ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Corey Taylor was on record at one point claiming that the future of Slipknot itself was up in the air. It’s a relief, then, considering exactly how much is riding on its release, thatThe Gray Chapteris an exercise in triumph over tragedy.
The at-times-uneasy marriage of hammering white-knuckle intensity with sweeping, raised-fist melodicism is refined here, often serving as a definitive trait. ‘The Devil In I’ is one of the best singles the band has put out, while ‘Skeptic’ is an unabashed, fitting tribute to late bassist Paul Gray.
Elsewhere, they maintain the rage with cathartic, blistering infernos such as ‘The Negative One’ and ‘Custer’, the latter of which amazingly manages to sport as definitive and brain-invasive a refrain as anything you’ve heard on Top 40 radio this year. An hour-plus runtime means that not everything on the tracklist justifies its existence – the inconsequential ‘Be Prepared For Hell’ and by-numbers ‘Nomadic’ spring to mind. Across the lion’s share, however, it feels as though the band’s decision to continue has been validated.
.5: The Gray Chapter is life after death for Slipknot – and it’s bound to leave devotees grateful they survived.
4/5.
.5: The Gray Chapteris out now through Roadrunner/Warner.
