Slipknot - Antennas ToHell

“Best of” records for bands that are still together always seem like a bit of a farce. But as they’ve done through most of their career, Slipknot have provided an exception. The truly devastating passing of bass player Paul Gray in 2010 has led to the band closing off a chapter with a career-spanning 19-track collection featuring tracks from all five records, as well as a couple live songs (‘The Heretic Anthem’, ‘Purity’).

From their early days squashing nu-metal and re-inventing heavy music with ‘Wait And Bleed’ through to ‘Vermillion’, you will find no better summation of their career. There is nothing new offered here – fans of the band will already own every one of these tracks in some form or another – but considering the circumstances, it seems appropriate to give closure to the Slipknot that was, and brace ourselves for whatever they will become.

9/10 stars