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.5: The Gray Chapter

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Untitled

.5: The Gray Chapter is the fifth major label studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot.[2] It was released in Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands on October 17, 2014, the UK on October 20, 2014 and in North America on October 21, 2014.[3] It is the first studio album by the band in six years and the first to not feature founding bassist Paul Gray and long time drummer Joey Jordison due to the death of Gray in 2010 (the title of the album being a reference to his name), and the departure of Jordison in late 2013.[2] A standard and deluxe edition of the album was released. The deluxe edition features two listed bonus tracks and 3 unlisted bonus tracks, as well as another special edition featuring a T-shirt of the album cover has been released.[4]

Background

The writing process of the record began in late 2013. Wanting to dedicate more time to the album, guitarist Jim Root decided not to tour with Stone Sour in January 2014.[5] According to frontman Corey Taylor, the sound of the album is somewhat of a cross between 2001's Iowa and 2004's Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses).[6] Taylor told Pop Culture Madness that the material contains "gorgeous melodies" and the artistic direction as Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) but yet retains some of its "brutality" from the Iowa era.[7]

A new bassist and drummer were added to the lineup during the recording process and Taylor told Loudwire that two similar masks were created for their appearances in music videos and stage performances as they felt it was disrespectful to have them sporting unique masks.[8] Both members were briefly shown in the music video for "The Devil In I", however their identities have not been announced by Slipknot amidst speculation.[9][10] Jim Root revealed in an interview that founding guitarist and former touring bassist Donnie Steele was involved in some of the studio sessions for the album, but that ultimately Steele declined to rejoin the band in favor of starting a family with his wife. Bassist Alessandro Venturella of Krokodil was identified by the unique tattoos on his hands, performing in the video for "The Devil in I".[11]

The album was produced by Greg Fidelman, known for his work with Metallica, System of a Down, Audioslave and more. He also mixed their third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) ten years ago. Joe Barresi handled the mixing duties.[12]

Promotion

On July 15, the band began releasing short teasers for the new album for over a two-week period that turned out to be clips from the official video along with samples from a song entitled "The Negative One".[13][14] The song was released on August 1, 2014 and an accompanying video was released on August 5, 2014. It was directed by Shawn Crahan; however, it did not feature any of the band members.[15] On August 13, 2014 the band revealed the cover art for their official radio single entitled "The Devil in I".[16] and the single premiered on August 24, 2014.[17] The official video for the single was unveiled on September 12 featuring the members with new variations of their masks with the exception of Taylor who debuted a new mask and the new bassist and drummer's masks which were very similar.[10] Slipknot began their world tour at the second iteration of Knotfest as headliners on October 25 and the 26 with Anthrax, Five Finger Death Punch, Otep and Black Label Society among others in California.[18] A co-headline North American tour with Korn dubbed the Prepare for Hell tour will commence afterwards with King 810 in support.[19][20] The album appeared on Spotify on October 17, prior to its official release.[citation needed]. Slipknot and Korn are embarking on the British leg of the Prepare For Hell tour in January 2015.

Reception

Commercial performance

.5: The Gray Chapter landed in the no. 1 spot in Australia on the ARIA Albums Chart.[21] .5: The Gray Chapter was Slipknot's second album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart by selling a total of 132,000 copies in its first week.[22] It also debuted at No. 1 in Japan, Australia, Canada, Russia and Switzerland. It had Top 5 debuts in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, Austria, New Zealand, Mexico, Denmark and Finland.

Critical response

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic77/100[23]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[24]
ArtistDirect[25]
Blabbermouth.net[26]
Consequence of SoundC+[27]
Exclaim!(7/10)[28]
Kerrang!
The Guardian[29]
Metal Hammer[30]
Revolver[31]
Rolling Stone[32]

.5: The Gray Chapter received critical acclaim. Most critics noted and praised the return of their older sound from Slipknot and Iowa, while maintaining the melodies the band explored on Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses).

Revolver magazine critic Dan Epstein wrote: "It is to Slipknot’s great credit that they acknowledge Gray’s memory on ‘.5: The Gray Chapter,’ but it’s also to their credit that they don’t try to sugarcoat their loss, anger or grief anywhere on the album." Epstein also further added: “From that deep well of pain, another great Slipknot record has emerged.”[31]

Loudwire critic Chad Childers wrote: "As usual, this mix of all the different sounds somehow comes together to create a musical journey. And while ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’ definitely rocks and pummels you in all the right places like you would hope, it also shows a depth in emotion and some heavily personal moments on a much grander scale, as well. ”[33]

AllMusic critic Gregory Heaney noted: "Listening to the album, it's clear that even though Slipknot aren't over the loss of a dear friend and colleague, they're able to channel their grief into a productive album, allowing them to continue moving forward while paying tribute to a fallen comrade with one of the strongest albums of their career."[34]

The Guardian critic Dom Lawson wrote: "....5: The Gray Chapter is every bit as warped and explosive as previous records, with songs such as Skeptic, AOV and The Negative One harking back to the swivel-eyed thuggery of their early material."[35]

