Slipknot, We Are Not Your Kind | Album Review

Grammy-winning metal (Nü metal) collective Slipknot returns after a five-year hiatus with an incredibly consistent, brilliant sixth album, ‘We Are Not Your Kind.’ 

Five years. That’s how long fans of Slipknot had to wait for the Grammy-winning Nü metal collective to release their sixth studio album, We Are Not Your Kind.  Long hiatuses between studio albums have become the norm for the band, with the longest gap between projects occurring with 2008 standout All Hope is Gone and 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter. Of course, it should be noted that in between those two particular albums, bassist Paul Gray (“The Pig”) died of an overdose.  Enough background though! With We Are Not Your Kind, it is clear that the Des Moines, Iowan band came with their ‘A game,’ period.

“Unsainted” 

We Are Not Your Kind commences with an enigmatic, intense, mostly-instrumental intro, “Insert Coin.” The sole lyrics that appear on the brief cut are, “I’m counting all the killers,” near the end.  Safe to say, “Insert Coin” sets up the first full-length number from the album, the epic ✓ “Unsainted.”

“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.” 

The intro of the song (and eventual chorus) is incredibly tuneful. Who says metal can’t be possess a memorable melody?  Aside from the intro and chorus, this tunefulness is temporary, with shouted verses, chocked-full of angst and hellishness. “You gotta lie if you wanna believe / But your bibles don’t work on me” is pretty self-explanatory.  This is a superb, if utterly dark highlight to say the least.

✓ “Birth of the Cruel” continues the darkness, firmly planted in a minor key. Notably, there is tunefulness to be found early-on during the first verse, before the pitch transforms to shouted, aggressive vocals.  Fists ascend into the air on moments like “I’m all fucked up and I make it look good / Adrenaline sight tonight.” Of course, the chorus features a menacing backdrop (jagged guitars) and biting lyrics.

“Sick, sickened, I’m sickening, I’m stricken by the fist
Blessed are the fires that have burned me
Listen to this, the lesson is, never underestimate the agony
Death of the fool, birth of the cruel.”

“Nero Forte”

Following the intro (“Insert Coin”), “Death Because of Death” gives Slipknot another compelling interlude.  It maintains the eeriness of the album, leading into another high-flying number, ✓ “Nero Forte.” “I haven’t felt like this in years / Not much left, so uprooted,” Corey Taylor shouts, continuing, “Fists clenched tight in the pockets of my hoodie / And I know where I need to go / But the voice of reason can’t say no / It’s in the eyes and heart / Just the latest psycho off the charts.” Once more, there’s a brilliant mix of the melodic, shouted, and absolute, utter darkness.

“Critical Darling” runs close to six-and-a-half minutes in duration, but the energy and heaviness is nothing short of badass.  Also badass is the call and response refrain, the metric shift on the pre-chorus (duple to compound duple), and again, a marvelously melodic chorus. Keeping things interesting is a contrasting bridge section, which is the most tender moment of the record.  The vocal outro is sick: “Oh, you’re so critical / Critical / Critical…”  There is also a pretty sweet instrumental outro. This prefaces “A Liars Funeral,” which begins more understated, prior to the energetic refrain comprised of two iterations of the word, “Liar.” The second verse is much like the first exhibiting restrain, while the third – preceding the ‘chorus’ – is characterized by that Slipknot attitude.  Seven songs in, We Are Not Your Kind continues to impress with no missteps to be found.

“Red Flag”

“You used to be something special / Now you’re nothing new…” Damn it! Anyways, ✓ “Red Flag” thrives off its speed – understatement.  Fists are clenched in the air from the onset, further confirmed with moments like the ‘gives no fucks’ pre-chorus:

“You don’t own me
You can’t hold me
This is beginning
You are an ending.”

Other awesome moments include the chorus, as well as the dramatic bridge section, including the lyrical gem, “Bitch, so manic / I can see the light that exposes you.”  Another interlude, instrumental “What’s Next” precedes the funky, mixed-meter gem ✓ “Spiders.” “Spiders” benefits from its percussiveness, hella catchy chorus, and overall unique production (synths, sound effects, guitars, etc.).  If the record seemed like it needed a contrast, the bridge arrives in the nick of time, not to mention some other musical interjections throughout.  This isn’t a record that might normally be associated with Slipknot but it’s quite intriguing ultimately.

“Orphan”

✓ “Orphan” may appear deep in We Are Not Your Kind as the 11^th track, but it represents Slipknot at its best, period.  Why you ask? Well, there is passionate shouting, liberal f-bombs (“You really wanna know who the fuck I am?”), some top-notch melodic moments, pummeling drums, a quick tempo, and a catchy chorus. Honestly, what more could ask for? “My Pain” follows, very enigmatic, ‘in a minor key,’ and unsettled.  Things eventually settle in on this seven-minute number, but it’s certainly more experimental – ‘out there’ compared to the songs that precede it.  Give the band credit for being daring on this unique record.

“Not Long for This World” is certainly a morbid penultimate record, best exemplified by the chorus:

“So, decide, tell me how I’m gonna die
‘Cause I’ve already gone away
Decide, tell me how you loved a lie
It wasn’t really hard to see
Hard to see
Not long for this world.”

It fits the depressed vibes that characterize the entirety of We Are Not Your Kind. ✓ “Solway Firth,” the second single, concludes the album – wait for it – EPICALLY.  Following a restrained, tamer intro, Corey Taylor and company let loose and don’t look back.  While “Solway Firth” isn’t blessed with a tuneful chorus, it still possesses one of the better, more memorable choruses, even with the aggressive, shouted, and unapologetic vocals.  The energy is definitely otherworldly.

Final Thoughts

As aforementioned, Slipknot came with their ‘A game.’ There are no missteps to be found on We Are Not Your Kind. From the opening tip to the thrilling closer, album number six is a very strong effort from this Des Moines band.  Dark, energetic, hellish, and once again, EPIC, are some great ways to characterize We Are Not Your Kind, one of the best rock releases of 2019 easily.

✓ Gems: “Unsainted,” “Birth of the Cruel,” “Nero Forte,” “Red Flag,” “Spiders” & “Solway Firth”

Slipknot • We Are Not Your Kind • Roadrunner • Release: 8.9.19

Photo Credit: Roadrunner