tokens into. The track 'Insert Coin' starts off exactly like this with a pulsing and eerie mashup of sounds before building with vocalist Corey Taylor singing lyrics within the last track of the album, "I'm counting all the killers". If you are listening up loud with headphones on, this can be quite intense. I'm feeling that this album is more artistic than anything they have previously released and designed to take the listener on a very focused journey.
The intro flows nicely into the second song, 'Unsainted' which was a huge single off this album upon release. I actually thought that the other single released, 'All Out Life' was a better song but that single didn't even make the album. I think it was released later as a single for Record Store Day but sadly Slipknot didn't think it was worth adding to this record. 'Unsainted' builds with the chorus singing as the heavy percussion/drums comes in. As you know, I love drums and Weinberg absolutely kills on this record as his second with the band after original drummer Joey Jordinson left. Such an enjoyable track and definitely one to lose ones head too. **disclaimer** The end up loud will pierce your eardrums if up too loud **disclaimer**
Song three, 'Birth Of The Cruel' is another song that just goes well and Slipknot get it right. The track is titled after the Miles Davis album 'Birth of the Cool' but don't be confused as they sound completely different. I like the samples mixed within the song and the lyrics "Sick, Sickened, I'm Sickening, I'm Stricken by the Fist" just goes so well up loud. I am wanting to give this a spin on the loungeroom set up straight after this play through as the layers of sound are amazing here - keep ear on all the mixing here. There is hardly any dead space between songs on this record as they blend the outro and intro so well between.
'Death Because Of Death' is an interlude between two monster songs and this makes Side A one of the strongest Sides in Metal, who agrees with me? Its creepy and if this was the last song on Side A, a closed loop would have been a nice touch.
Fortunately it rolls into 'Nero Forte', (which I found a cool drum playthrough by Weinberg for all you drum aficionados). Root and Thomson work so well to lead this song in with Taylor's voice. The chorus has the backing vocals sounding angelic compared to Taylor's growl and rage. Mid way through - drum line style chant at the start of every line says "Why, Did, I, Not, See, Your, True, Face, Un-, Till, It, Was, Too, Late, Lie, Lie". Read the lyrics as this one plays and you will see what I mean. A lot of thought has been put into this Side A. The stylus returns to its cradle and its time to flip to Side B.
Side B starts off with 'Critical Darling', which starts off with a really clear pulse, almost siren sound before rolling into the drum beat. Vocally this song reminds me the most of Slipknots previous album , .5 The Gray Chapter and that's a good thing. I like the lyrics on this song, "A mirror only works if you open your eyes, Even then you have to understand what's inside. The easy part is always hardest to see". Its a strong song and continues the high standards from Side A.
Hard to pick a favourite track right now but if you're listening along at home then leave a comment below and tell us what is yours from the album. As I wrote that, 'A Liar's Funeral' nearly pierces my ears.....ouch. Be careful on this album up loud as there are a few moments already that are quite high pitched. This is the slowdown song so far on the album and very remorseful which is going well with the dark and rainy weather. I can hear Taylor on this album just ruining his voice when he sings "LIAR, LIAR". But then he comes back to his clean vocal - very talented and they don't call him 'The Neck' for nothing. I remember seeing them back in 2016 with my sister and Taylor actually performed with a neck brace on because he had broken his neck.....yes you read that right.....and he still performed. We thought that he might be restricted on stage but he still headbanged. Crazy. If you ever get a chance to see this 9 piece perform live then we highly recommend it. This song ends and I did find myself reminiscing, so it wasn't as attention grabbing as the start of the album. Not bad in anyway, just not as strong.
Last song on Side B is 'Red Flag', which brings back the chaos and headbanging. I know that our son loves his metal, even at the age of three. He once heard Slipknot on a live track and ran across the room and created his own mosh pit in our loungeroom. He also has a little battle vest ready to go which is super cute and metal at the same time. Reading along to the lyrics really helps build attachment to these songs for me as I already love the sound. "You don't know me, You can't hold me. This is beginning, You are an ending". I'd love to sit in on a creative think tank when Slipknot come up with these albums and how they piece together all the layers to make it just work for a record. I've streamed this before and you just don't get the same sound output. Do yourself and your ears a favour and buy this on wax! Now!
Ok, time to take LP1 off and put on LP2 (Side C). The first song is another interlude that has a haunting music box (wind up style) sound. Its short and builds the interest very well into the similar sounding second song, 'Spiders'. This song sounds like it's straight from a John Carpenter horror movie soundtrack. I remember picking this song to show my friend Dr Jazz as it was still Slipknot but very artsy at the same time. This is why I chose for further listening - Marilyn Manson's - We Are Chaos, as it has a similar direction. The song has a good hook and sounds completely different to the whole album. I like the song and it gives a break from the hard rage that LP1 gave us.
The next song is called 'Orphan', which builds with guitar playing underneath the mix of samples before the slow drums come in. You think its another slow song before get ready for it - **BANG** . Like I said before, make sure you follow along with the lyrics to really build attachment to these songs. The record is playing flawlessly and the only thing better would be seeing them play this album in its entirety live. At the end of 'Orphan', I like the creepy laugh of Taylor and how the song just finishes on the drum hit. It's a long song that flows into a longer song, 'My Pain'.
This next song, 'My Pain' feels like a very personal track as Taylor was going through relationship troubles at the time. I wonder if it's influenced by that moment in his life or if it's just a coincidence. It sounds like a sped up clock chiming once the song gets underway. I feel this song was included on the record because it is a bit softer and more balanced to all the earlier aggression. Being the longest song you would expect a lot of musical changes but there isn't that many to be honest. More of a mood calming song but wouldn't be a song that you'd listen to without the flow of the album. I enjoy the creepy samples/mixes and production but can't wait to get into the next song.
Time to flip over LP2 for Side D and the song 'Not Long For This World'. This song has the right mix of slow / fast / heavy and is very 'Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses' sounding for me. "I know I'm bitter, full of rage. You would be too, what I've been through, knowledge is a difficult age". This song and the previous song could have been combined into one epic long song. The first part being the slow build up of pain and this is the healing side (if it were combined). The ending has Sid on the decks doing what he does best. The last song then slowly comes through the speakers called 'Solway Firth'. The lyric is repeated from the intro 'Insert Coin', which ties in the album as a loop. Taylor is talking before unleashing his aggression when he starts singing "and take great care to not take care of you".
If this was the last Slipknot song that was released on the last album, I'd say it's a pretty good one. It has the right feel of single, heavy and closer. It makes you hear different samples throughout that appear on the first half of the album almost brainwashing you to spin it again. I wish I could spin it again but unfortunately that is all the time we have left today. If I can recommend to anyone who likes Slipknot - buy their records when they first come out as they get sold quickly and don't repress very often. Luckily they are already saying a new album is going to be released in 2022!
I really hope that you find some R'nR in these spins as we do providing them for you. Don't forget to give this record a listen if you didn't get a chance today and add it while you can to your collection. Give us a like on our social pages and get involved in the Mid-Week Sneak Peek by putting a guess in. If you liked the shirt I'm wearing below please let us know and we will put them in the merch store soon.
Until our next Spin, Be Kind to your record store owners and Be Kind to your Wax!