Lines throughout profess brokenness and try to make sense of pain. “Circle” values contentment and patience. The singer on “Pulse of the Maggots” defends truth, refuses to be “wasted potential” and claims to fight for people who can’t fight for themselves.
Hopelessness courses through this hour-long CD. A victimized guy rails against systems and circumstances he can’t control (“The Blister Exists”) and lashes out at authority figures who’ve hurt him (“Welcome”). “Three Nil” seems to scoff at a Christian view of salvation and ends with a bitter farewell that could be interpreted as suicide. “Vermillion” obsesses over an unhealthy romance. “Opium of the People” has no use for religion. Revealing remarks include “I wanna burn your soul” (“The Virus of Life”), “My end/It justifies my means” (“Before I Forget”) and “All I’ve got is insane” (“Duality”). A man angrily insists that he be worshiped and screams, “The only thing I ever really loved was hurting you” (“The Nameless”). There are also profanities and grotesque liner photos.
Lots of nihilistic growling makes this project an obvious no-go for families. The masked members of Slipknot now seem to know they’re lost, yet hold in contempt the faith capable of saving them.
