Slipknot dropped a new track, "Arsenal," on Wednesday, and the assumption is that the track includes "new" drummer Eloy Casagrande. The truth is that Casagrande has been with the band since 2024, so he understands how the group does business. It's a multi-percussion experiment that likely leaves fans asking, "Is the new song good?"
That is important, but only to a degree. As fans of the band know, what Slipknot produces is a wall of sound that features massive rhythm and volume that can be felt and enjoyed. Still, one could always assume the Iowa-based group could go in a different direction. Nothing necessarily ties them to metal other than their previous catalog.
Followers of the group know that Slipknot has been in the studio working without a label, trying to distill as many as 50 song snippets into something more like 20 or fewer. 50 would be an epic rock album, though maybe a few too many ideas to build a cohesive record.
Slipknot's new single is as epic as fans would want
All that aside, how well should "Arsenal" be received by longtime fans? Extremely. It's heavy, so there's no sudden change from metal to pop, though that was never expected. Corey Taylor doesn't regress to Stone Sour, his own fine band, but one that isn't as aggressive as Slipknot. The DJ work is as epic as what fans get in the group's amazing live shows.
The video is directed, as many of the band's videos are, by Shawn Crahan (AKA Clown), and it's disturbing, as one might expect. Not Marilyn Manson disturbing, mind you, but in a much more nuanced setting.
The masked band is sacrificing someone for something, but exactly what is never really known. Plus, once the band takes their masks off, they reveal they only have more masks underneath. It's, well...layered.
The guitar solo midway through feels a bit underproduced, but that appears to be the intent. The percussion that follows is metallic, and then there is a complete breakdown after Taylor says a few cuss words. What comes after is brutal and bombastic, ethereal and cathartic. It is wonderful and scary and everything Slipknot is expected to be.
Is it among the band's best? That is too high a bar, but for new music, it is among the best of what Slipknot has produced over the last decade. If any future album sounds like "Arsenal," great things should be forthcoming.
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