Roadrunner Vinyl & CDs

Review: 
The nu-metal scene of the late nineties/early noughties arguably birthed no act as seminal or incomparable as the masked, nine-member Iowa collective known as Slipknot.

Their highly influential self-titled full-length debut marked the first studio appearance of now iconic vocalist and frontman, Corey Taylor, whose unkempt aggression and visceral performance would help chart a course for a group destined for exposure and acclaim far beyond their murky compositions.

With buzzsaw riffs, a claustrophobic percussive assault and Taylor's vitriolic pennings, cuts such as '(Sic)', and 'Eye Less' have maintained their integral ferocity decades on while the rap-metal frenetics of 'Spit It Out' and melodious lead single 'Wait & Bleed' have remained the high water mark for all chasms of mainstream metal to this day.

Out of print and resold at extortionate prices for years, this reissue is a vital piece of the puzzle for any fan of the nine or collector of genre staples. Don't sleep on this rare chance to lock down a twisted classic.

Review: At the turn of the 21st century, Slipknot opted to take the newfound fame and success rewarded by their self-titled debut, and run it into the ground in, what has to be, one of the most intriguing examples of chaos and inner band turmoil lending to an integral work.

Named after their home state, 'Iowa', still remains an utterly frightening project, driven by addiction, depression, and encompassing negativity. Refusing to pursue a more accessible route regardless of the ensuing momentum around them, the collective would lash out with an extremely severe batch of material that remains challenging even by today's standards.

While the now iconic leads singles, 'My Plague' and 'Left Behind' remain embedded in the metal spectrum, deeper cuts such as the caustic 'People = Shit', nihilism rally of 'The Heretic Anthem' or the decrepit defeatism of 'Skin Ticket' offer the bleakest look into the band's psyche at their most temperamental of conditions.

The fact that frontman Corey Taylor has confessed that the 14-minute closing title-track was recorded while highly inebriated and cutting himself with a broken liquor bottle, should be all the background one could need when approaching this complex, unforgiving beast of an album.

Reissued after far too long an absence, this beautiful new rendering finally allows for a timeless endeavour to be rediscovered in all of its violent glory; rarely bridging the vast dichotomy between mainstream and extreme metal.

Review: With reissues of their entire back catalogue of full-lengths dropping throughout 2022, it was all but hinted that Iowa's masked metal entity were hard at work behind the scenes. 'The End, So Far' will serve as the seventh Slipknot album, set to capitalise on the momentous rebirth of 2019's, 'We Are Not Your Kind', which marked a ferocious return to form after the mainstream success of 'All Hope Is Gone', and the sonic uncertainty that meandered through '.5: The Gray Chapter.' Now fully comfortable and adapted to their current line-up, cuts like the simultaneously pummelling yet anthemic, 'The Dying Song (Time to Sing)', or the deranged, 'The Chapeltown Rag', seem to be indicative of an utterly new era for the 9.

Review: Upon the strange reception received by the creatively uncertain, '.5: The Gray Chapter', many wondered where the Iowa collective would set their sights to next. Processing the lingering grief of losing their bassist, Paul Gray, proved a major undertaking that many naturally assumed would be the final output from the 9, but 2019's, 'We Are Not Your Kind', proved to be a malodorous mission statement, reminding all just how and why Slipknot are one of the biggest metal acts in history. With utterly intense cuts such as 'Nero Forte' and 'Unsainted', this sixth full-length proved to be the revitalised rebirth many anticipated from its predecessor, while foreshadowing a creative future seemingly impossible a few years prior.

Review: Coheed and Cambria are often heralded to be some of the best rock music storytellers in the world. This much hyped new album Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind goes some way to backing that up and was produced by the band's own Claudio Sanchez and Zakk Cervini. Early singles got a great reception from fans and critics and showcased what to expect from the full album - thrashing heavy metal-infused riffs with vast in scale melodic vocals that are this band's signature style.

Review: This is a special and unique coming together that sees Turnstile join forces with the brilliant Toronto jazz ensemble and production team BADBADNOTGOOD. They have worked on reimagining songs from the former's well-received 2021 album Glow On and the results bring all new perspectives and dynamics to tunes like 'Mystery', 'Alien love Call' featuring Blood Orange and 'Underwater Boi.' Both Turnstile and BADBADNOTGOOD are untouchable in their fields right now with rave reviews for their records as well as their live shows. This is another standout project.

Review: Taken from the New York City date of Slipknot's fourth full-length tour in support of All Hope Is Gone, Live At MSG delivers an encapsulation of what would serve as one of the final live runs from the original 9-man collective. Recorded in Madison Square Garden on February 5, 2009, the setlist features an onslaught of every integral cut from the band's back catalogue up to that point, including 'Wait & Bleed', 'Spit It Out', 'People = Shit', 'Left Behind', 'Before I Forget', and 'Psychosocial', to name just a handful. Before the untimely passing of bassist Paul Gray and drummer Joey Jordison, as well as the questionable turnover and revolving door nature that has plagued the line-up in the last decade, this collection transcends standard live album definition, rather serving as a time capsule of one of the final statements from the core line-up many will forever consider as the definitive Slipknot.

Review: American thrash metal legends Slayer put out their second album, Hell Awaits, in March 1985. Just two years after their debut which had become the label's highest-selling release, the band hit the big time again with similar lyrical themes touching on hell and Satan. The intro track, when played backwards, reveals the repeated phrase "join us" and musically the album is more diverse and progressive. As such many tracks are dark and heavy thrash workouts with unusual arrangements, odd tempos and dissonant nuance that made it a truly singular record.

Review: The influence of Type O Negative continues to be felt long after Peter Steele's death signalled the end of the band. The goth metal band have a generous number of high points in their career, and 2003 album Life Is Killing Me is surely one of them. Drawing on his personal struggles at the time, Steele created a powerful statement draped in the grandiose style of rock he had cultivated since the band's debut. As well as the single 'I Don't Wanna Be Me', there was a cover of the song 'Angry Inch' and the opening track 'Thir13teen', a piece of music from classic TV show The Munsters. Two decades on from its original release, this is the first time the album has been released on vinyl, presented as a triple black and green pressing in a trifold sleeve.