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Rating: I'm here to review (my first time) one of the most anticipated and interesting albums of 2008, namely "All Hope Is Gone", the latest effort by "Slipknot". From this new work (awaited for four long years) we had a first taste with the brilliant "All Hope Is Gone" title track released on June 20, 2008, and a second one with "Psychosocial" released on June 30, 2008. But now let's get to it; I'm about to undertake this mission unlike any before.
The album opens with a spectral "Execute" armed with an aggressive and accusatory lyric accompanied by an instrumental background comprising guitars, percussion, samplers, and even the support of Sid (DJ). After this 1 minute and 46-second intro, we jump into "Gematria", a rousing track that alternates between frenzy and anger with a nice guitar solo. Then comes "Sulfur", a track that is easy to listen to where Joey's double bass drum predominates, featuring a somewhat bland solo. Next, it's the turn of the already mentioned "Psychosocial", the first single released, which turns out to be a bit too monotonous despite the beautiful guitar solo. The fifth track is "Dead Memories", a very well-done song and the second single; here the chorus is sung purely and is really well-suited; post-solo there's a slowdown of about ten seconds that then explodes once again into the chorus followed by a brief second solo that ends the song. The sixth track is "Vendetta", a very "Heavy" song where the double bass heats up, and lacks a guitar solo; the riff is very engaging but the first part of the chorus (divided into two parts) repeats three times (while the second part two times) and may become tedious after several listens. The seventh track is titled "This Cold Black" where: the malice recalls the band's early albums, the double bass is very noticeable, there's a vicious yet catchy chorus, and towards the end, there's a very "Death School" solo; this is a track that is appreciated after a couple of listens. The tenth track is "Wherein Lies Continue", a bit too heavy, even though it has a nice lyric; in any case, it's a repetitive track and hard to appreciate also due to the absence of even a minimal solo (which would certainly have lightened this misplaced brick). Track number eleven: "Snuff... " what to say! This is one of the jewels of the album! In itself, it's a splendid song, and on top of that, it marks the band's maturation as they give birth to an unprecedented ballad within the group's history; this 4-minute and 37-second song is opened by an acoustic guitar, and explodes at the second and a half minute into a very melodic electric double guitar; the chorus is perfectly suited and the lack of a solo is not missed. And finally, here we are: "All Hope Is Gone" arrives with an apocalypse of sounds, along with an apocalyptic lyric that poses insidious questions to us all; the chorus is full of energy like the whole song, and the fast and ruthless solo... incredible!
This album is truly excellent, the band's best, and I don't regret rushing to my trusted shop on the day it was released (August 29, 2008); noteworthy is the presence of guitar solos in almost all tracks and even if it isn't much heard, to the experienced ear of a percussionist (such as myself), the unprecedented use of cymbals by the two additional percussionists (Shawn Crahan and Chris Fehn) does not escape attention. Buy it!
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 All Hope Is Gone (04:45)
The state of the nation - violation!
A broken promise is as good as a lie.
The hell is humongous, the devil's among us
and we will burn because we won't unite!
We won't witness anymore freedom.
Where is anybody? Do we need 'em?"
I would rather fight,
than let another die.
We're the problem,
but we're also the solution.
ALL HOPE IS GONE!!!
If you want you cannot take it from me.
If you think you can, you still don't know me.
Let me tell you, when I said it, I meant it
and I will always have the right to defend it.
Fifty seconds, a hundred murders.
The bill of rights is a bill of sale.
What will you do when the war is over?
What will you do when your systems fail!?
[chorus]
We have made the presence -obsolete.
What do you want?
What do you need?
We'll find a way,
When all hope is gone!
We've seen the fall of the elite.
Bury your life,
Take your disease.
We'll end the world,
when all hope is gone!
[chorus]
The wretched are the wounded,
The hungry starved to death.
At a place where no-one goes,
the air itself is a final breathe.
So discontinue,
the antisceptic cash charade.
As the cry of justice comes,
Our malignant fire fades.
I am the reason your future suffers.
I am the hatred you won't embrace.
I am the worm of a pure distinction.
I am the remedy, spit in my face!
All your lies and wars are out-dated.
All your subjects are dulling mind games.
I can rattle off a million other reasons why
but doesn't matter when the only thing we love will die.
[chorus 2x]
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Other reviews
By Zio_Ozzy
"The song immediately kicks off very strong with a very aggressive instrumental part."
"If the whole album is like 'All Hope Is Gone', we can expect one of the best albums from the 'knot."
By emanuele
"Slipknot is back much more intense than before, with that renewed anger that gave birth to 'Slipknot' and 'Iowa'."
Corey’s voice here sounds much dirtier and more gritty and, in a sense, also more interesting and unique.
By wish
"This work is exactly what the previous album 'Vol 3 The Subliminal Verses' and the Taylor and Root project 'Stone Sour' predicted for the band’s future: a remarkable melodic addition to the usual brutal and death-leaning style Slipknot had accustomed us to."
"If one is too attached to the old Slipknot, the title of the work will be extremely prophetic."
By velu
"All Hope Is Gone is a real wonder for the ears, it’s great to sing at the top of your lungs."
"This album makes us understand that experience has made the 9 masked men take giant steps... definitively METAL!"
By gurzogurzo
So many riffs in this new masterpiece from Slipknot, just as there are many riffs that get smashed on Mick Thomson’s guitar.
With stones thrown with a baseball bat like Gematria, it’s clear that Slipknot are truly strong.
