.5: The Gray Chapter

For all their masks and uniforms, the emotions at the heart of Slipknot’s music have always been real and raw, and as they--and the audience that’s grown up with them--have no doubt discovered, the youthful angst that fired their early records has nothing on the grim realities of adulthood. From that deep well of pain, another great Slipknot record has emerged.

.5 is a fitting tribute to a musician who can never be replaced. [Nov 2014, p.88]

Listening to the album, it's clear that even though Slipknot aren't over the loss of a dear friend and colleague, they're able to channel their grief into a productive album, allowing them to continue moving forward while paying tribute to a fallen comrade with one of the strongest albums of their career.

Although thematically tethered to the aftermath of their comrade’s passing, .5: The Gray Chapter is every bit as warped and explosive as previous records.

There is still enough here to inspire hope for the band in the future, but this album is not quiet there yet. [Dec 2014, p.106]

We find their extreme metal interspersed with more reflective moments. [Dec 2014, p.80]

Though it's not masterpiece by any means, the fifth installment in Slipknot career is praiseworthy overall, especially given the circumstances surrounding its creation.

.5: The Gray Chapter stands tall; not just as tribute, but as vital catharsis.

Though it does eventually get bogged down under its own excess, considering the weight Slipknot had to shoulder to even get this album out, it's a considerable accomplishment and a lovely eulogy to their fallen comrade.

A struggle to balance the killer riffs and aggression that the fans want with the melodicism that the band themselves seem far more interested in. [Dec 2014, p.116]

.5: The Gray Chapter may not win over new fans to the rest of their catalog, but it’s enough to open the eyes of those of us who haven’t given Slipknot a second thought in 10 years.