CFNN Rock Correspondent Dana Murray

Yesterday, Nu Metal pioneers Slipknot released a new song: “Arsenal.” I was ecstatic that they were finally releasing new music, but my hopes were dimmed when I heard from multiple people that the song was underwhelming. As a music critic and self-proclaimed optimist, I figured I would give it a fair shot. The fair shot quickly turned into “what on earth were they thinking?” However, I still feel that the people deserve to know what to expect if they give it a listen.

My main issue with the song is the lyrics. I grew up listening to songs such as “Snuff,” and “Wait and Bleed,” which spoke to me on a personal level. Some of the newer songs, such as “Yen,” and “De Sade,” were incredible in my books. The lyrics for “Arsenal” felt like they were written by an edgelord band trying to be Slipknot. Seriously, how did the band that wrote “love is just a camouflage for what resembles rage again” also write “I know all the demons despise me?” I noticed that the chorus only repeats the phrase “let’s go.” That’s just lazy songwriting. 

Another issue is that Corey Taylor doesn’t sound like himself. I felt like it was someone’s poor impersonation of Taylor. It’s this weird space between singing and Taylor’s typical screaming, which doesn’t sound good. This new “technique” makes the song feel off. It also makes the “edgelord” lyrics even cringier. I’m incredibly disappointed in Taylor’s performance.

Now, I understand wanting to experiment with sounds and keep your reputation as a pioneering band in the genre, but if the ways you experiment sound abysmal, no one is going to take you seriously. Take Yoko Ono, for example, who flourished in the avant garde genre, but most people thought of her as a laughing stock because of the screech-singing. Artists such as Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention were able to experiment to no end without losing fans, but that was because the experimentation actually sounded good. Slipknot sadly falls into the Yoko Ono category with this new single.

The best thing I can say about this song is that it has some solid riffs. For all of the experimentation that the rest of the band did, at least Mick Thompson still sounded like himself in his solo. It had the same intensity as past Slipknot songs, which serves as a reminder of how good the band was before this song was released. Those riffs were the only things that salvaged this song from being a total dumpster fire, but even then they weren’t enough to completely save it. 

All in all, I’m terribly disappointed in Slipknot. I was expecting another album like The End, So Far, which was great despite being panned critically. I don’t know what “Arsenal” was, but I hope it’s a “one bad song on a great album” situation. This song is a great reminder that sometimes experimentation in music can go too far.