#slipknot — Public Fediverse posts

At #MetalSchool today, we are studying Slipknot's debut album.

Thank you to @Kitty and @HailsandAles for encouraging / reminding me to give it a crack.

There's a lot going on there, but you have to keep nine chaps busy, I suppose.

#Slipknot #NowListening

Against I are neither a one-sided I Against I nor a Rastafarian Against Me!, but a Swedish blackened death metal trio of vocalist Fredrik Keith Croona (Cynical Existence, ex-Menschdefekt), guitarist Mathias Back, and drummer Anders Ström. Founded in 2022, Against I have been busy preaching disillusionment towards man’s better angels across two LPs and and two EPs. Into their third year, Against I are back with their third full-length album Anti Life, an anthem for everyone bitter against the world, religion and, probably, their parents. This kind of intense workload in such a short time could mean a variety of things. It could mean Against I are an exceptionally driven bunch. It could also mean they’re on a fast track to burning out on Anti Life. What could it be?

I won’t faff about: Anti Life embodies the worst qualities of both black and death metal. Across nearly an hour of music, Against I slop out grooveless grooves (“Darkness Within,” “Where We Lay to Rest”) and flat tremolos (“In Death’s Grip,” “Descend”) at an unhurried mid-pace under tepid rasps and admittedly hefty gutturals (“Empire of Bones”). Against I occasionally crack out a slick drum groove (“Sacrifice,” “Empire of Bones”) but mostly stick to punky d-beats (“Built to Destroy”) or double-kick plods (“Symphony for the End”). Anti Life is heavy on gain, light on bass, and borderline bereft of dynamics or variety. Faux choirs and synths play chords to enforce its blackened aesthetics. Rinse and repeat, and you’ve got Anti Life in a nutshell. With such a limited toolbox stretched out over such a long runtime, Against I shaped a blackened death album with none of the majesty or atmosphere of black metal’s greatest hits nor the depraved brutality of death’s best.

Anti Life by Against I

Anti Life is made worse by simply clueless songwriting. Against I stick to an overly limited scope regarding song structure, with almost every track ambling between segments with little urgency or patience to let passages evolve. Nearly every chorus is just a two-to-four-bar phrase repeated twice, usually exactly the same way each time. Despite the rigid formatting, these songs feel haphazard. “Darkness Within” has one of the most aimless riffs I’ve ever heard, dicking around a handful of low notes without an apparent goal, while “In Death’s Grip” features completely random pitch-shifted vocal blips, and “All Hope Is Gone” opens and closes with electronics tacked on with little regard to the song in between.1 And then there’s the lyricism, unfortunately apparent due to Anti Life’s discernible rasps. Amidst the incessant wave of banal metal, the constant diatribes of surface-level social commentary (“Throne of Tyranny,” “War Never Ends”), tiresome nihilism (“Anti Life,” “Symphony for the End”) and premium edgelord lines like “In the land of rape and honey, only the stupid survive” (“Tempel of Greed”)2 turn Anti Life from a rough listen to a near insufferable one.

But worse than Against I having lots of bad ideas, Anti Life just doesn’t have much of anything at all. So little happens across so much time that recalling any particular moment from Anti Life is laborious. It’s telling when “Throne of Tyranny”‘s milquetoast melodeath riffing or “Greed”‘s3 guitar harmonics in its bridge—standard features in most any generic metal album—are standout highlights on Anti Life. Just constant knuckle-dragging chugs and spiceless tremolo riffs. There aren’t even any guitar solos. Or anything solos. Nothing to break up the monotonous patterns Against I are totally hellbent on maintaining. Typically, musicians strip back their sound to highlight certain aspects of their sound, but Against I don’t have anything to highlight on Anti Life. This is the most frustrating thing to write about: not the disaster album that swings and misses horrendously but doesn’t swing at all.

I don’t think Against I are inept—an inept group wouldn’t have gotten this far—but Anti Life is just terrible. Against I are spared from the dreaded AMG Unlistenable/0.5 Hall of Shame by the virtue that Anti Life at least executes the basic mechanics of metal music proficiently, if not exceptionally. This is a joyless, deeply tedious listen, and fans of both death and black metal can find anything on Anti Life on any number of other, better records in far more interesting iterations. I’m glad Against I released Anti Life close to the start of spring because this record’s uninspired negativity has got me seeking out fresh air and sunshine out of pure spite against it. I’m anti-this.

