Slipknot - The End, So Far... Review

It has finally arrived. Slipknot's brand-new album, "The End, So Far" was released last week to follow up on their 2019 effort "We Are Not Your Kind."

After a lot of speculation and now a new controversy over misprinted albums, there's a lot to unpack here.

So Slipknot teased the hell out of this album for months. There were articles written about this album being "Iowa 2.0". Long-time "maggots" were salivating at the idea of getting such an album. We got the first two tastes of this album with leading singles, "The Chapeltown Rag," "The Dying Song (Time to Sing)," and "Yen." Upon listening to each of these singles, I was underwhelmed and uninspired. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to listen to the rest of the album, much less do a review on it. But here we are; I'm trying not to be biased.

When the album came out - I decided to listen to it track by track and not on shuffle. I wanted to get the full scope of what Corey Taylor was hyping the hell out of. The album opens with a slow-paced song called "Adderall," which reminds me a bit of "If Rain Is What You Want" Not bad so far; I wasn't complaining. We dig into the three tracks I mentioned, we know how I feel about that, and then move on to "Hive Mind" and "Warranty"... great tracks but not quite hitting this "Iowa" heavy I've heard about. I finish the album and begin marinating on what I just listened to.

This album was the last record Slipknot was obligated to make under Roadrunner. If I had to be brutally honest (when am I not?) I would have to say this was an attempt to fulfill a contract but not give the record company anything earth-shattering since they are leaving. The idea of this sounding like Iowa is absurd. This album is nowhere in the same likeness as Iowa. I honestly believe that's why the band's guitar player, Jim Root, publicly stated he wasn't even enthralled with what they produced. The album also had a messy distribution process as well. Fans have been reporting that they got physical copies with the title saying "The End, For Now" instead of "The End, For Now." The record company? decided to handle this by slapping stickers over the albums and cassettes and hoping nobody would even notice.

Do I think this is the worst album in creation? No. Do I think this is Slipknot's best work? No. Is this "Iowa material"? Not in the slightest. I would argue this is on par will Vol.3 (The Subliminal Verses) era but less melodic and less radio-friendly.

Songs to check out: "Adderall," "Warranty," and "Medicine For The Dead"

Lexx Rating: 7.5/10