It took Slipknot four years to take a rest from each other and play around with side projects after 2004’s “Vol. 4 (The Subliminal Verses)”. Now, after being able to sit in the same room without breaking into fistfights with each other (most of the time at least) the nine psychopaths from Iowa have also set the goal of creating their most extreme album yet. And “All Hope Is Gone” sure does feature accomplishments in that field. “Gematria (The Killing Name)” opens up the album with an insane amount of aggression and controlled musical chaos that only Slipknot can create. In a lot of tracks like the title one, “Suflur” and “Vendetta” for example, we can also hear classic death metal riffs backed by double bass drumming. This is not Morbid Angel of course, and a song would evolve into some sort of groove metal or even feature clearly sung chorus later on, but this has always been part of this band’s offering. A good example is the single “Psychosocial” where the powerful mid tempo verses take turns with the melodic chorus, creating one of Slipknot’s best songs ever. Lyrically the album is the insanity that you can expect, but in a more mature way, as everyone in the band is now at least 30 years old. Just like in the previous album there’s enough purely melodic songs that would make hardline fans climb on a chair, pull their skirts up and scream “Eeek! Stone Sour”. But on the other hand Slipknot are too good at this not to do it. And without songs like “Snuff” the rather long album (15 tracks) might have gotten boring. It does not, though, and it stands its ground ferociously not without the help of the best production work Slipknot have offered so far. Crystal clear sound of all instruments, loads of effects and what not helps the songs that are way heavy anyway sound even more crushing. So the set goal is definitely accomplished.