Rating: Embarrassing
DR: 3 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps MP3
Label: Twisted Flesh Recordings
Website: facebook.com/againstIband
Releases Worldwide: March 13th, 2026

The references to Slipknot influences on the new Orbit Culture album remind me that the whole Slipknot /Korn / Linkin Park era passed me by entirely, and I don't think I've listened to any of them, not that I'm aware of at any rate.

I'll have to do something about that I think.

#NuMetal #Slipknot #Korn #LinkinPark #MetalSchool

Lightchapter – Where All Hope Begins Review

By ClarkKent

Death metal generally dabbles in the dark, the grisly, the violent, and the brutal. With the aid of ’80s-style synths, Lightchapter plays a version with a lighter, more hopeful touch. The aptly-named Where All Hope Begins marks album number two for this quartet out of Denmark. The band’s mission is to merge “despair and hope” and also “pain and joy” through not only their sound but their lyrics. Even on a blog that celebrates the angry and still makes fun of the brief Happy Metal Guy stint, I imagine something that infuses joy and lightness would find a welcoming audience. After all, Countless Skies showed how a band could successfully write an uplifting progressive death metal record, and that one was well-liked around these parts. Do we dare get our hopes up for Lightchapter?

While synth is a core part of their sound, this ain’t no dungeon synth. Lightchapter strikes a balance between old-school synth rock and more modern melodeath. Following an intro tune, “Leading the Way,” that evokes Stranger Things-style synths, “Where All Hope Begins” sets the album going on its marriage between industrial death metal acts like Orbit Culture and ’80s synth rock stalwarts like Depeche Mode. This isn’t a brutal version of death metal but a much softer approach. Guitars have more reverb than bite, cutting down on the heaviness, and the drums similarly don’t punch with the punishing heft of a Brodequin. The ’80s stuff also helps to soften the sound, with the synths providing a layer that lightens the already light guitar tone. Then there’s those familiar ’80s drum tones—the gated reverb and toms—that’ll warp you back to your carefree days listening to Duran Duran and the like. Lightchapter also features some deathcore breakdowns, though not obnoxiously (“The Unholy Mass,” “Revenge”). This blend of styles finds its most effective execution towards the end of Where All Hope Begins, particularly on the catchy “Little Death.”

Due to the lack of brutal guitars and thunderous blast beats, Where All Hope Begins turns out to be a rather chill album. This is true despite the harsh growls from Mikkel Ottosen. In fact, his vocals complement the instrumentals well. The combination of Anders Berg’s reverb guitar tone and melodic riffs and Tobias Høst’s restrained drumming makes this a surprisingly relaxing listening experience. It’s true that songs like “What I Have Become” start out fast and heavy, but the heart of the song is soft tones and chill tempos. The softer moments gave me whiffs of Slipknot’s ballads, but also the lighter tunes on Rivers of Nihil’s latest. Lightchapter doesn’t quite hit the soaring emotional highs that Andy Thomas often reached, but that’s all part of their mellow charm. The hopeful tone is a breath of fresh air in the usually dark world of death metal.

If anything lets Lightchapter down, it’s a lack of hooks. The melodic leads and synths aren’t particularly catchy for most songs, nor are the choruses all that memorable. Some exceptions show how much stronger Where All Hope Begins could have been. “Unholy Mass” features not only a great synth line, but a memorable chorus when Ottosen sings “Father, you have forsaken me.” The final three tracks unleash Lightchapter’s true potential. “Little Death” is the album highlight, utilizing a catchy riff and synth combo that emphasizes Lightchapter’s strengths. The best chorus belongs to “My Own Kind,” which is the only song that comes close to reaching those Andy Thomas-level highs, thanks to the guitar tone. Combine the hooks of the one with the cathartic emotional highs of the other, and these guys could have something great on their hands. The finished product is an enjoyable record that doesn’t quite stick—but it shows how Lightchapter can get to that point next time.

Unfortunately, Lightchapter is releasing Where All Hope Begins at the end of a hectic release month, and on perhaps the biggest release day, where it’s competing for attention with Amorphis, Mors Principium Est, and Revocation. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and burned out from all of the must-listens this month, a spin or two of Where All Hope Begins could help ground you. Sometimes an album like this that tries something a little different without going off the rails is just what you need to settle your frayed nerves. Lightchapter has crafted an album that shows promise for this young band. If anything, it’ll at least give you some measure of hope.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 10 | Format Reviewed: ~175 kbps VBR mp3
Label: Self-Released
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Site
Releases Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

