Slipknot

“All Hope Is Gone”

Rating: 7/10

Slipknot returns with the strong but not earth-shattering “All Hope Is Gone,” four years after the creative- direction changing “Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses).”

The sound of “All Hope Is Gone” is best described as a combination of “Iowa” and “Vol. 3,” leaning more towards “Iowa.” The album is heavy-hitting and melodic. For the long-time Slipknot-faithful fans, “All Hope Is Gone” is an excellent example of how a band can mature without losing focus of its roots. On the other hand, those who felt the experimentation on “Vol. 3” improved far above and beyond the band’s original sound will find the second half of the album uninteresting.

However, “All Hope Is Gone” lacks the strong, memorable tracks of “Vol. 3.” The album does not have as many tracks that urge the listener to jam the ‘repeat one’ button in. All the songs on “All Hope Is Gone” are over four minutes long and generally feel like they’re being stretched out a little longer than they should; that’s not to say the album is bad by any stretch.

The album opens with the crushing “Gematria,” a political-themed metal assault that reminds the listener Slipknot hasn’t gone soft. Right from the get-go, guitarist Jim Root and Mick Thomson prove they are both at the top of their game with fantastic guitar licks and solos. Joey Jordison’s drum-work is impressive as always, as he is one of the best drummers in metal today.

The following tracks “Sulfer” and “Psychosocial” both feature catchy riffs and clean sing-along choruses, reminiscent of the band’s most radio-friendly singles but with stronger musicianship than previous efforts.

The song “Dead Memories” slows the flow of the album down comfortably while “Vendetta” has a hint of southern-rock feel to the verse.

The slower-tempo but heavy “Butcher’s Hook” is a good song but foreshadows the album’s monotony in the second half. The block of “Gehenna,” “This Cold Black” and “Wherein Lies Continue” drags. The three tracks last for nearly 17 minutes and do very little to keep the listener’s attention.

However, the second to last song on the album, the ballad “Snuff,” is the biggest surprise on the album. The track could easily be compared to Corey Taylor’s side-project Stone Sour, though it shouldn’t be. “Snuff” is a slow-building power ballad that continues to add more and more instruments that layer complimentary melodies upon each other instead of the consistent timbre in Stone Sour ballads. The effect is haunting and beautiful.

The album ends with the title track which is the first single off the album. The song “All Hope Is Gone” has a black metal vibe to it and will appeal to fans of the band’s earlier work. However, the lack of a good hook in the song makes it a questionable choice for a first single.