Slipknot are back with a brutal, deadly new single titled ‘The Chapeltown Rag’, hinting at their upcoming 7th album.

When Cory and Shawn, the vocalist and percussionist, were asked about the themes and sounds of the upcoming Slipknot album, they both mentioned that this was some of their heaviest work, akin to the 2001 classic ‘Iowa’, which is subjectively one of the heaviest records ever recorded. Many fans raised an eyebrow at such a bold statement, but ‘The Chapeltown Rag’ might have them convinced. 

While the title has nothing to do with the ‘rag’ genre, the song explores many different subgenres of metal within a short 4-minute span, which is allowed through the lack of clear structure within the tune. Initially, there’s a soundscape of creepy sounds and metallic clicks, but immediately shifts to a low guitar riff and a groovy drum attack. In a sudden shift, the band explores some black metal ideas with a grinding riff, and blasting drums akin to Norwegian black metal classics. In typical Slipknot fashion, the song goes into a melodic, clean-sung chorus, all the while still bearing the aggressive vibe from the bridge. There’s an almost military-like bridge leading to the first breakdown. The first breakdown still follows the same tempo, only feeling a bit groovier. The song then slows to a fake-out ending, similar to something off their self-titled 1999 release, and interrupted by a single hi-hat leading to the slower, heavier outro. The feedback from almost every instrument brings the song to a slow close.

While this definitely feels like a continuation of their fifth and sixth album, both sonically and in composition, the elements taken from their first two albums, ‘Slipknot’ and ‘Iowa’, are very present and appreciated. The heaviness they’ve achieved with this one is at an almost all-time high for Slipknot, and if the rest of this upcoming album follows suit, Slipknot fans are in for a wild ride.

Author: Nicholas Gaudet

Music producer and writer from Dieppe, Canada.