Garrett's Review Blog

An Emotional Masterpiece (WARNING) - The review for this EP includes language, as well as potentially distressing themes. Artist: Knocked Loose Album: A Tear in the Fabric of Life Year: 2021 Band Lineup for Album: Bryan Garris - Lead Vocals, Isaac Hale - Lead Guitar and Backup Vocals, Nico Calderon - Rhythm Guitar, Kevin Otten - Bass, Kevin Kaine - Drums Before this year (2022) I had never heard of Knocked Loose. Maybe one of the band's songs had featured on a YouTube video I had seen, but it never crossed my mind. That all changed after hearing the first track from this EP,   Where Light Divides the Holler. The song stuck with me so much that I wanted to listen to the rest of the album.  Knocked Loose is a little hard to fit into a genre. It's easy to say it's just metal, but its fits well into the genres of metalcore and hardcore punk. Like the lovechild of Slayer and the punk genre. The main thing that really stands out about the band is the love it or hate it vocals of ...

A Matured Sound (WARNING) - The review for this album may include language or themes some may find distressing or disturbing. Artist: Slipknot Album: We Are Not Your Kind Year: 2019 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Jay Weinberg - Drums, Alessandro Venturella - Bass, Michael Pfaff - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals Finally we arrive at the newest album (until 2022's The End, So Far). Since the release of .5, the band had fired percussionist Chris Fehn and replaced him with Michael Pfaff, affectionately name Tortilla Man because of his mask until we knew who he was.  This album was hailed by critics as the band's best and most mature album to date, and I honestly don't know if I agree 100%. It certainly has a sound that's more matured, but I wouldn't necessarily say that's better. It falls more into the category of Iowa to me, a flawed but good follow up to ...

Beauty in Pain (WARNING) - The review for this album may include language or themes some may find distressing or disturbing. Artist: Slipknot Album: .5: The Gray Chapter Year: 2014 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Jay Weinberg - Drums, Alessandro Venturella - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals After the death of bassist Paul Gray and drummer Joey Jordison leaving the band, there was doubt as to how the band would continue. After taking some time to recover, and hire new members, the band returned six years after the last album with this, their album memorial to Paul Gray.  With the passing of Gray and Jordison leaving, the band eventually brought on their replacements. To take the mammoth task of replacing Jordison, the band hired Jay Weinberg, son of Max Weinberg who was the drummer for Bruce Springsteen and Conan O'Brien. To fill the hole left by Gray, the ...

Diamonds in the Rough (WARNING) - The review for this album may include language or themes some may find distressing or disturbing. Artist: Slipknot Album: All Hope is Gone Year: 2008 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Joey Jordison - Drums, Paul Gray - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals After the success of Vol. 3 and its touring cycle, the band prepared to begin its recording of the fourth studio album. It was the first album to be recorded in their home state of Iowa, which was originally touted by the band as better for their mindsets. Turns out being able to go home every day after recording feels nice. Now, however, the band has repeatedly stated this as their least favorite album, and after listening to it I can definitely understand why. It was the first album that couldn't get all nine members in a room at the same time to record, which hurts the unifo...

Metal Mastery (WARNING) - The review for this album may include language or themes some may find distressing or disturbing. Artist: Slipknot Album: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses Year: 2004 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Joey Jordison - Drums, Paul Gray - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals This was the newest album that was out at the time I discovered the band, and it's the album I remember the most fondly. As we'll dive into through the course of this review, I think this is the band's best work out of the original lineup. Released in 2004 following speculation that the band would break up, Vol. 3 was the band's return to the spotlight after members were involved in other projects. It was one of the hardest recording processes for the band, as they were working with famed producer Rick Rubin (who apparently the band hated working with), and tha...

More but Less (WARNING) - The review for this album may include language or themes some may find distressing or disturbing.  Artist: Slipknot Album: Iowa Year: 2001 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Joey Jordison - Drums, Paul Gray - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals Two years after the release of their debut album, it came time for Slipknot to release their follow-up album, Iowa. The pressure was on after the last album to continue their work, and the artists felt it. Tensions were high between members, drug and alcohol addictions, and other issues plagued the band. When the album released, it was hailed as the darkest and heaviest material yet. It contains the usual themes and topics from the first album, with messages and metaphors about the general hatred of other people, solipsism, disgust, anger, disaffection, psychosis, and rejection. I discovered this...

An Incredible Debut Artist: Slipknot Album: Slipknot Year: 1999 Band Lineup for Album: Sid Wilson - DJ/Samples, Joey Jordison - Drums, Paul Gray - Bass, Chris Fehn - Percussion, Jim Root - Guitar, Craig Jones - Samples, Shawn Crahan - Percussion, Mick Thomson - Guitar, Corey Taylor - Vocals No one knew in 1999 that the landscape of music would've changed dramatically and violently with the release of Slipknot's self titled debut album. I'm not too clear on the history of the metal genre as a whole, but almost every musician out there always points to this album as one of the best debut albums ever, and gave rise to one of the biggest bands of all time. I discovered the album in middle school because of some friends of mine, and it easily played into the edgy music that I wanted to hear at the time. While some may look back on their favorite albums from their childhood and see a lot of cringe, I can safely look back at this album with a renewed love after listening to it aga...