Corey Taylor is one of the most talented singers period, and if you think In Flames got off well from R2R then there are no words to describe how well-timed Slipknot's arrival to the nu-metal/rap-metal scene was. They were much heavier than the likes of LB, LP, Korn, PR, but it appealed to every angry teen in the world while being catchy enough (Wait and bleed, Before I forget, My Plague) to reach to other audiences as well. Then they released All Hope Is Gone, their gay ass album, which is listenable, and very easy to forget and now, based on the 2 promo songs from their newest album, it seems like they are making Iowa part 2. Which is great, Slipknot is pretty much the only popular band that kept their sound.
If they were to go with the style presented on Mate Feed Kill Repeat, no one would talk about Slipknot. Hell, imagine if they had released it to wider audiences. Man, they would get so much shit from 10-20 angry guys who stucked in the past for selling out, haha. I'M pretty sure the concept of this happening is familiar to everyone on this board.
But in case it wasn't clear, I agree with you that Slipknot more or less remained the same. But then there is Linkin Park who can't fucking sound the same on two consecutive albums (HT-Meteora being the only exceptions) and they are still popular as ever. I mean, it's hard to imagine that the same guys who made A Thousand Suns made The Hunting Party as well. They are fucking all over the place and make whatever they like. And do you know why they can do it?
For the same reason what Anders said: they've already reached far more they ever hoped so, they don't have to appeal to anyone anymore. Oooh, do people dig soft melodies now? Or shall I rap? Is MDM mainstream now to make TJR part 2? None of these questions have to come up in the guys head and I really envy them to be so free. If I had a band with 5000 followers I might be way too pussy to try new things, because if any of them thinks my new material is shit, I'm done, back to work. Then again, with that mentality I'd be playing for those 5000 guys until the end of my career.
It's pretty clear Anders and co. wanted to make THIS album now. Before SC, if anyone had asked you which is IF's softest album, there would've been debates. With the release of SC I don't think it's debateable, this album is not angry, and I personally love the change. When I first heard ASOP and SOAPF I hated both, it took me a long time to appeciate ASOP for what it is, and I still did not wrap my head around SOAPF. SC hooked me in after In Plain View immidietly, and it's no just the "softness" (the song is among the heavier ones anyway), I digged CC and STYE as well for the first listen, and CC is - in some areas - much heavier than the earlier releases, so yeah.
I like Thornography from Cradle Of Filth for example. I like their other records as well and I'm not even saying it's my favourite, but it's awesome that they have such an album in their discography that breaks the ice - in CoF standards. You know shit is serious when Dani actually SINGS. Then they went on releasing Godspeed... to rip your head and ears off once again.
Oh well, with the US release soon we will get proper reviews so I'm excited!
