When the masked nonet released We Are Not Your Kind on August 9, 2019, expectations were measured. Their previous album, .5: The Gray Chapter (2014), was a eulogy. But We Are Not Your Kind was something else entirely: a resurrection. Produced by Greg Fidelman (who also worked on Slipknot and Vol. 3 ), this album is not merely a collection of songs; it is a psychological horror film rendered in 14 tracks. It is abrasive, vulnerable, industrial, and terrifyingly beautiful.
ends with a wall of noise, then silence. You are left exhausted, impressed, and slightly afraid. Critical Reception and Legacy Upon release, Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind -2019- debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling over 118,000 copies in its first week. It was nominated for Best Rock Album at the 2020 Grammy Awards (losing to Rage Against the Machine’s Renegades , a controversial decision). Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind -2019-
In this deep dive, we will explore why stands as the band’s most experimental and emotionally complex record since Iowa . The Concept: Identity and Alienation The album’s title, We Are Not Your Kind , is a direct middle finger to tribalism and expectation. Frontman Corey Taylor described it as a statement about being an outsider, even among outsiders. The band has always courted the "maggot"—the rejected, the weird, the angry. But here, they turn the mirror on themselves. When the masked nonet released We Are Not
The bridge features a rapid-fire, almost rapped delivery reminiscent of Iowa ’s "Disasterpiece." When the band drops into the final chorus, the production widens, creating a sense of manic triumph. "Nero Forte" is the emotional centerpiece of . 6. Critical Darling (6:25) This is where the band stretches. A clean, melodic guitar intro gives way to a sluggish, doom-metal verse. The song switches time signatures multiple times. Taylor croons, screams, and whispers. The lyrics address the pressure of public scrutiny ( "What do you want from me? / You had my heart, now I want it back" ). It’s a six-minute epic that never overstays its welcome. 7. Liar’s Funeral (5:34) Imagine Tom Waits produced by Slipknot. That’s "Liar’s Funeral." It begins with a mournful, distorted piano and Taylor’s deep, almost gothic baritone. Slowly, the band creeps in—first the bass, then a snare hit, then a wall of noise. It’s a dirge for hypocrisy. This track proved that Slipknot could be terrifyingly slow. 8. Red Flag (4:11) A blast of pure hardcore fury. At just over four minutes, it is the shortest "full" song on the album. Drummer Jay Weinberg (Joey’s successor) unleashes a d-beat assault. The song is a warning about gaslighting and manipulation. It sounds like a runaway train. No solos. No breaks. Just violence. 9. What’s Next (1:08) A brief, orchestral ambient piece featuring a woman’s voice counting in French. It serves as a palate cleanser before the album’s most controversial track. 10. Spiders (4:03) This is the WTF moment. "Spiders" is driven by a creepy, strutting piano line that sounds like a cabaret show in hell. There are no power chords until the very end. Taylor sings in a low, seductive whisper about paranoia and crawling dread. It is Slipknot doing Depeche Mode. For some fans, it was jarring. For critics, it was genius. It proves that Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind -2019- refuses to be predictable. 11. Orphan (6:36) Back to the brutality. "Orphan" lyrically deals with the aftermath of losing Paul Gray. The line "I’m only here to destroy the destroyer" is a mantra of survival. The main riff is a chugging monolith. By the three-minute mark, the band locks into a machine-groove that feels like a panic attack. 12. My Pain (6:48) The longest true song on the album, "My Pain" is an ambient doomscape. It features whispered vocals, reversed samples, and a bass frequency so low it feels like a migraine. This is not a single; it’s an atmosphere. Taylor once described it as the sound of drowning in a dream. It is divisive, but essential to the album’s arc. 13. Not Long for This World (5:35) The title says it all. A meditation on mortality and the feeling of being a ghost in your own life. The song builds from a clean, resigned verse into a colossal, screaming climax. The final minute features the band playing a single, repeating chord while Taylor wails "Killed, Killed, Killed..." It is exhausting in the best way. 14. Solway Firth (5:59) The closing track is a masterpiece of controlled rage. Named after a real-life location in Scotland (and also the Amazon series The Boys , which used the track in its season 2 trailer), "Solway Firth" opens with a spoken-word sample: "I haven’t felt like this in a long time." Produced by Greg Fidelman (who also worked on
9.5/10 Essential Tracks: Unsainted, Nero Forte, Solway Firth, Spiders. Listening Suggestion: Do not shuffle. Embrace the chaos in sequence. Have you listened to Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind -2019-? Share your favorite track in the comments below.
The music video surpassed 100 million views, proving that had penetrated the mainstream without sacrificing an ounce of heaviness. 3. Birth of the Cruel (4:46) This is the groove track. That opening bassline from Alessandro Venturella is slimy and hypnotic. Taylor adopts a lower, almost spoken-word cadence before exploding into a chorus about the mundane nature of suffering. The breakdown features percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan beating the ever-loving hell out of a keg. It is primal, ritualistic noise. 4. Death Because of Death (1:20) Another interlude, but this one is sinister. Distorted, gargled voices over a minimalist drum pattern. It leads directly into... 5. Nero Forte (5:15) Fan favorite. Perhaps the most aggressive song on the record. The riff is angular, stabbing, and unpredictable. Taylor delivers one of the most venomous hooks of his career: "I’m never gonna kill myself to save my soul... I was never your kind."
This is Slipknot rejecting their own legacy. They are not your kind of nostalgia act. They are not your kind of nu-metal revival. Lyrically, Taylor dissects depression, addiction, manipulation, and the terrifying silence of a mind under siege. Musically, the band integrates haunting synth pads (courtesy of the late Craig Jones and Sid Wilson’s turntables) with blast beats, jazz-influenced percussion, and doom-laden sludge. 1. Insert Coin (0:29) The album opens with a 29-second electronic ambient piece. It sounds like a dying spaceship signaling for help. No percussion, no screams—just an eerie, looped melody. It is a fake-out, lulling the listener into false security before the sledgehammer drops. 2. Unsainted (4:20) The lead single is a reinvention. Opening with a choral, almost liturgical chant ("I’ll never kill myself to save my soul"), the song explodes into a signature Slipknot riff. But the secret weapon here is the pop sensibility hidden beneath the distortion. The chorus is gigantic—arena-ready. Taylor screams about leaving a toxic relationship (ostensibly with a former friend or his own demons).