#2025 #30 #Amorphis #Brodequin #CountlessSkies #DanishMetal #DepecheMode #DuranDuran #ElectroDeathMetal #IndustrialMetal #Lightchapter #MelodicDeathMetal #Metalcore #MorsPrinicipumEst #OrbitCulture #Review #Reviews #Revocation #RiversOfNihil #selfRelea #SelfReleased #Sep25 #Slipknot #SynthMetal #WhereAllHopeBegins

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#MetalInjection
LINKIN PARK Returns, DEVILDRIVER Loses Their Guitarists & Other Top Stories You Might've Missed This Week

https://metalinjection.net/injection-reflection/linkin-park-returns-devildriver-loses-their-guitarists-other-top-stories-you-mightve-missed-this-week

#LinkinPark #Behemoth #Scorpions #DevilDriver #MikeSpreitzer #ChrisAdler #CoreyTaylor #Slipknot #Wasp #Vitriol #Hellripper #Mastodon #LambOfGod

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 June 29th, 2024🤘 DOKKEN, DEEP PURPLE, GREAT WHITE, VOIVOD, BATHORY, RUSH

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-june-29th-2024-dokken-deep-purple-great-white-voivod-bathory-rush

#Dokken #DeepPurple #GreatWhite #Voivod #Bathory #Rush #JohnLawton #UriahHeep #LucifersFriend #PinkFloyd #MotleyCrue #Slipknot #AliceInChains #Styx #Mastodon #ThyArtIsMurder #BulletForMyValentine #Converge #CrystalViper #DeathRequisite #FatesWarning #NightVerses #Nonexist #Stormwitch #Thou #Cavalera #CryptSermon #Wormed #Phantom

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#MetalInjection
MAYNARD's Singing Position, Mayhem Festival's Return & Other Top Stories Of The Week You Might've Missed
Plus some Serj Tankian talk.

https://metalinjection.net/injection-reflection/maynards-singing-position-mayhem-festivals-return-other-top-stories-of-the-week-you-mightve-missed

#maynardjameskeenan #tool #serjtankian #systemofadown #daronomalakian #slipknot #mickthompson #rush #geddylee #dyingfetus #suicidaltendencies #biohazard #sevendust #badomens #slipknot #sonictemple #howardjones #jackowen #sixfeetunder #cannibalcorpse #kerryking #nervosa #lichking #hatriot

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#FarOutMagazine
Five artists that hated working with Rick Rubin
Though Rick Rubin is a respected producer credited with a plethora of hits, there are a number of artists who disliked working with him.

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/five-artist-hated-rick-rubin/

#RickRubin #Creativity #ArtistWayOfLife #BlackSabbath #GeezerButler #Slipknot #CoreyTaylor #RedHotChiliPeppers #JoshKlinghoffer #VelvetRevolver #CedricBillerZavala #TheMarsVolta

Sick New World Highlights: Slipknot, System of a Down, Kittie, etc:

#SickNewWorld #SickNewWorldLive #SickNewWorldHighlights #Slipknot #SystemOfADown #Kittie #SlaughterToPrevail #Babymetal #Poppy #KnockedLoose #BadOmens

https://metalinsider.net/video/sick-new-world-highlights-slipknot-system-of-a-down-kittie-etc

Sick New World Highlights: Slipknot, System of a Down, Kittie, etc:

#SickNewWorld #SickNewWorldLive #SickNewWorldHighlights #Slipknot #SystemOfADown #Kittie #SlaughterToPrevail #Babymetal #Poppy #KnockedLoose #BadOmens

https://metalinsider.net/video/sick-new-world-highlights-slipknot-system-of-a-down-kittie-etc

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#louder

10 classic metal songs we can't believe don't get played live
Iron Maiden's only number 1 single, an AC/DC classic and title-tracks aplenty - we're amazed these songs haven't been played more

https://www.loudersound.com/features/10-classic-metal-songs-we-cant-believe-dont-get-played-live

#IronMaiden
#Slipknot
#mastodon
#CaveIn
#BlackSabbath #TypeONegative
#metallica
#ACDC
#OzzyOsbourne
#RobZombie

That site shit the bed again. In other, less-predictable news, people are re-introducing themselves to help social migrants develop an ideal feed.

All I got to offer at the moment is the on-again off-again shitpost, some of which I craft myself, but I may expand, so stay tuned.

#Memes #Shitpost #Shitposting #EdEddnEddy #Splatoon #Splatoon3 #VideoGames #Cartoon #Cartoons #MrKrabs #Spongebob #Tinder #Slipknot #CraigJones #Metal #HeavyMetal