When I tell people that I like a bit of Slipknot every now and then, people are taken aback. Is it because their music is perceived as being harsh and unapproachable? Or is it because I don’t fit the look of a metalhead? (I love a good sweater.)
My response to those detractors is, “Well, have you listened them lately?” The answer is often “No” or “Not since I was a teenager.” We Are Not Your Kind is the album I’ll slide across the table with a rye look and say, “Just give this a listen.”
Slipknot’s sixth studio album is a glorious return to form for the Iowan heavy metal powerhouse. Slipknot were always great at balancing strong melodies with heavy bass and guitar lines, and lead single “Unsainted” and closing track “Solway Firth” show they haven’t lost any of their skills.
The production on this album is rich and full. The band has seemingly recaptured the energy of their late ’90s and early ’00s efforts, as the modern recording technology brings this energy to the fore. Even slower tracks like “Spiders” and “A Liar’s Funeral” still bring the weight and menace that good heavy metal should provide.
There’s plenty to like about this album for old school or new metalheads alike. If you’re new to heavy metal or haven’t heard Slipknot since you were in high school, there won’t be many better metal albums this year than this.
Score: 👺👺👺👺/5
Brendan is an avid record collector from Adelaide, Australia and the man behind the @ridges_and_grooves. There are few genres he won’t listen to. His search for the best album of all time through process of elimination continues.