VIVEIRO, SPAIN – JUNE 28: EDITORIAL USE ONLY. STRICTLY NO MERCHANDISE. Corey Taylor of Slipknot performs in concert during Resurrection Fest on June 28, 2025 in Viveiro, Spain. (Photo by Mariano Regidor/Redferns)
Redferns
The iconic masked metal outfit Slipknot have released their first new single in three years, the first song to feature drummer Eloy Casagrande. “Arsenal” sees the band embrace the aggressive rap-metal sound they helped spearhead in the early 2000s’, as vocalist Corey Taylor can be heard furiously spewing out bars alongside an anonymous DJ who’s frantically spinning turntables throughout the song. As fans may be aware at this point, “Arsenal” is the first Slipknot track since their 1999 debut to not feature DJ Sid Wilson, who recently parted ways with the band for undisclosed reasons. It’s also Slipknot’s first release since going independent – the band’s prior albums were all under Roadrunner Records.
Slipknot dropped a video for the track directed by the band’s own M. Shawn Crahan (Clown), and it features the typical surreal horror the band has often showcased in their video content.
“Arsenal” Is Not A Robust Return To Form For Slipknot
Slipknot’s new single feels very much inspired by their magical self-titled debut, but without the ominous mystique and forward thinking songwriting. It’s almost as if they were trying too hard to recapture the lightning in a bottle that made them such a unique musical entity in the first place. Instead, Corey Taylor spews out lyrics with a lot of bark and very little bite and they often sound desperate to convince listeners how tough and dangerous the band still is with lyrics like, “The prison in my head had the cells tossed,
I fought a f**king god and the god lost,
Sinners! Come Hither!
We can break the rules and leave home or get old and stay bitter, Nothing in the world can surprise me
I know all the demons despise me.”
Even the guitars on “Arsenal” offer little to nothing to chew on, no riff, or solo has any substance behind it. In fact, it’s the first single in a while to feature guitar solos from duo Mick Thomson and Jim Root – the first solo sounds like it’s drowned out with a Metal Zone distortion pedal, and the second solo uses more wah pedal than Metallica’s own Kirk Hammett would dare use. New drummer Eloy Casagrande does have a notable presence on the track, with the drum production and performance arguably being the song’s biggest strength. However, no matter how talented the drummer is, it’s not enough to fix the lack of cohesion the band is showcasing on “Arsenal.”
Bottom Line
Overall, “Arsenal” is a far cry from the powerhouse that Slipknot used to be. Only a few years ago the band had released one of their best albums with We Are Not Your Kind (2019). The band’s 2022 LP The End, So Far was their weakest album to date, despite it winning them another Grammy, but “Arsenal” feels like an even steeper step downward. Hopefully this is the only dud before the band’s next major release, whenever and whatever that may be, as Slipknot have yet to announce plans for a new album.
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