The End, So Far
| Slipknot
The End, So Far
The End, So Far is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on September 30, 2022, through Roadrunner Records. This is the band's final album to be released through Roadrunner, whom the band signed with in 1998. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Kerrang!
Slipknot step it up a gear for their seventh album, expanding their musical arsenal and proving they’re still at the top of their game.
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Metal Injection
That said, The End, So Far is miles away from a throw away album to get out of the Roadrunner contract. It contains plenty of powerful moments, and successfully breaks new ground for Slipknot 27 years into their career. Now that they can pave their own path, here's to hoping they take more chances than ever before.
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Consequence
For maggots and non-superfans alike, anyone who has ever found any bit of the band hard-hitting, invitingly pugnacious, or just straight up entertaining, then there’ll for sure be something to delight in on THE END, SO FAR. As a new release, it’s got more than enough exploratory factors to keep the band from sounding stale, but it also stays true to the sounds that have turned us all into maggots in the first place.
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NME
The metal band's final album on Roadrunner Records may seem the end of an era, but the next phase is poised to be equally compelling.
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The Post
Overall, “The End, So Far” is a brilliant record that brings forth a new era for the nu-metal band.
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Riff Magazine
If you were a fan of the band’s first few albums but fell away since, The End, So Far will sound familiar, in a good way. It’s the band you know leveled up. If you’ve followed the band closely since the beginning, whether you liked its experimental albums, it’s a refreshing return to classic form. Just don’t get your hopes too high because of the blazing hot start.
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Clash Magazine
Overall, ‘The End, So Far’ is a remarkable punch of sharp, sobering heavy metal. Slipknot yet again thrive in their signature darkness – however, there it no doubt that this album would be elevated by more cohesion. The space-rock elements are exciting, yet seem to be thrown in as an after thought, and the brilliant textures captures on tracks like ‘Yen’ could have easily been tied in elsewhere. This is an album that is definitely strong, but could have been masterful if more threads were tied together.
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Blabbermouth
A grinding, foul-hearted anti-ballad with a killer chorus and a beautifully perverse arrangement that pairs an angelic choir and mournful piano with a curious haze of fizzing static, it certainly couldn't be the work of anyone else. SLIPKNOT are still evolving, still furious, and still an undeniable, unstoppable phenomenon.
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Sonic Perspectives
Slipknot are delivering a beautifully forceful blow that reminds us why they've ben sitting on the top of the metal world for so long.
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When The Horn Blows
The End, So Far has everything you’d want from a Slipknot album but feels as though they have played it safe which could be due to such a momentous partnership coming to an end. One thing for certain is that the band won’t be going anywhere anytime soon, and Roadrunner has one hell of a back catalogue that will continue to be reproduced, repressed and remastered for a long time to come – but who could blame them!
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Wall of Sound
The band as currently constructed is very tight and the songs have room for everyone to show their considerable skills. Despite the curious title, I don’t think The End, So Far is a swan song of any kind, but there are enough interesting and inspiring moments for maggots to invest in until album number 8. This is a band that remains fully charged and committed to delivering and extending themselves and their audience.
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GBHBL
It’s a fascinating listen but almost pales, in that regard, to the finale of Finale. Slipknot introducing tear-jerking piano tones, poignant strings and dramatic melodies to leave the listener cold all over. Is this the end? Who knows but this is a statement of a closing track. Especially as it ends in a way that almost bookends the album alongside Adderall. Suggesting that this is a cycle and we’re all trapped within it.
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Louder
At this stage in their career, they could easily have phoned in something far more familiar and far less challenging to appease the diehards hankering for Iowa 2.0, but that’s never been the Slipknot way. Nihilistic, challenging and as euphorically destructive as ever, The End, So Far is the sound of a band still carving their own path of sonic carnage, right at the top of their game.
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Metal Planet Music
Without doubt, ‘The End, So Far’ is a masterpiece and one of the biggest and most important albums not just in the career of Slipknot but in the history of metal. Untouchable.
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Boolin Tunes
Overall, The End, So Far is an album emblematic of a band that has been at a continuous crossroads for over half their career. While the instrumentation here is largely well-constructed, and the vocal performances are largely great (with the greatest caveat there being the choruses), there’s something about Slipknot’s seventh record that feels contrived. The few songs that break away from the notion of Slipknot for the sake of Slipknot, and instead just fully commit to being their own thing, prove to be the greatest strengths of the record en masse. Still though, there’s much here to love, even if I can’t help shake the feeling I’m holding onto a band that are well past their prime.
