The End, So Far | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 30, 2022 | |||
Recorded | 2021 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 57:31 | |||
Label | Roadrunner | |||
Producer |
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Slipknot chronology | ||||
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Singles from The End, So Far | ||||
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The End, So Far is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on September 30, 2022, through Roadrunner Records. This is the band's final album to be released through Roadrunner, whom the band signed with in 1998. [3] [4] It is the first studio album to feature percussionist Michael Pfaff, who joined the band in 2019 and is their final studio album to feature sampler and keyboardist Craig Jones and drummer Jay Weinberg before their respective departures in June and November 2023. [5] [6]
At a length of 57 minutes and 31 seconds, The End, So Far is the band's shortest studio album to date.
On May 19, 2021, percussionist Shawn Crahan stated that the band had been currently making "god music". [7] In an article published by Loudwire on June 9, 2021, Crahan revealed that a new Slipknot album would 'hopefully' be released in 2021. [8] He also added that the band would be parting ways with Roadrunner Records following the release of the album. [8]
In November 2021, the band started teasing new material on a new domain thechapeltownrag.com. [9] Several snippets of a song were shown on the website leading to speculation of a new single that the band would later confirm on November 4, with the single titled "The Chapeltown Rag" slated for release the following day alongside its live debut at the Knotfest Roadshow in Los Angeles on November 5, 2021. [10] In December 2021, Taylor revealed that the band were planning on mixing their seventh studio album in January, and hoped to release it by April 2022. [11] He also stated that he preferred the material on their forthcoming seventh studio album to that on We Are Not Your Kind. [11]
In February 2022, lead singer Corey Taylor announced in an interview with Eddie Trunk that the recording of the album had finished, and that it was in the process of being mixed. He described the record as a "heavier version" of their 2004 album Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses . [12]
On July 19, 2022, the band announced the album along with the album's second single "The Dying Song (Time to Sing)". [13] [14] On August 5, 2022, the band released the third single, "Yen". [15] The full album was released on September 30, 2022. [13] [14] [15]
On August 22, 2022, the band announced that there would be nine special editions of the album to be released, each featuring a picture of one of the band members on the cover. [16]
The album is dedicated to co-founder and former drummer Joey Jordison, who died in his sleep in July 2021. [17] [18] The original vinyl and cassette releases of The End, So Far were misprinted as The End For Now.... In a Reddit AMA, Corey Taylor said that The End, So Far was always the album's intended title, and that the misprint had been caused by "somebody [who] fucked up and didn't double check" with the band. [19] [20]
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 6.7/10 [21] |
Metacritic | 80/100 [22] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [23] |
Consequence | favorable [24] |
Blabbermouth.net | 8.5/10 [25] |
Clash | 8/10 [26] |
The Daily Telegraph | [27] |
Exclaim! | 7/10 [28] |
Kerrang! | [29] |
Metal Hammer | [30] |
NME | [31] |
Sputnik Music | 2.3/5 [32] |
The End, So Far was generally well received by critics upon its release, although some reviews were less enthusiastic. The album received an average score of 80/100 on the review aggregator Metacritic, based on 10 reviews. [33]
Luke Morton of Kerrang! commented that The End, So Far was more of an album "rather than a selection of songs". He welcomed the new direction the band had taken with tracks such as the opening track "Adderall", a "six-minute, synth-driven track - with all clean singing", while still noting that the album retained Slipknot's trademarked heaviness, with "primal screams, blastbeats, and more scratching wizardry from Sid Wilson than we've heard in a long time". [29]
Andrew Trendell of NME gave the album four stars out of five, comparing the band's new direction to David Bowie, Tool and Stone Temple Pilots, while also noting that heavier tracks like "Hivemind" and "Heirloom" would provide comfort for "Slipknot fans of old". [31]
Blabbermouth.net , too, noted the band's new musical style, highlighting that, while singles such as "The Dying Song" and "The Chapeltown Rag" provided "skull-rattling heaviness and ululating waves of deathly riffing," tracks such as "Adderall" and "Medicine for the Dead" showed the band's, and in particular vocalist Taylor's, versatility and evolution. [25]
Cervante Popé of Consequence Of Sound stated "As a new release, it's got more than enough exploratory factors to keep the band from sounding stale, but it also stays true to the sounds that have turned us all into maggots in the first place." [24]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, James Christopher Monger was also divided about it; "The End, So Far may not be a home run, but it proves that the band are still in it to win it, even if they're playing the long game." [23]
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
