AllMusic’s James Christopher Monger summarized the album perfectly, calling it “a searing 14‑track set that’s as versatile as it is observant of nu‑metal’s architectural truisms”.
Roadrunner Records
The most experimental track on the album. Described as "John Carpenter-core," this song lives on a plodding synth loop and a mechanical beat. Taylor’s deadpan spoken-word delivery is unsettling, evoking images of crawling, inescapable dread. It is Slipknot’s strangest song to date, and a clear fan-favorite for its daring nature.
Corey Taylor has repeatedly cited We Are Not Your Kind as one of his proudest achievements with the band. In a 2020 interview, he reflected, “This album musically, I could put between Vol. 3 and Iowa easily. But yet it can stand on its own. It’s another step in the chapter that we’re trying to create”. Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind -2019-
As noted by Jim Root, this track is a major departure from the band’s usual sound. It is moody, driven by an eerie piano melody, and showcases a darker, gothic rock influence, proving that Slipknot can innovate beyond heavy riffing. "Solway Firth"
Taylor also cited global "divisiveness" and racism as significant influences on the album's aggressive tone. Musical Style and Composition
: A complete curveball utilizing a creepy, minimalist 7/4 piano melody. It proves the band can terrify listeners without relying on pure distortion. Lyrical Themes: Catharsis and Collective Identity In a 2020 interview, he reflected, “This album
We Are Not Your Kind is not just a collection of songs; it is a statement of defiance and artistic evolution. It saw Slipknot embracing their age and experience to create something that felt both nostalgic and forward-looking.
This is followed immediately by and "Red Flag," two tracks that showcase the band’s thrash metal influences. They feature relentless blast beats, blistering down-tuned riffs, and a venomous vocal performance from Taylor that sounds as physically exhausting as it is thrilling. The Experimental Heart
The most immediate evolution on We Are Not Your Kind is its sonic palette. While previous albums relied on a relentless percussive assault, this record understands the terrifying power of silence and space. The opening track, “Insert Coin,” is a ghostly, ambient synth piece that feels like waking up in an abandoned hospital. It disorients the listener before the title track erupts not with a scream, but with a mechanical, lurching groove. Percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan and drummer Jay Weinberg (the late Joey Jordison’s successor) create a landscape of industrial clatter and syncopated chaos. Songs like “Unsainted” pair a massive, choir-led chorus with a beat that stutters and gasps, as if it is fighting for air. Meanwhile, “Spiders” is the most un-Slipknot song in their catalog—a creeping, keyboard-driven gothic waltz that evokes the paranoid cool of Nick Cave trapped in a carnival funhouse. This willingness to experiment suggests a band finally comfortable enough in its skin to tear it apart and stitch it back together differently. The album's lead single
The album's lead single, "Unsainted", set the tone for the record, with its driving rhythms, crushing guitars, and Corey Taylor's distinctive vocals. The song's music video, featuring the band performing in a mock awards show setting, was a clever commentary on the superficiality of the music industry and the expectations placed on artists.
As the band continues to tour and promote the album, it's clear that Slipknot remain a major force in heavy music, and that their influence will be felt for years to come. If you're a fan of heavy music, or just looking for an album that will challenge your assumptions and inspire your individuality, then "We Are Not Your Kind" is an essential listen.
(WANYK) is Slipknot's sixth studio album. It is widely celebrated as a "magnum opus" that blends the raw, aggressive energy of their early work (specifically ) with mature, experimental sounds. Production & Background Creative Evolution:
The album's "story" is built on two primary narrative pillars:
Come to the grave I dug for your excuses. Weep if you want—I won’t pretend to care. Every eulogy you wrote for me was a confession. Every apology, another lie. Let’s bury them all: your guilt, your gaslight, your grief. The only honest thing you ever gave me was the silence after you left.