#3 - Slipknot - (A) Skeptic; (B) The Devil in I
The first time I ever did anything like a music countdown was in 2004. I kept track of my plays via Windows Media Player, made weekly lists of the songs that were stuck in my head, and kept a mental tabulation of what songs I listened to on my Walkman. That year, "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses" was released, and Slipknot was everywhere that I was. "Vermillion" and "The Blister Exists" were runaway top songs, but the band has had a rocky road since then. They took a break after releasing "All Hope Is Gone" in 2008, and bassist Paul Gray passing in 2010 put a definite hiatus on the group. In that time, other members were pursuing other musical efforts (Murderdolls and Stone Sour being the major musical players) and in 2013 drummed Joey Jordison had a somewhat unceremonious exit from the group. For a band that is known for chaos and secrecy, their public lives began to eat them alive but they soldiered on and began writing for the album that would become ".5: The Gray Chapter". The title is an obvious tribute to Gray, and many of the songs touch on his legacy and passing. The album is an absolute throwback to the sheer brutality from their first two albums that put them on the map. Guitarist Jim Root took over the primary musical songwriting direction (that had rested with Jordison and Gray) and the remaining second swallowed up a "temporary" bassist and drummer to put everything together. They seem to be as strong as ever on this album, with crushing tracks like "Custer", "Lech" and "Sarcastrophe", while bringing beautiful ballads in "Killpop" and "XIX".
I was concerned when the first single, "The Negative One" was released. It almost felt like an extension of Stone Sour, which many of the songs on "All Hope As Gone" suffered from. It wasn't super disappointing, but all of my doubts were eased when the next single "The Devil In I" dropped. The song starts out unassumingly enough, but drops a thunderous percussion beat in with the dueling guitars. There are equal parts melody, chaos and brutality in a relentless sonic assault that lyrically touches on inner turmoil. The video is equally vicious, finding the band being maimed or self-mutilating themselves in an old mental asylum. The two new members are found in wheelchairs passing each member as they are disfigured and dismembered before they are finally shown playing with the band.
But I'm here to tell you, there wasn't a better and more poignant metal song in 2015 than "Skeptic" The song is 100% Paul Gray and 200% frenetic. The entire song is a tribute to Gray, his life and what he meant to the band. You can feel the pain in Corey Taylor's voice as he screams lyrics like "He was the best of us!" "I won't let you disappear, I will keep your soul alive if I can't have you here" "I'm so fucking pissed at all of this, you gotta know that you are sorely missed" and the haunting chorus "The world will never see another crazy motherfucker like you, the world will never know another man as amazing as you". It's such a painfully beautiful and brutal song. It touches every inch of my soul and reminds me of people I have lost in my lifetime, and gives me of an image of how I might even feel if I ever lost anyone that close.
It was a solid year for Slipknot and I'm super grateful that they soldiered on through the losses and departures to find themselves even stronger on the other side. Keep on killing it, fellas.
Title: (A) Skeptic; (B) The Devil in I
Artist: Slipknot
Album: .5: The Gray Chapter
Previous #3s
2014: Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)
2013: The Airborne Toxic Event - Timeless
2012: Walk the Moon - Anna Sun
2011: Matt and Kim - Good for Great
2010: Fear Factory - Final Exit
2009: Owl City - Fireflies
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