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The Razor's Edge
The chaos has a shine to it, the band have polished the roughness out, as a listener you still get your senses battered from all angles, but it’s a more elegant battering. You’re not getting beaten up by a gang of Millwall fans, instead it’s the Royal Yeomanry in their uniformed splendour giving you that pummelling. ‘Hivemind’, ‘Medicine for the Dead’ and ‘heirloom’ perfect examples of this.
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The Arts Desk
Slipknot continue to mingle their snarl with a honed pop sense, often hidden deep and only making itself felt on the second or third listen. In small ways, The End, So Far, recalls Marilyn Manson’s The Pale Emperor, not in terms of sounding like it (it doesn’t!), but in its willingness to embrace a more measured, filmic, gothic moodiness alongside the expected – and welcome - attack.
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Noizze UK
At the end of the day, though, this is still a Slipknot album and it’s exactly what you’d expect from them at this point in their careers for the most part. Where it deviates from the template they’ve more or less rigidly adhered to for a decade-plus, there’s screeching industrial moments weighed against alt-rock ballads; experimental by their standards, certainly, if not groundbreaking in and of itself. All of this is somewhat irrelevant though; chances are you already know where you stand on the new Slipknot record, even one as wildly eclectic as this. The End, So Far won’t change your mind.
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Medium
It’s not necessarily a bad album, but as their exit album from Roadrunner Records, it’s a bit disappointing. Considering this is the start of a new chapter in their careers, this album offers a little bit of hope that Slipknot can improve the next time around.
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Tuonela Magazine
However, there remains a good pinch of that original raw energy on the new album too, and infused with these exciting new flavors, it looks pretty much like SLIPKNOT‘s creative juices are far from running dry. So, rather than marking the end for the band, “The End, So Far” seems more like a rejuvenation.
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My Global Mind
Staying true to the basic principle, the band gets more atmospheric with ‘De Sade’, and also the great ‘Finale’ shows that Slipknot is much more than just a musical noise combo. Here are experts at work who combine a melancholic and dark depth with aggressive riffs and rhythms. The band has developed these trademarks over the years and now in 2022, they seem more mature than ever before without losing the elemental brutality of the early days. ‘TheEnd, So Far’ is more than a well-done album and will delight all Maggots.
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Sputnik Music
The End, So Far suggests the carnival rides are finally over. It’s now time to get the actual *** out before the gates shut and the real weirdos come out. Hopefully this is one last middle finger to the label that gave them a stage and eventually changed to unrecognisable levels over the course of the career. Slipknot themselves may be able to push aside the aggression, the angst and the furor, but they shouldn’t forget just what gave them such range or immediacy. Pessimism aside, I really hope they find better form with a new label. All hope is not gone.
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All About the Rock
The entire album has echoes of things the band have done in the past, a little blast beat here, some random musical feedback there. This is an excellently put together album. However, it isn’t a ground breaking album, it is Slipknot but I couldn’t help but think they were going through the motions for most of the songs. Like I said at the beginning, buy it, stream it just listen to it and make your own mind up.
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Rock N Load Magazine
The End, So Far continues that trend of mainly harmony with arty music and the odd inclusion of anger and heavy music that we remember from days of old. This is not me being old and not prepared to accept evolution, far from it. The best way I can sum up this album, is Mrs F doesn’t like Slipknot as it’s too angry, and noisy and you can’t understand most of it, but she said she’d go and watch them on this album. I would suggest that fans of popular radio stations will enjoy hearing Slipknot more on the airwaves, whereas others will have hoped for more umph.
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Pixstory
While there are some new elements here such as alternative rock ballads, hard rock structures and even industrial grooves, this album as a whole follows the exact same template that Slipknot has been following for the past decade, making it somewhat dull, predictable and boring.
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Rock Sins
The End, So Far feels like Slipknot paying homage to, and laying to rest a vital part of their careers. You can hear echoes of their evolution scream through the halls of this album (even the album cover pays tribute to their 2009 headlining set at Download). This is not quite the end of everything, but it feels like a welcome bookmark as the next chapter looms.
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Maximum Volume Music
When it was released last week, there were one or two complaints that this was a bit all over the place. Whilst its true to say this might not be the most immediate record of their career – there’s no obvious “Before I Forget” or “Psychosocial” type singalong, for sure, behind the barbed wire, there’s something beautiful. Not easy listening, but there’s a lot of things about Slipknot that aren’t conventional. The fact is they are 21st century metal’s biggest act for a reason – and purely and simply, they are brilliant.
