20 years ago, my friends and I slapped the 'sell out' tag on more than a few bands (Metallica being the biggest offender of our youth). This being Slipknot's 4th album of a career nearing 10 years, they are reaching that point where what they as a band call 'progression' runs the risk of being called 'selling out' by their fans who loved them from the word 'go'.

They have continue to expand their sound and grow musically, which any music fan in general should greatly appreciate. With the new album, Slipknot has been able to capture the best elements of all their previous albums while maintaining flow/structure through all the songs. However, now I understand that it was all part of the natural evolution of the band and a stepping stone to All Hope is Gone. At the time of its release I was a bit shocked at the new direction of the band. 3, the band made a drastic change in their music, incorporating solos, adding more melodic choruses, and varying the tempo of the music in the whole album and within songs. Given that I listen to a much more larger scope of music genres, I found Iowa to be be on the one-dimensional side. Everyone has different musical preferences and tastes, so I can understand why people who predominantly listen to 'metal' would prefer Iowa (given that it's currently the band's heaviest release). However, if you like rock music in general (For example, I listen to anything from Radiohead to Slayer) then you will really appreciate this album.ДЄlthough I'm hard pressed not to pick sides and choose a favorite album, I can say that I've been listening to this album as much as I did with their self-titled debut (the one that made me a Slipknot fan to begin with). Specifically, if you are one of the Slipknot fans who consider Iowa to be Slipknot's best album you will definitely hate this one.

Updated on 12/27 with a slightly more objective comments.Дisclaimer: If you are a music fan whose listens to a particular genre (i.e., metal ) you are going to feel disappointed.

Slipknot psychosocial album