Artistdirect critic Rick Florino gave the album a perfect rating and wrote: "By the time this journey ends, it feels as if Slipknot have come full circle. This is their most abrasive work since their self-titled debut, yet it's also their most majestic. It's their best work and a testament to their resolve."[36]

Blabbermouth.net critic Ray Van Horn gave the album a positive review and wrote: ".5 The Gray Chapter is a largely dark, often moving listening experience." He would also note the album was "a return to their punishing roots...a logical advancement between old and new Slipknot", and that "AOV zips into some of the thrashiest tones Slipknot's yet delivered..."[37]

Exclaim! critic Bradley Zorgdrager gave the album a positive review saying, "...Slipknot wastes no time kicking it back to 2001's Iowa...it's hard to deny the pummeling of Sarcastrophe, Lech or AOV". He would later note: "Though it does eventually get bogged down under its own excess, considering the weight Slipknot had to shoulder to even get this album out, it's a considerable accomplishment and a lovely eulogy to their fallen comrade."[38]

Metal Hammer critic Dom Lawson noted: "If you want brutal, turbocharged Slipknot, then there’s plenty of that here. Sarcastrophe is a flurry of dissonant knife jabs...AOV kicks off at a high velocity Slayer pace...the three-song section that lurches from Custer’s gruesome opening riff, full-pelt clatter and anguished bellow of ‘I’ve lost my fucking mind!’ through the eerie drones and unsettling atmospherics of Be Prepared For Hell and into the familiar but fizzing devilry of The Negative One is as thrilling as anything Slipknot have released to date." He would conclude his review stating, "...this is what Slipknot sound like in 2014. And it's pretty fucking great."[39]

Rock Revolt gave the album 4 1/2 stars out of 5 and noted: "...the album has elements from both (Iowa and Vol. 3 The Subliminal verses) while pushing the creative boundaries of past albums into new territory. This latest effort expands on the bands unique sound and moves beyond previous albums on many levels, while still returning to embrace the ‘heavy fucking metal’ that launched them onto the world-stage. There is an unmistakable darkness inherent in the songs..." The review would conclude with, "The Gray Chapter is arguably Slipknot’s strongest effort to date, packed with thick, heavy-hitting guitar riffs and nimble drumming, interlaced with lyrical content that can easily be assumed as references to the late Paul Gray."[40]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Slipknot[41][42]

No.TitleLength
1."XIX"3:10
2."Sarcastrophe"5:06
3."AOV"5:32
4."The Devil in I"5:42
5."Killpop"3:45
6."Skeptic"4:46
7."Lech"4:50
8."Goodbye"4:35
9."Nomadic"4:18
10."The One That Kills the Least"4:11
11."Custer"4:14
12."Be Prepared for Hell"1:57
13."The Negative One"5:25
14."If Rain Is What You Want"6:20
Total length:63:51
Deluxe Edition Disc 2
No.TitleLength
1."Override"5:37
2."The Burden"5:23
3."Silent"2:00
4."Talk"6:19
5."Funny"1:28
Total length:84:38

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[43] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[44] 2
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[45] 12
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[46] 13
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[47] 1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[48] 5
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] 13
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[50] 4
French Albums (SNEP)[51] 8
Illegal chart entered Germany2 2
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[52] 1
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[53] 3
Irish Albums (IRMA)[54] 4
Italian Albums (FIMI)[55] 6
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[56] 2
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[57] 4
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[58] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[59] 3
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[60] 1
UK Albums (OCC)[61] 2
US Billboard 200[62] 1

Personnel

Slipknot

Session musicians

  • Undisclosed members performed bass and drum tracks.

