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]
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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At a length of 57 minutes and 31 seconds, The End, So Far is the band's shortest studio album to date.
Background
editOn 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]
Critical reception
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
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 received generally favorable reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 80, based on 10 reviews.
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]
Accolades
editPublication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Loudwire | The 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022 | – | [33] |
Metal Hammer | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 16 | [34] |
Revolver | 25 Best Albums of 2022 | 16 | [35] |
Commercial performance
editThe 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.[36] 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.[37] 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.[38][39] 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.[40]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Slipknot
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
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 |
Personnel
editCredits retrieved from album's liner notes.[41]
- (#8) Corey Taylor – lead vocals
- (#7) Mick Thomson – guitars
- (#6) Shawn "Clown" Crahan – percussion, backing vocals
- (#5) Craig "133" Jones – samples, media, keyboards
- (#4) James Root – guitars
- (#0) Sid Wilson – turntables, keyboards
- Alessandro Venturella – bass, piano
- Jay Weinberg – drums
- Michael Pfaff – percussion, backing vocals
- Jennifer Prim – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Jahna Perricone – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Andrew Koch – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Carmen Sicherman – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Brian Wold – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Kat Green – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Gordon Glor – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Stacy Young – choir (1, 6, 12)
- John DeMartini – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Grainne Ward – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Lon Fiala – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Nicole Scates – choir (1, 6, 12)
- Carmel Simmons – choir (1, 6, 12)
Production
- Slipknot – production
- Joe Barresi – production, mixing, recording engineer
- Bob Ludwig – mastering
- Alex Linares – additional recording (10)
- Tristan Hardin – additional recording (10)
- Greg Gordon – additional recording (10)
- Matt Tuggle – assistant engineer
- Kelsey Porter – assistant engineer
- Brian Rajaratnam – assistant engineer
- Jun Murakawa – assistant engineer
- Jerry Johnson – drum technician
- Billy Bowers – drum editing
- Virgilio Tzaj – design
- Shawn Crahan – art direction, photography
- Anthony Scanga – additional photography
Charts
edit
Weekly chartsedit
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Year-end chartsedit
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References
edit- ^ a b c "Slipknot - 'The End, So Far'". October 1, 2022.
- ^ "The Weekly Injection: New Releases from Slipknot, Escuela Grind & More Out Today 9/30". September 30, 2022.
- ^ "Slipknot's Clown Confirms The Band is Leaving Roadrunner Records". MetalSucks. August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (March 16, 2022). "Slipknot Have Finally Acknowledged Tortilla Man's Real Identity". Loudwire. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ updated, Merlin Aldersladelast (June 7, 2023). "Slipknot announce departure of Craig Jones, then delete announcement". louder. Retrieved June 18, 2023.
- ^ "SLIPKNOT Parts Ways With Drummer JAY WEINBERG". Blabbermouth. November 5, 2023. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
- ^ Enis, Eli (May 19, 2021). "Clown: Slipknot Are In L.A. Working On "God Music" And "Having A Blast"". Revolver. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
- ^ a b DiVita, Joe (June 9, 2021). "Clown – Slipknot 'Hopefully' Releasing New Album in 2021, Will Part Ways With Roadrunner Records". Loudwire. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ^ Carter, Emily (November 2, 2021). "Have Slipknot started teasing a new single?". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ Lavin, Will (November 4, 2021). "Slipknot announce new single 'The Chapeltown Rag' coming tomorrow". NME. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Carter, Emily (December 17, 2021). "Corey Taylor gives Slipknot album update, says he likes it even more than We Are Not Your Kind". Kerrang!. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ DiVita, Joe (February 3, 2022). "New Slipknot Album 'Like a Heavier Version' of 'Vol. 3′ Says Corey Taylor". Loudwire. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ a b Arcand, Rob (July 19, 2022). "Slipknot Announce New Album The End, So Far, Share New Video: Watch". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Rettig, James (July 19, 2022). "Slipknot – "The Dying Song (Time To Sing)"". Stereogum. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ a b Carter, Emily (August 5, 2022). "Slipknot release new song Yen: "It's such a great, cool departure for us"". Kerrang!. Retrieved August 12, 2022.
- ^ "Slipknot Share 'Yen' Music Video + Announce 'The End, So Far' CD Variants". Live In Limbo. August 23, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2022.
- ^ Corey Taylor dedicates Slipknot's "The End, So Far" to Joey Jordison
- ^ Corey Taylor dedicates Slipknot's "The End, So Far" to Joey Jordison
- ^ Schaffner, Lauryn (October 6, 2022). "Physical Copies of Slipknot's New Album Have the Wrong Title on the Cover". Loudwire. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ slipknottheendsofar (October 3, 2022). "I am corey taylor, #8 from slipknot". r/Music. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
- ^ "The End, So Far by Slipknot reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ "The End, So Far by Slipknot Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ a b Monger, James Christopher (September 30, 2022). "Album: Slipknot – The End So Far Album Reviews, Songs & More". AllMusic. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "Slipknot's THE END, SO FAR is One for the Maggots and Beyond: Review". September 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "SLIPKNOT: The End, So Far". Blabbermouth.net. September 27, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Swingle, Emily (September 30, 2022). "Slipknot – The End, So Far". Clash. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ >McCormick, Neil; Hewett, Ivan; French-Morris, Kate; Kambasha, Michelle; Hobbs, Thomas; Hall, James; Edwards, Tina; Krol, Charlotte; Ruskell, Nick (September 30, 2022). "Best albums of the week: Keith Jarrett, Björk, Slipknot and Gabriels". The Telegraph.
- ^ Hopkins, Manus. "Slipknot Find New Beginnings at 'The End, So Far'". Exclaim!. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
- ^ a b Morton, Luke (September 29, 2022). "Album review: Slipknot – The End, So Far". Kerrang!. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
- ^ Leivers, Dannii (September 19, 2022). "Slipknot's The End, So Far: "the world's most volatile, nine-man wrecking crew are as untameable as ever"". Metal Hammer. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
- ^ a b Trendell, Andrew (September 28, 2022). "Slipknot – 'The End, So Far' review: strap in, Maggots – things get weird". NME. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ >"Slipknot – 'The End, So Far' review".
- ^ "The 50 Best Rock + Metal Albums of 2022". Loudwire. November 21, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "These are Metal Hammer's Top 50 Best albums of 2022". Metal Hammer. December 9, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "25 Best Albums of 2022". Revolver. November 24, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
- ^ "Slipknot on Instagram: "Thank you, Maggots. #TheEndSoFar"".
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (October 9, 2022). "Bad Bunny's 'Un Verano Sin Ti' Ties for Most Weeks at No. 1 in Last 10 Years on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
- ^ Griffiths, George (October 3, 2022). "George Michael, Slipknot, The Snuts, Craig David and more lead all-new midweek albums Top 5". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ Smith, Carl (October 7, 2022). "Slipknot claim third UK Number 1 album with The End So Far following close battle with George Michael and The Snuts". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- ^ Jones, Alan (October 7, 2022). "Charts analysis: Slipknot win three-way battle for No.1". MusicWeek. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
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- ^ "Lista prodaje 41. tjedan 2022. (03.10.2020. – 09.10.2020.)" (in Croatian). Top Lista. 2022. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ "Hitlisten.NU – Album Top-40 Uge 40, 2022". Hitlisten. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
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