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The Line of Best Fit
With The End, So Far, Slipknot haven’t reinvented themselves, but returned to their roots with an older, wiser and more concise outlook, resulting in a record that chews its listeners up almost instantly, and spits them out an hour later feeling beaten, battered and ultimately, cleansed.
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Transcended Music Blog
The End, So Far is a solid entry in Slipknot’s body of work. This isn’t a bad album by any means, it contains all the trademarks that made them famous in the first place but there are albums in their catalogue that executed them a lot better.
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The Moshville Times
Overall, it’s good. Probably the best album out of the last three or four, which may be damning with faint praise. But its oddball tracks are so oddball that you need to listen to it to form your own opinions. I think The End, So Far is going to be quite divisive.
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At The Barrier
From the slightly obtuse start to the glory of the latter part of The End, So Far, Slipknot proves once again that they are one on their own. They do what they want, how they want, when they want…and people follow. Lyrically, fans will unfurl the deeper meanings to the songs, but know this, this is a Slipknot record that shows that this band is just as important to metal as they were 25 years ago.
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Distorted Sound Magazine
With fans foaming at the mouth at the prospect of SLIPKNOT reaching its end due to the connotation of the album’s title, we can’t help but theorise. The End, So Far is a fitting goodbye to the label this band called home for 24 years. Perhaps this is also a farewell to the comfort zone at large. This is a band who demand to be met and challenged where they are. The End, So Far is a statement that the gloves are well and truly off as SLIPKNOT prove once again that they are at the top of their game as the unbridled standard bearers.
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AllMusic
Slipknot have sat atop the commercial metal food chain for over two decades and have more than enough equity to swing for the fences artistically. The End, So Far may not be a home run, but it proves that the band are still in it to win it, even if they're playing the long game.
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We Are the Pit
Sonically speaking, the album embraces the band’s history, presenting a work far more intriguing, unique, and mysterious. Mysterious in the sense that this album feels like the beginning of something new. As the band continue to open themselves to new ideas and explore different approaches to crafting music, there is no telling how much more Slipknot could mutate in the years to come.
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Exclaim!
The songs on this album aren't going to be overshadowing the classics that the band built their name on, but they'll sit nicely alongside them, and The End, So Far is a worthy addition to Slipknot's raucous arsenal.
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Substream Magazine
This is very much a Slipknot record to its core — but their creativity lives forever, looking for something to feed on. For a band predicated on using its fury to amplify those urges, both inside and outside — they now have the freedom to position that bullhorn like a compass. The End, So Far proves that if their time is coming, Slipknot won’t go quietly.
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Reflections of Darkness
‘The End, So Far’ is an irritating album, it seems that the band members had their mind elsewhere while working on the album; the songs follow no structure or theme, more like puzzled together from the band’s ideas. Fans who are deep in the band’s sound and history might like it for the fact that some songs resemble pieces from past releases or for new aspects, regular listeners might put it on the shelf after listening through it. The three songs that were released as singles, were the best of the album. These would have fit on an EP that might have served the band better.
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Crack Magazine
For all the restored experimentation (and putting that opening track to one side), the band rarely stray too far from their trademark havoc. This will no doubt comfort some fans, but it’s hard not to wonder where Slipknot could take things if they followed the direction hinted at on Adderall. Perhaps we’ll find out when the next chapter begins.
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The Poly Post
This album complements the current spooky season. Slipknot’s full discography is perfect for Halloween activities and throughout the whole year.
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Ghost Cult Magazine
Uplifting one moment, furious and explosive the next, this is controlled chaos fuelled by loss and bitter experience. As venomous as Iowa with the commercial quality of Vol: III, an even darker undercurrent is always lurking nearby, due in part no doubt to the death of former member Joey Jordison last year. As confrontational, volatile and polarising as ever, The End, So Far could very well be the most divisive album of Slipknot’s entire career, but it also happens to be one of their best.
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Hear2zen
From start to finish this album takes you on dramatic highs and punishing lows. The lyrics seem to tell a story of the ever changing world we are in, and how we are all coping, or not coping, in our new normal. This is all wrapped up in the aggressive passionate rollercoaster that Slipknot is. Don’t go into this one without a seatbelt as it’s a hell of a ride.
