Song of the Week: “The Devil in I” (Slipknot)

Everyone just lost an hour of sleep thanks to the start of daylight saving time, so I figured that was a good excuse to finally get some metal in here. You know. Because metal is loud and will wake you up? Lame excuse, I get it. Here’s the video.

[Viewer discretion is advised; video contains violent and disturbing imagery.]

“The Negative One” was the first single from Slipknot’s .5: The Grey Chapter, but it didn’t grab me the same way “The Devil in I” did. I really love Slipknot tracks that have a focus on Corey Taylor’s singing while still being heavy. It’s not uncommon for them to do songs like this, either, with some parts being sung and others screamed or growled. It’s more common that the chorus is sung, though — consider “Sulfur,” “My Plague,” and “Wait and Bleed.” That’s not to say that I don’t like the songs that are just one extreme or the other — “Snuff,” for instance, is one of my favorites and shows off Taylor’s singing extremely well, while tracks like “People = Shit” (hey, I didn’t write the title) and “Gematria (The Killing Name)” show just how heavy they can get.

Before the superfans go off on me, there are just the examples that jumped to mind, I know there are heavier tracks.

I should note that I love the drums in the intro. They lead into the rest of the song really well and let you know right up front what you’re in for. Personally I’d never be able to play them in a million years, but I suppose that’s part of why I like them. Someone has to be able to do it, right?

If “The Devil in I” isn’t my all-time favorite Slipknot track, and I can’t promise that it isn’t, it’s at least top five. Probably top three, if I’m being really honest. Which, of course, is why I figured it would be a good choice to introduce some metal into you weekly music fix. After all, this series is intended to be diverse and pull in genres and styles from across the board. Which means that as much as it pains me to say it, there could very well be country or rap somewhere down the line. Keep an eye out. Slap me if I’m the one writing it.

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