A few weeks ago I was listening to the title track of Slipknot's new album. Michelle came into the room and asked me what I was listening to. "Slipknot- All Hope Is Gone. It kicks ass."
"It does kick ass," Michelle agreed.
Seriously, it kicks ass. There wasn't really any doubt about that. The surprise is that, despite the title, it actually is the cheery album I jokingly called it last month before it came out. Well, maybe not cheery. But hopeful. Maybe at the tail end of eight years of Bush and war and recession, the only way to be truly metal is to offer hope.
Like this recurring theme in "Wherein Lies Continue":

I only wanna believe in fucking anything
but now my conscience is contradicting everything . . .
We only wanna believe in fucking everything
But we're alive and not accepting anything . . .
I guess I'll never believe in fucking anything
But my solace is I can handle everything . . .
We have to save ourselves

That's the hope Slipknot offers- not in belief, not in god, not in government, but in yourself. Ourselves. The Nine of them, united "Till We Die" and the rest of us maggots.
"We'll find a way when all hope is gone"