8. .5: the gray chapter (2014)

there's always gotta be a "worst album" in a band's discography. there's always something that no matter how hard you try to like it, it just doesn't end up clicking. and for me, that's gotta be their 5th album, the gray chapter.
my main problem with this album is the fact that none of its tracks sound that distinct from each other, it all just ends up blending together mostly. when i put the album on it ends up being a 65 minute sludge-fest, and not in the cool electric wizard way. like, it's fine i guess? it's definitely not a bad album. i just don't think any of it is as interesting as their previous releases. i do like a few songs on it, but i've only revisited it once since my first listen and i felt exactly the same as i did when i first listened. none of it speaks to me that much.
i like custer a lot because it's got a great energy and the "cut cut cut me up" part is pretty earworm-y. killpop is my least favorite just because the lyrics don't speak to me that much at all really, even less than the rest of the other songs. although, it is cool that they got donnie steele back on here for a few unspecified tracks, and the introduction of jay weinberg on drums replacing joey, and alessandro venturella on bass replacing paul (who this album is a tribute to) was nice and i think they're both overhated in the community. they both have great styles and are huge assets to the band.

fav: custer/least fav: killpop

7. the end, so far (2022)

alright, so, this was the first slipknot album that i was around for the release of. naturally, i was pretty excited. the singles were pretty cool, and i liked how the chapeltown rag seemed to call back to eyeless in a way. corey's voice also sounds phenomenal on this record, it's intense in a similar way to S/T and iowa, but it's still safe so you know he isn't damaging his voice. obviously it isn't as intense as those, and probably never will be again, but the fact that he gets close in almost 25 years is impressive in it's own right. my problem with this album is similar to .5, it's just that none of it really sounds that interesting to me. like, it's passable, and when it came out i thought it was great. i even bought it on cd, which i don't regret. but besides adderall (which is a phenomenal opener by the way, i wish they did that sound more), chapeltown, and maybe acidic? none of it really stands out beyond just "here's our last album so we can get out of our contract." which, again, i know that's what they're trying to do, so it's fine with me, but i wish that even when they did call back to their earlier sound it was more than just nostalgia bait, and they actually leaned into it more.

f: the chapeltown rag/lf: medicine for the dead

6. mate. feed. kill. repeat. (1996)

so, honestly, i was debating putting this album on here at all since slipknot themselves consider it more a demo tape rather than an actual album, but i think it's unique enough and very fleshed out so i can consider it an album still.
so this is their first album, before corey, craig, chris, sid, or jim had joined. a super different sound than what they usually do, it's a far more funk influenced album - sounds more like mr. bungle with old school death metal production, and i really dig that kinda vibe. it's definitely rough, and it's nowhere near as fleshed out as their other albums, but it brings a nice energy to it that the other albums just don't have. a really cool part of this album is that you can hear ideas on this that would later be fleshed out on following releases - the riff on slipknot is basically a slower version of (sic), demo versions of only one, tattered and torn, and gently - all of which are stellar on this. i know a lot of people prefer the gently on this to the one on iowa, which i personally disagree with, though i do like the version of only one on this a bit more than the version on their self titled album. but i really think that do nothing/bitchslap is the absolute standout here, a song they haven't revisited at all, which is a shame because it's one of the most interesting tracks they've done in their whole discography. the opening slap bass, the heavy riff coming in, and then out of nowhere some elevator music? and then a fully fledged, headbanging, steal your soul and make you bleed drop that sounds fuckin' amazing. i think that the songs on here that weren't revisited for later albums could really work well if done with corey, as i'll admit, anders isn't the best vocalist.

f: do nothing/bitchslap/lf: confessions