Day 0978 - All Hope is Gone

Slipknot "All Hope is Gone" (2008)

I’m kind of surprised to see more than one Slipknot album on this list (their self-titled debut was day 885).  More surprising is that the second selection is not their excellent third album “Vol.3: The Subliminal Verses”.  With that album they expanded their sound to include some more melodic tracks and different musical ideas, while presenting a cohesive sound that utilised all members.   Lots of memorable music there.

Apparently “All Hope is Gone” sold better, so maybe that’s why it’s here.   It opens (as many of the Slipknot albums do) with a creepy ambient track that’s not really a song as such.  The first couple of songs passed me by without really making much of an impact.

For my tastes, the album doesn’t really get going till you reach single “Psychosocial” which has a nice pulsing chug of an intro/verse and a catchy melodic chorus that keeps the momentum going.   This is followed by the melodically interesting “Dead Memories” and the crazy drum intro of thrasher “Vendetta”.   Elsewhere, “Gehenna” is a creepy horror movie piece that moves into melodic almost grungey territory in places.

After a couple more metal tracks they drop in "Snuff" which, with its emotive melodic vocal, acoustic guitar and dramatic production brings singer Corey Taylor's other band Stonesour to mind.   

 

The album closes out with the title track that is pretty unrelenting with speedy percussion, yelled vocals and speedy metal guitar.   

As suggested, I prefer "Vol.3" but this one has enough to recommend it.

Day 0885 - Slipknot

Slipknot “Slipknot” (1999) – got it

Slipknot as a band are something of an onslaught on all fronts.  For a start, the album cover that shows all 9(!) members of the band in their stage garb (borrowed liberally from Mr Bungle) of matching overalls and a collection of bondage, clown and other masks.  This image combined with the band-members being identified by numbers instead of their names leads to an general dehumanisation of them.

With 1 drummer, 2 percussionists, a bassist, 2 guitarists, a DJ, a sampler and a vocalist, the band present an imposing aural and visual presence.

After a brief track with repeated vocal sample and unsettling oscillating drone sounds, the aural part of the assault kicks off with opening track "(sic)".  It’s a thundering wall of metal guitar and pounding drums.   A friend of mine pointed out that Slipknot’s heaviness comes less from their guitars (though the riffs are plenty heavy) or the vocals (though again, ROAR) and more from the 3-headed drums/percussion monster that really gives the music much of its punishing brutality.

If the band's approach has a problem, it'd be that the onslaught is a little too constant.  Though there's a drum-n-bass break at the start of third track, a little more melody in single "Wait and Bleed" and one or two other little variations, for the most part it's the same sound across the album's runtime.


.... and of course don't forget the secret hidden track, because it's still the 90s.

Day 0764 - Ill Communication

Beastie Boys "Ill Communication" (1994)

The second day of illness in a row.  Clearly 1994 was an ill year indeed!

 

The Beasties had been paring back their use of sampling, opting instead to play instruments themselves for their tracks.    That, combined with Adam Yauch's interest in Buddhism, their early hardcore punk roots, and their hip hop sound makes for an incredibly diverse album.

There are rocking hardcore tracks, monkish chants, moments of 70s funk, jazz instrumentals and of course the guys busting their raps all over it.   A couple of their better known tracks are found on this album including "Sabotage".  The band had worked out the music for it but had no lyrics.   Later, Ad-Rock was 'ambushed' by paparazzi while attending a private memorial service for River Phoenix.   He unleashed his anger in rap that ended up being the lyrical basis for 'Sabotage'.