Slipknot, “The End, So Far.”

Way back in 2003, Slipknot was praised for the members’ development as musicians on their third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Even through the lens of history, it remains justified. The band kept what made its first two albums classics but added a level of refinement and even some acoustically led songs.

The band has had no shortage of evolution or experimentation since, culminating in 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind, which cofounder Shawn Crahan said was written to be the Slipknot version of Pink Floyd’s The Wall. So in one sense, new album The End, So Far is a throwback, since it harkens back nearly 20 years to Vol. 3. But at the same time, it’s a continuation of the evolution in the same direction Vol. 3 was headed.

Judging the album as an extension of Vol. 3, it’s very impressive. Everything Slipknot succeeded in doing back then is done even better now. The metal songs are complex and nuanced while still maintaining the sound that’s been this band’s bread and butter since the debut. But where the album really shines is on the slower tracks.

Right out the gate, opening track “Adderall” is driven by a piano riff with drum and bass backing and exclusively sung—not screamed—lyrics. The vocal harmony on the chorus sounds more like early ’70s classic rock than nu-metal, and even fans of the band wouldn’t necessarily identify it as a Slipknot song without being told. But despite that, it’s a fantastic way to introduce the album and a fantastic song overall.

Bookending that is appropriately titled album closer “Finale,” which keeps the same feel as “Adderall” but with the addition of an orchestral string section and more prominent guitars. The best comparison in terms of sound is Ghost, right down to the choir at the end. If it’s not an intentional homage, then it’s a subconscious one. But more than anything else, it’s a spotlight for singer Corey Taylor. He sounds amazing, and impressively, he sounds little like his other work with Slipknot or with his very different band, Stone Sour.

Between those are 10 tracks much closer to the Slipknot you know and love. Second track (and the album’s second single) “The Dying Song (Time to Sing)” is a bit of a bridge, with a sung intro that drops into a heavy version of a Slipknot classic. Following that is “The Chapeltown Rag,” which is extremely Slipknot in the best way.

Another highlight comes from the album’s third song, “Yen.” It’s a Slipknot take on a power ballad; more downtempo than the norm without straying from the overall feel but with lyrics like “As the knife goes in/ Cut across my skin/ When my death begins/ I wanna know that I was dying for you.”

From there, the album settles into a bit of a flow. The best songs are obviously front-loaded. The three pre-release singles are in the first four tracks, and from there it becomes a good—but not spectacular—Slipknot album. These next songs follow the band’s conventions well and keep the refinement theme, but not as notably so. Because of that, the back half of the album feels like a bit of a letdown on first listen.

Of that run, though, “Medicine for the Dead” and “Heirloom” stand out. Both feel like they could have been a standout track on an early album and the fact that they aren’t standout tracks on The End, So Far illustrates just how far Slipknot has come.

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.

Follow publisher Daniel J. Willis at Twitter.com/BayAreaData.