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Rocked
Slipknot made it clear this is not the end, that’s just an album title. I’m glad because they proved they aren’t ready for the finale.
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Spectrum Culture
Slipknot’s songwriting largely falls under the categories of “self-hating” or anti-authority,” and The End, So Far does nothing to shake that perception. If you’ve listened to Slipknot, you probably already know the song topics.
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Punktastic
‘The End, So Far’ isn’t perfect, but it’s a record that’s quintessentially Slipknot, and its finest moments stand among the best work they’ve put out since the mid-00s. Seven albums into a long career, one of the world’s biggest metal bands has once again shown exactly why their popularity continues to endure across generations.
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Eternal Terror
For a band who, along with Korn, Coal Chamber and Soulfly, spearheaded the surprising mix of superdowntuned doom groove with death metal stylings later dubbed nü metal Slipknot have grown into a more accessible yet also more creative construct. It’s no “All Hope Is Lost” or “Subliminal Verses” but it’s more coherent and catchier than its two predecessors so, for the life of me, I honestly do not get the hate it’s received.
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Stereoboard
Less successful, by contrast, is the record’s other bookend, Finale, which uncharacteristically for this band is a mild-mannered ballad without enough emotional punch to truly work. It is a rare misstep on an otherwise steadfast, reliable record. While, Adderall aside, it’s not exactly radical, neither does ‘The End, So Far’ feel like Slipknot-by-numbers—it has enough of its own identity to stand apart from the records that preceded it. If Slipknot do prove anything here, it’s that they’re one of metal’s most dependable names.
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SonicAbuse
The simple fact of the matter is that The End So Far is a very strong album from a band who have consistently defied the expectations monumental success has heaped upon them and their back catalogue is all the more interesting as a result.
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Markus' Heavy Music Blog
Staying true to the basic principle, the band gets more atmospheric with ‘De Sade’ and also the great ‘Finale’ shows that Slipknot are much more than just a musical noise combo. Here are experts at work who combine a melancholic and dark depth with aggressive riffs and rhythms. The band has developed these trademarks over all the years and now in 2022 they seem more mature than ever before without losing the elemental brutality of the early days. ‘TheEnd, So Far’ is a more than a well done album and will delight all Maggots.
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Hysteria Magazine
On one hand, The End, So Far feels like a conclusion, eagerly welcoming in a new era for everyone’s favourite masked metal makers. But simultaneously, The End, So Far is also everything fans have come to know and love about the masked metal machines: an extension to join Slipknot beyond the comfort zone without sacrificing what made them a household name in the first place.
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Metal Wani
With ‘The End, So Far’, Slipknot interrogate their own mythology, along with the stories we tell ourselves, offering confounding perspectives amidst compelling instrumentation. On the evidence of ‘The End, So Far’ Slipknot sound as if they are on a new mission. One they are determined to see through to the end. However long that may take.
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Loud Magazine
As with almost everything this band has done before, The End, So Far leaves you wanting more of some things and forgetting others. Slipknot is a band always delicately leaning over a precipice where one wrong move one way or the other would not make them as memorable as they are. This time around, there are almost as many misses as there are hits.
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Heavy Magazine
It is definitely more of a modern Slipknot sounding album but there is also enough to keep old school Maggots from rising up in rebellion. As a massive Slipknot fan I will have to listen to The End, So Far a few more times to allow the full magnitude of its brilliance to fully digest but even after one listen I already know this is going right to the top of the class with their debut album and Iowa.
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Flyctory
The End, So Far comes with ups – and some downs. Overall, the magic of previous recordings might have faded a bit – but overall, the album is not a bad listen at all. I like that Slipknot work very open-minded in here, also trying out some new patterns. Most of the times, it works.
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Metal Digest
All in all, this is an absolutely fantastic album showing the depth of skill and capability of a band that defined an entire genre, and sure to be an instant hit.
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The Dark Melody
Despite the curious title, I don't think "The End, So Far" is some kind of doomsday announcement, either with the band or their songwriting, but there are enough interesting and inspiring moments for the Maggots to invest their gifts in a next album. This is a band that stays fully charged and committed to giving and expanding themselves and their audience.
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AltNote Magazine
Overall, “The End, So Far” is an experimental and eclectic album that shows Slipknot’s range as a band. It’s an album that’s sure to please fans of their heavier material, as well as fans of their more alternative influences. While some may see it as an end of a beloved chapter of a beloved band’s career, others may see it as a fitting start of a new and exciting age of Slipknot.
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