Slipknot - All Hope Is Gone Review

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 08.26.2008

Iowa's mask metallers return with their fourth studio album, All Hope Is Gone. Does the band continue in the direction of the melodic Vol 3. or do they return to their aggressive roots?

The Band

#0 (Sid Wilson)-Turntables
#1 (Joey Jordison)-Drums
#2 (Paul Gray)-Bass, Backing Vocals
#3 (Chris Fehn)-Percussion, Backing Vocals
#4 (James Root)-Guitar
#5 (Craig Jones)-Samples
#6 (Shawn Crahan)-Percussion, Backing Vocals
#7 (Mick Thomson)-Guitar
#8 (Corey Taylor)-Lead Vocals


The Track Listing

1. .execute.-1:49
2. Gematria (The Killing Name)-6:02
3. Sulfur-4:38
4. Psychosocial-4:42
5. Dead Memories-4:29
6. Vendetta-5:16
7. Butcher’s Hook-4:15
8. Gehenna-6:53
9. This Cold Black-4:40
10. Wherein Lies Continue-5:47
11. Snuff-4:36
12. All Hope Is Gone-4:45





The Review

2004’s Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses was a departure for Slipknot, one that had the Iowa metallers adding acoustic instruments, solos, and a progressive edge to their music. The album sold well, but the hardcore fans were less than impressed with the “Stone Sour” sound added into the band’s core aggressive sound. After four years, Slipknot returns with All Hope Is Gone, an album that takes elements from the band’s three studio albums and combines them to form an album that is brutal, fast, furious, and infectiously catchy all at the same time.

Unlike the last album, Slipknot doesn’t open All Hope Is Gone with a four minute intro, opting to have the short “.execute” lends a dark tone to the proceedings, as previous intro’s "742617000027" and “(515)” did so well. The two minute opener leads into “Gematria (The Killing Name),” one of the heaviest songs the band has written since the Iowa days. The six minutes fly by, as blastbeats, solos, and an awesome breakdown await the listener. The lyrical content is bleaker than usual, with Taylor repeatedly screaming “What if God doesn’t care?,” a hell of a question, at the conclusion of the track.

The harsh vocals are used in a greater capacity, especially in the beginning of the album. It isn’t until the chorus of “Sulfur” that we hear Taylor letting out those high wails that he became famous for in Stone Sour, Taylor’s side project. Taylor’s vocals throughout All Hope Is Gone is some of his best work, as he pushes his range to the limit and even experiments with some crooning on the epic, Alice In Chains-ish “Gehenna.”

Some of the material on All Hope Is Gone ranks as the heaviest material the band has ever written. “Vendetta” has a death metal feel to it, especially in the beginning, and while Taylor uses clean vocals a bit too much, the riffing at times sounds similar to Obituary or later-day Morbid Angel. “This Cold Black” blasts out of the gate, an unrelenting five minutes with heavily distorted backing vocals, and a technically proficient solo that will impress even the most anti-Slipknot fan.

Slipknot released two singles before the release of All Hope Is Gone, “Psychosocial” and the title track. The former is a mid-paced romper, with Taylor spitting lyrics like the old days, before soaring with one of the most beautiful sounding choruses of the band’s career. It’s guaranteed to be a live favorite. So is the title track, which is a surprisingly aggressive finish to the album. While the band has had a tendency to have either an epic, plodding, or low-key ending to their previous releases, All Hope Is Gone ends on a pulse-pounding moment, one that won’t be forgotten even after the last note is over.

On Volume 3: The Subliminal Verses, Slipknot utilizes cleaner melodies and worked around their edgier sound to experiment with acoustic guitars, especially in “Circle” and “Vermilion Pt. 2.” On All Hope Is Gone, the acoustics are kept to a minimum, only being brought out for the power ballad “Snuff.” It’s a decent track, but feels out of place compared to the rest of the material. On their last album, the softer tracks were intermixed along with the heavier tracks, but the majority of All Hope Is Gone is darkness and scorching riffs. So “Snuff” seems a little too Stone Sour for my liking, but I appreciate the band working to push their sound to the brink. “Dead Memories” does a better job of showing the emotional side of the band, being a slow and cathartic experience for the listener.

The band members all do their part to create the wall of sound that blares out of the speakers constantly on All Hope Is Gone. Joey Jordison is a great drummer, one that seems to get better with time. Guitarists James Root and Mick Thomson continue to be a hell of a duo, working off each other, sounding at times like a modern day King/Hanneman. Paul Gray keeps a steady rhythm, and Fehn and Crahan are percussion monsters, adding in subtle touches to each track to make their presence felt.

All Hope Is Gone is another achievement for Slipknot, an album that has the band slowly evolving their sound while taking the best parts from their previous three albums. Fans worried about the toned-down nature of Vol. 3 will be happy to hear their favorite masked maniacs turning the volume up again. Fans of the band’s melodic side will find their tracks, but All Hope Is Gone is meant for the fan base that likes the band at their most venomous moments, as long as they don’t mind clean vocals around from time to time.

The 411: Don't worry Slipknot fans; not All Hope Is Gone for you, as the album is a solid look at the band's history, all put onto one compact disc. You will hear some of the most aggressive material of the band's career, and also some of the most melodic moments. Slipknot has been through a lot of adversity during the past couple of years, but it's great to see them back on top where they belong. Some of you "uber" metal heads will knock this album, as you have previous Slipknot albums, but those fans will be missing out on a great metal album, one that will leave you breathless and wanting more.

Final Score:  8.0   [ Very Good ]