.5: The Gray Chapter [Deluxe Edition]

by Slipknot

Overview

While even a cursory listen to Slipknot's back catalog makes it clear the band are no strangers to working out their inner turmoil and pain through their music, never has that idea been so abundantly clear as it is on their fifth outing, .5: The Gray Chapter. Their first studio album since 2008's All Hope Is Gone, the album finds the band still recovering from the loss of founding bassist Paul Gray, whose death in 2010 hit them pretty hard. Rather than allowing their pain and anger destroy them, they were able to harness that energy and focus it, allowing them to create one of their most visceral and dynamic albums to date. 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. Along with being Slipknot's first album without Gray, it's also notable for being their first album not to feature longtime drummer Joey Jordison, who parted ways with the band in 2013. While Jordison will certainly be missed, the band's mysterious new drummer, whose identity the band have done their damndest not to reveal, slots in marvelously, seamlessly acclimating to the band's suddenly shifting tempos and styles. 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. [A Deluxe Edition added four bonus tracks.] ~ Gregory Heaney

Product Details

Release Date:	10/21/2014
Label:	Roadrunner Records
UPC:	0016861754556
Rank:	46246

Tracks

Disc 1

1. XIX
2. Sarcastrophe
3. AOV
4. The Devil in I
5. Killpop
6. Skeptic
7. Lech
8. Goodbye
9. Nomadic
10. The One That Kills the Least
11. Custer
12. Be Prepared for Hell
13. The Negative One
14. If Rain Is What You Want

Disc 2

15. Override
16. The Burden

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Slipknot   Primary Artist,Vocals

Technical Credits

Slipknot   Producer,Lyricist,Composer
Evin O'Cleary   Assistant Engineer
Greg Gordon   Engineer,Recording
Greg Fidelman   Producer,Mixing
Corey Taylor   Composer
Dan Monti   Editing
Joe Barresi   Mixing
Vlado Meller   Mastering
Craig Jones   Composer
Marcus Johnson   Assistant Engineer
Lindsay Chase   Producer,Production Coordination
Shawn Crahan   Composer,Photography,Art Direction
Jim Root   Composer
Jim Monti   Engineer,Recording
Dave Rath   A&R
Sara Lyn Killion   Engineer,Recording
Chris Claypool   Assistant Engineer
Geoff Neal   Assistant Engineer
Jeremy Lubsey   Mastering Assistant