Technical and production

References

  1. ^ Neila Owen (October 23, 2014). "Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Allmusic. Retrieved October 30, 2014. Combining the punishing, pummeling metal of the band's early work with the more melodic focus of their later years, The Gray Chapter shows off just how unexpectedly wide the band's range is, going from a plaintive, atmospheric ballad like album-opener "XIX" to a thrash-inspired pummeling like "Sarcastrophe" without missing a beat.
  2. ^ a b "Slipknot To Release '.5: The Gray Chapter' In October". Blabbermouth.net. August 25, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
  3. ^ ".5: The Gray Chapter: This item will be released on October 20". Amazon UK. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
  4. ^ ".5: The Gray Chapter (Cd + T-Shirt - Xlarge) by Slipknot: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  5. ^ Pasbani, Robert (2013-12-04). "SLIPKNOT So Serious About Writing New Music That Guitarist Jim Root Is Sitting Out The Next STONE SOUR Tour". MetalInjection. Retrieved 2014-08-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Kennelty, Greg (2013-10-21). "SLIPKNOT Frontman Says New Material Is "Really Dark," Will Be A Mix of Iowa & Vol. 3". MetalInjection . Retrieved 2014-08-25. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Hartmann, Graham (2014-05-23). "Corey Taylor on New Slipknot Album: 'People Are Gonna Lose Their Minds When They Hear It'". Loudwire. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  8. ^ Full Metal Jackie, Full Metal Jackie (2014-09-10). "Slipknot's Corey Taylor Talks '.5: The Gray Chapter,' 2014 Knotfest + Moving Forward". Loudwire. Retrieved 2014-09-10.
  9. ^ "New Slipknot Bassist's Identity Revealed? - Blabbermouth.net". Blabbermouth. 2014-09-12. Retrieved 2014-09-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (2014-09-12). "Slipknot Host Asylum Rave in Terrifying 'The Devil In I' Video". RollingStone. Retrieved 2014-09-19.
  11. ^ Hartmann, Graham (2014-10-08). "Slipknot's Corey Taylor on New Bassist's Identity Leak: 'I Was So Upset'". Loudwire. Retrieved 2014-10-08.
  12. ^ "Greg Fidelman Revealed as New Slipknot Producer". Ultimate Guitar Archive. 2014-10-08.
  13. ^ Pasbani, Robert (2014-07-23). "Another Day, Another SLIPKNOT Teaser". MetalInjection. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  14. ^ Hartmann, Graham (2014-07-31). "Slipknot Continue to Tease New Album With Cryptic Written Message". Loudwire. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  15. ^ Daisy Wyatt (2014-03-19). "Slipknot unveil first new song in six years 'The Negative One' - News - Music". The Independent. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  16. ^ "SLIPKNOT UNVEIL THE DEVIL IN I ARTWORK". Kerrang!. 2014-08-13. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  17. ^ Grow, Kory (2014-08-25). "Hear Slipknot's Pummeling 'The Devil in I' From '.5: The Gray Chapter'". RollingStone. Retrieved 2014-08-25.
  18. ^ Pasbani, Robert (2014-08-11). "KNOTFEST Announce New Bands & Another Stage Added". MetalInjection. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  19. ^ "Slipknot unveil details of fifth studio album". The Guardian. 2014-08-25. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  20. ^ "Slipknot's Prepare For Hell Tour with Korn and KING 810". Roadrunner Records. 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  21. ^ "Slipknot Land No 1 Album On ARIA Chart". Roadrunner Records. 2014-10-25. Retrieved 2014-10-25.
  22. ^ "Slipknot Scores Second No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. 2014-10-29. Retrieved 2014-10-29.
  23. ^ ".5: The Gray Chapter - Slipknot". Metacritic. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  24. ^ Neila Owen (October 23, 2014). "Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". AllMusic. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  25. ^ Rick Florino (October 21, 2014). "Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". ArtistDirect. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  26. ^ Van Horn Jr., Ray (October 30, 2014). "Slipknot - ".5: The Gray Chapter"". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  27. ^ Freed, Nick (October 21, 2014). Consequence of Sound http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/10/album-review-slipknot-5-the-gray-chapter/. Retrieved October 16, 2014. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ^ Zorgdrager, Bradley (October 17, 2014). "Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  29. ^ Lawson, Dom (October 16, 2014). "Slipknot: .5: The Gray Chapter review – Iowan rockers' suitably unhinged return". The Guardian. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  30. ^ Lawson, Dom (October 15, 2014). "Review: Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter". Metal Hammer. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  31. ^ a b Epstein, Dan (October 1, 2014). "Review: Slipknot — .5: The Gray Chapter". Revolver. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  32. ^ Dolan, Jon (October 21, 2014). ".5: The Gray Chapter". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
  33. ^ Chad Childers (October 21, 2014). "Slipknot, '.5: The Gray Chapter' – Album Review". Loudwire. Retrieved October 22, 2014.
  34. ^ Gregory Heaney. ".5: The Gray Chapter - Slipknot - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  35. ^ "Slipknot: .5: The Gray Chapter review – Iowan rockers' suitably unhinged return". the Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  36. ^ "Album Review: Slipknot ".5: The Gray Chapter" – 5 out of 5 stars". ARTISTdirect. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
  37. ^ http://www.blabbermouth.net/cdreviews/5-the-gray-chapter/
  38. ^ http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/Metal/slipknot-5_gray_chapter
  39. ^ http://metalhammer.teamrock.com/reviews/2014-10-15/review-slipknot-5-the-gray-chapter
  40. ^ http://rockrevoltmagazine.com/album-review-slipknot-the-gray-chapter/
  41. ^ .5: The Gray Chapter (booklet). Slipknot. Roadrunner. 2014. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |titlelink= ignored (|title-link= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  42. ^ ".5: The Gray Chapter". Amazon. Retrieved 2014-10-21.
  43. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  44. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  45. ^ "Ultratop.be – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  46. ^ "Ultratop.be – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  47. ^ "Slipknot Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  48. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  49. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  50. ^ "Slipknot: .5: The Gray Chapter" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  51. ^ "Lescharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  52. ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: {{{date}}}" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  53. ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2014. 43. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  54. ^ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week {{{week}}}, {{{year}}}". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
  55. ^ "Artisti - Classifica settimanale WK 43 (dal 20-10-2014 al 26-10-2014)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  56. ^ "Charts.nz – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  57. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  58. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  59. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  60. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  61. ^ "Slipknot | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved October 27, 2014.
  62. ^ "Slipknot Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
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