We Are Not Your Kind reset the bar for Slipknot albums, returning to the sheer intensity of their first two records to re-establish them as an 18-legged maelstrom of nihilism and fury. The End, So Far is a near-complete inverse of that, embracing their most experimental tendencies.
There are apoplectic ragers (Hivemind, Warranty, H377), melodious anthems (Yen, Medicine For The Dead, Acidic, Finale) and even nu-metal revivalism (The Chapeltown Rag), yet the album remains cohesive throughout.
Symphonies, angelic choirs, an opener that has overtones of Kid A-era Radiohead; it challenges expectations for Slipknot albums in 2022 while not losing any of the creative fire that made its predecessor so great.
The End, So Far feels like the fullest expression of what the nine are capable of since 2004’s Vol. 3. It’s the sound of a band returning to the apex of their creative potency.
