“The End, So Far” is the seventh studio album by metal band Slipknot. The album was released on September 30th, and is their final album to be released under Roadrunner Records, whom they signed to in 1998. The album was preceded by the three singles “The Chapeltown Rag”, “The Dying Song (Time to Sing)”, and “Yen.” The album topped charts in countries around the world, including Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom. Corey Taylor, the lead vocalist of the band, stated that the album is a “heavier version” of their 2003 album “Vol 3: (The Subliminal Verses).”

Starting with the opening track “Adderall”, the album already opens off with a blues song, in which was described by drummer Jay Weinburg as “the heaviest blues song on Earth.” This wasn’t really the case though, as it felt dragged out and just like a Radiohead rehash. Following this track comes the three pre-release singles, all in which are good. The problem here though is that in comparison to their previous singles on the past albums, these songs just fall low. Singles are meant to build hype and excitement for the album and for many, it did quite the opposite. “Yen” is the strongest of the three and is reminiscent of their older music, which I really enjoy. After these songs, this album doesn’t have much to offer. “De Sade” and “Hive Mind” are definitely the highlights and they are pretty good songs. That’s another problem with this album; it has high highs and low lows. With that all being said, the middle of the album just feels pretty filler-like. The album concludes itself with the final track “Finale” which also fell pretty low. Usually, Slipknot albums end with one of if not the heaviest song on the album. It just wasn’t the case here, and the album as a whole felt very uninspired.

In its entirety, it’s a weak project. It’s a tough pill to swallow for many. While it’s not necessarily a completely bad record, it’s easily the worst they’ve come out with across their 23-year 7-album run. It felt like a quick little album to just drop to end their contract with Roadrunner Records, and it makes me miss Joey Jordison as both a member and a person even more. Everything he touched turn to gold and he contributed to most of what was good from Slipknot.