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Loudwire | The 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022 | – | [34] |
Metal Hammer | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 16 | [35] |
Revolver | 25 Best Albums of 2022 | 16 | [36] |
The End, So Far debuted within the top ten in over ten countries worldwide, including peaks at the summit in several countries including Australia, Germany, Greece, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. [37] In the United States, the album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 , the first album of theirs not to debut at the summit since 2004's Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) while selling 59,000 copies in the first week with 50,500 coming from pure sales. [38] In the UK, the album outsold the reissue of George Michael's Older by 340 units after trailing to it in the midweek chart update, claiming the band its third number-one on the UK Albums Chart following 2001's Iowa and 2019's predecessor We Are Not Your Kind . [39] [40] It sold a total of 14,068 copies, 12,083 of which came from pure sales while also collecting an additional 2,005 album-equivalent units from streaming. [41]
All tracks are written by Slipknot
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Adderall" | 5:40 |
2. | "The Dying Song (Time to Sing)" | 3:23 |
3. | "The Chapeltown Rag" | 4:49 |
4. | "Yen" | 4:43 |
5. | "Hive Mind" | 5:15 |
6. | "Warranty" | 3:51 |
7. | "Medicine for the Dead" | 6:16 |
8. | "Acidic" | 4:50 |
9. | "Heirloom" | 3:31 |
10. | "H377" | 4:23 |
11. | "De Sade" | 5:39 |
12. | "Finale" | 5:07 |
Total length: | 57:31 |
Credits retrieved from album's liner notes. [42]
Additional personnel
Production
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
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Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines,Iowa,in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan,former vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in its early years,the band settled on nine members for more than a decade:Crahan,Gray,Joey Jordison,Craig Jones,Mick Thomson,Corey Taylor,Sid Wilson,Chris Fehn,and Jim Root. Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image,aggressive style of music,and energetic and chaotic live shows.
Iowa is the second studio album by the American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by the members and Ross Robinson,it was released on August 28,2001,by Roadrunner Records. The title refers the band's state origin,Iowa,which members have stated is one of their greatest sources of inspiration. With much anticipation for the album following the success of their 1999 self-titled debut,pressures on the band were high. Their relationships with each other suffered and this was later described as the darkest time of their career. It was also the first full album to feature guitarist Jim Root after only appearing on one song from their previous album. Despite troubles within the band and with Iowa's development,Slipknot promoted it for almost a year.
Slipknot is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29,1999,by Roadrunner Records,following a demo containing a few of the songs which had previously been released in 1998. Later,it was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly-altered track listing and mastering as the result of a lawsuit. It was the first release by the band to be produced by Ross Robinson,who sought to refine Slipknot's sound rather than alter the group's musical direction. This is the only album to feature original guitarist Josh Brainard who left at the end of recording in late 1998 while the band was taking a brief break. Jim Root,who recorded two tracks at this point,would appear full time on subsequent albums starting with their next album Iowa.
Corey Todd Taylor is an American musician,songwriter,author and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Slipknot,in which he is designated #8,as well as the lead vocalist,guitarist,lyricist,and sole continuous member of the rock band Stone Sour.
Vol. 3: is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot,released on May 25,2004,by Roadrunner Records. A special edition,containing a bonus disc,was released on April 12,2005. It is the band's only album produced by Rick Rubin. Following the band's tour to promote its second album in 2002,speculation regarding the future began. Some band members had already been involved in side projects including Murderdolls,To My Surprise,and the reformation of Stone Sour. In 2003,Slipknot moved into The Mansion to work on the album. Initially,the band was unproductive;lead vocalist Corey Taylor was drinking heavily. Nevertheless,the band managed to write more than enough material for a new album. Vol. 3 is credited as Slipknot's first to incorporate more traditional,melodic song structures,guitar solos and acoustic instruments.
Michael Shawn Crahan,more commonly known by his stage persona "Clown",is an American musician. He is the co-founder and one of the percussionists for alternative metal band Slipknot,in which he is designated #6. Crahan helped form Slipknot in 1995 alongside bassist Paul Gray and former vocalist Anders Colsefni. Crahan is the longest-serving and only remaining original member of Slipknot,and also has extensive involvement with Slipknot's media production and music videos. Outside Slipknot,Crahan had two side project bands called To My Surprise and Dirty Little Rabbits. Aside from his musical activity,he also directed the 2016 action thriller film Officer Downe.
