Album Review: Slipknot's We Are Not Your Kind

I realize this has nothing to do with movies, and that no one asked for this, but because they're one of my favorite metal bands... I decided to write a review of the new Slipknot album: We Are Not Your Kind! I must say, I'm not a musician, just a fan. I don’t actually know much about the technical musicality of what goes into each track, nor do I actually know the true meaning behind the songs/lyrics, but for whatever reason I felt compelled to write my thoughts anyway! 

Unlike the mask-wearing rockers' previous album, The Gray Chapter, which I loved right away, this one took me a few listens to really appreciate. It's definitely one of their most diverse, interesting works with both some of their hardest and most "radio-friendly" songs I've heard from them… on the same CD! And yes, I actually bought a physical copy!

Review:

Right off the bat, I'll say I'm not a fan of the intro track "Insert Coin." When I first heard it I honestly thought my CD was malfunctioning or skipping. Unlike their other atmospheric and nightmare-inducing opening tracks like “(515)” on Iowa, which literally sounds like the gates of hell have opened, or the track "742617000027" from their self-titled debut album, which sounds like the demented recordings left in the basement of an abandoned insane asylum, the intro track on We Are Not Your Kind feels lame. Lead singer Corey Taylor’s voice can be heard echoing in the background of dissonant electronic chaos, saying “I’m counting all the killers” in a sort of Scottish accent, totally not setting up the right atmosphere for a Slipknot album. Maybe that off-putting first track is what made me a bit iffy on the album as a whole on a first listen. As they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression!

“Insert Coin,” Rating: 1/5

The next track, “Unsainted,” was the only one I had already heard before, thanks to their amazing music video released to promote the album. Now this song I can imagine listening for years to come. Starting off, there’s what sounds like the undead version of the children’s chorus from the beginning of The Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Then it’s not too long before that iconic-sounding Slipknot percussion starts pounding away to the beat and Corey Taylor’s voice comes in.

While there’s a lot of the typical aggressive “metal” growling on the record, Taylor definitely shows his real vocal chops here. The song lyrics: “Oh, I’ll never kill myself to save my soul / I was gone, but how was I to know?” strike me as a seriously depressed person bearing their heart out saying that no matter how tough life gets, they won’t end their life. It’s very powerful stuff considering what many of the band members have gone through personally. The rest of the song is a typical epic Slipknot anthem with that grungy guitar, Corey’s alternately growling and clean vocals, and an added flair of the children’s choir. One of the best on the album for sure!

“Unsainted,” Rating: 5/5

“The Birth of the Cruel” comes next. I don’t have much to say about this one. It seems pretty par for the course for the band. The song is aggressive and hard, and the guitar has a sort of cool groove to it.

“The Birth of the Cruel,” Rating: 3/5

“Death Because of Death” is another track I don’t like, for the same reason as “Insert Coin.” The repetitive use of the phrase “Death because of death because of you” makes for a kind of cringeworthy intermission between better songs. I’m not sure what it means, honestly, but it’s not catchy or creepy, just annoying!

“Death Because of Death,” Rating: 1/5

“Nero Forte” brings things back on track! Wasting absolutely no time, the song barrels right into a badass riff that pumps you up and makes you want to headbang (or responsibly nod if you’re driving). This definitely seems like a good one to hear live!

“Nero Forte,” Rating: 4/5

“Critical Darling” seems to be a song about the general state of the world. I’m not sure what the lyrics are referring to exactly, but starting a song with “God’s in a coma / Put faith in life support” is a pretty bold statement. I don’t know what else to say other than this captures that signature Slipknot angry sound, and I love the juxtaposition throughout this album of Taylor’s clean and gravelly vocals – it’s almost like two sides of his personality are fighting in his head!

“Critical Darling,” Rating: 4/5

“Liar’s Funeral” changes the pace a lot. Although this is a very slow song, it’s still very heavy. An acoustic guitar floats in and out of the song between bouts of Corey screaming “Liar!” at what I assume is the extreme limits of his vocal chords. This feels like a man screaming for his life and it’s very raw and emotional. Again, Slipknot’s lyrics and song meanings can be elusive at times, but the feelings they evoke are so strong, and they make me feel alive – like screaming at all those negative forces in my life and putting them to rest!

“Liar’s Funeral,” Rating 4/5

“Red Flag,” like “Nero Forte,” is a real handbanger! Jay Weinberg on the drums is going nuts the whole time and the guitar riffs here are amazing, catchy, and sound like “classic” Slipknot.

“Red Flag,” 4.5/5

“What’s Next” is another interlude track that comes out of nowhere, but I actually dig this one! Its twinkling little piano ditty is creepy and puts you on edge, setting up the next song perfectly.

“What’s Next,” 3.5/5

“Spiders” is what I assume most metal-listeners hate the most. It’s by far the most radio-friendly song I’ve heard on this album (and maybe ever from the band), but I honestly love it! It’s spooky and super atmospheric – a nice background song for the Halloween season. The melodic piano tune that runs throughout the song has this off-kilter horror movie vibe about it that I love. The lyrics are a little goofy in comparison to others on the album, but with lines like “The spiders come in side by side / Two by two and night by night / Who is food and who is thrown away?” it sets up an innovative, creepy-crawly atmosphere I’ve never seen from the band!

“Spiders,” Rating: 4.5/5

“Orphan” is more traditional Slipknot. Not much to say – it’s another winning head-banger!

“Orphan,” Rating: 4/5

“My Pain” is another song that sounds totally unlike any other Slipknot song. It’s very dreamlike and weirdly reminds me of the Gorillaz. It’s like the band is in a daze after all that heavy riffing and thinking about only the darkest of subject matter. It’s a different and interesting little experiment as the album winds down to its conclusion.

“My Pain,” Rating 3.5/5

“Not Long for This World” reminds me a bit of “Liar’s Funeral” in its painful lyrics showing the depths to which the singer is sinking. This song is a lot more listen-able though and has a chugging guitar riff with cleaner vocals that is another showcase for Corey Taylor’s ability to sonically convey his pain in a cathartic, angry way.

“Not Long for This World,” Rating: 4/5

“Solway Firth” begins with that same odd “I’m counting all the killers” line from the first track, so it starts off a little shaky. But as soon as Corey’s awkward Scottish-tinged intro is over, the album ends on an appropriately high-energy, pissed-off, thrashy note.

“Solway Firth,” 4/5

So, I just reviewed every song on Slipknot’s new album. I’ve never reviewed an album before, but let me know if you’d like other album breakdowns like this in the future!

We Are Not Your Kind 
Overall Rating: 4/5