Band: Slipknot
Release: Antennas To Hell (Album)
Release Date: 23/07/12
When Slipknot announced that they’d be releasing a new album in the shape of ‘Antennas To Hell’, we weren’t particularly fussed upon first reflection. It can often be a struggle to get excited over a bunch of songs you’ve already played a thousand times over on your iPod. However, after digesting the news about a release which would essentially close the chapter on the “Paul years”, it got us thinking about Slipknot’s journey. ‘Antennas To Hell’ may be the end of the beginning for the Iowan legends, but it’s far from the end of their legacy. And ‘Antennas To Hell’ is in fact the perfect way to conclude this particular era.
So, where do we begin? In 1999 Slipknot released their first ever full-length. It was (and still remains) a raw, dynamic and aggressive album. From the second the drums to ‘(Sic)’ kick in and “Here comes the pain!” is hammered into your eardrums, you are taken to a world like no other. Whether it be the insanity of ‘Eyeless’, the melodies of ‘Wait and Bleed’ or the destructive force of ‘Spit It Out’, Slipknot’s debut marks the start of a nu-metal revolution, and this first compilation of songs on ‘Antennas To Hell’ plunges you head first into the deep end.
The path Slipknot then followed with ‘Iowa’ led them into one of the darkest periods of their career. One of the most hate-fuelled, brutal records in the entire world, ‘Iowa’ also catapulted Slipknot into the mainstream, with tracks like ‘Left Behind’ and ‘My Plague’ leaving their mark in the media. Arguably the angriest, most anti-world song Slipknot have put on ‘Antennas To Hell’ comes in the form of ‘People = Shit’, along with some of the gnarliest lyrics you’ll ever hear in ‘Disasterpiece’. It’s not easy listening, and the relentless hatred Slipknot used to fuel their engines during this album cycle certainly paid its toll, as they went on a hiatus subsequent to the release. But this was all part of the journey, and it is captured and reflected faultlessly on ‘Antennas To Hell’.
Next up are the ‘Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses’ tracks, which although aren’t quite as intense as heard previously on ‘Iowa’, they are somewhat more polished, cinematic and atmospheric. Take ‘Pulse of the Maggots’, for example. A song which has become an anthem for Slipknot fans everywhere. And do tracks like ‘Duality’ and ‘Before I Forget’ even need an explanation? They are the most accessible, recognisable and infectious songs Slipknot have ever written, and they reflect the band’s transition from big angry metal band, into Grammy-winning gods. The only disappointment, it has to be said, is the fact that ‘The Nameless’ isn’t included on ‘Antennas To Hell’. But that is a tiny criticism on an otherwise flawless track-listing.
And so we come to our final instalment on ‘Antennas To Hell’ with the ‘All Hope Is Gone’ tracks. A more polished, mature feel comes across with songs like ‘Psychosocial’ and ‘Sulfur’, and although it does feel like some of the rawness has disappeared through the years, the songs have grown into bigger, beefier affairs. The album culminates with a complete masterpiece in ‘Snuff’’, a track which contains some of Slipknot’s darkest material emotionally, but is revealed in the most beautifully subtle manner.
So there we have it. The journey from ‘(Sic)’ to ‘Snuff’’: the closing chapter on the “Paul years”. Despite the sadness we feel as this period draws to an end, we also can’t help but feel incredibly eager as to what’s going to happen next. We don’t know how long it’s going to take, or what it’s going to sound like, but when the time comes for Slipknot to make a new record, we can expect that it’s going to be big. But for now, hold tight, and stay (sic).
10/10
Reviewer: Emily Carter