All Hope Is Gone is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot,released on August 26,2008 by Roadrunner Records. The album was published in two versions:the standard album in a CD case and a special edition packaged in a six-fold digipak containing three bonus tracks,a 40 page booklet,and a bonus DVD with a documentary of the album's recording. With a runtime of 57 minutes and 57 seconds,it is Slipknot's second-shortest studio album behind 2022's The End,So Far. It is also the band's final studio album to feature the Iowa-era lineup with two longtime members:bassist and founding member Paul Gray,who was found dead in an Iowa hotel on May 24,2010,almost two years after the album's release,and drummer Joey Jordison,who left the group in December 2013.
"Psychosocial" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released as the second single from the band's fourth studio album,All Hope Is Gone (2008). The song entered airplay on June 26,2008 and was originally planned for release as a digital single on July 1 but was delayed and released on July 7. Slipknot performed "Psychosocial" live for the first time on July 9,2008,at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn,Washington. In 2008,the song was featured on the soundtrack to Marvel's Punisher:War Zone.
"Dead Memories" is a song from American heavy metal band Slipknot's fourth album,All Hope Is Gone. It was released on December 1,2008.
"Snuff" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released on September 28,2009,as the fifth and final single from their fourth album,All Hope Is Gone,the song charted at number two on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart,their highest chart placement to date,surpassing "Dead Memories".
.5:The Gray Chapter is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot,released on October 17,2014,by Roadrunner Records. It was the first studio album by the band in six years and the first not to feature original founding members bassist Paul Gray and drummer Joey Jordison due to the death of Gray in 2010,and Jordison being fired from the band in late 2013,as well as the only Slipknot album to feature original guitarist Donnie Steele on bass,although the tracks he played on are unknown,and the first Slipknot album to have Alessandro Venturella on bass and Jay Weinberg on drums. The album includes six singles and has received commercial success and acclaiming reviews. A standard and deluxe edition of the album was released. It is also the band's final studio album to feature their longtime percussionist Chris Fehn before his dismissal from the band due to a lawsuit in March 2019. Clocking in at 73 minutes and 28 seconds,.5:The Gray Chapter is the band's longest album.
"Killpop" is a single by American heavy metal band Slipknot for their fifth major label studio album .5:The Gray Chapter.
"Left Behind" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released as the lead single from the band's second album,Iowa (2001) on October 29,2001. It was produced by Ross Robinson. The single reached number 30 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart,number 24 on the UK Singles Chart and number 5 on the UK Rock &Metal Singles Chart. It was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2002.
Hydrograd is the sixth studio album by American rock band Stone Sour. Recorded at Sphere Studios in Los Angeles,it is the follow-up to the band's 2012–2013 double concept album,House of Gold &Bones Part 1 and 2. It was released worldwide on June 30,2017 via Roadrunner Records.
"All Out Life" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot,released as an independent single on October 31,2018,by Roadrunner Records. It was the band's first single in nearly three years,following "Goodbye". It is the final release to feature longtime percussionist and backing vocalist Chris Fehn before his dismissal from the band in March the following year.
We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood,California with co-producer Greg Fidelman,it was released on August 9,2019,by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life",which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band,as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.
"Solway Firth" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by Greg Fidelman,it was released on July 22,2019,as the second single from their sixth album,We Are Not Your Kind. The song's music video was directed by the band's percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan and features footage from the Amazon Prime Video series The Boys. The track peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart and number 14 on the UK Rock &Metal Singles Chart.
Look Outside Your Window is an upcoming studio album recorded by four members of the American band Slipknot. The material was written and recorded concurrently with the sessions for the band's fourth studio album All Hope Is Gone (2008). However,its emphasis on experimentation and a more melodic rock style kept it classified as a separate body of work from Slipknot's aggressive heavy metal sound. The album was scheduled for release during the latter half of the band's We Are Not Your Kind touring cycle,which was delayed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a three-year delay,vocalist Corey Taylor announced in August 2023 the album will likely be released in 2024.
"Yen" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released as the third single from the band's seventh studio album,The End,So Far on August 5,2022.
Adderall is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot from their seventh studio album The End,So Far (2022),as well as being released as the band's first extended play (EP) on June 9,2023,by Roadrunner Records. The EP features six variations on the song.