Art is open to interpretation until the artist closes the door and tells you what the inspiration is. The writer of Slipknot's Through the Glass was on Never Meet Your Heroes this week and the host asked him if it was a love song and he said it was a hate song because he wrote it while on tour in Sweden trapped in a hotel room with food poisoning with nothing to do but watch bad music videos on MTV Europe. So he probably just ruined that song for a lot of people.

I can't listen to Happy Now because Jon explicitly said it was about Obama winning the election so if I hear it I think of Obama and thinking of politicians generally makes my blood boil so the song might as well be called Pissed Off Now for me.

So as far as I'm concerned, it's okay with me if Jon never tells us what he had in mind when he wrote Touch of Grey or who he had in mind when he wrote All Hail the King because the mystery is part of the appeal of the art. Let it mean different things to different people. Why not?

We can still have fun sharing our interpretations.

For what its worth I don't think AOTL's lyrics are crap, I think its the weak point of the album. I loved the production and I loved the guitar work. It wasn't classic 90's Richie but it pissed all over WAN big time.

There's no way for me to say you're wrong because obviously this is subjective but I think you really want things to be about Richie more than they are. The idea that Jon analyzed the lyrics to Richie's album being more likely then them both writing about universal things. I think this is why Touch of Grey didn't make the album, because it sounded too much like what the band has done in teh past.

Just a little note, Through Glass is by Stone Sour - though admittedly it's the same signer/writer as Slipknot.

But I absolutely agree with your point, we should be able to share and develop our own interpretations of songs without criticism - so long as we don't state these opinions as facts.

Thanks for the link to the bonus song touch of grey. Still gonna wait for release date though lol.

There's a lenghty interview on an Spanish magazine, nothing new but a couple interesting things that I don't remembered mentioned in other THINFS interviews. It's not online so I don't know if I'll have the time to translate and it's really nothing groundbreaking. Here are a couple highlights (keep in mind that it's translated from the original interview in English to Spanish by the magazine and back to English by me pretty loosely and I'm quite rusty at translating so don't consider this gospel).

Smart move Jon getting back at them by delivering BB in a brown paper bag hehe. Was this already discussed? I know it's been speculated but I don't remember Jon actually saying it.

Actually, the dictatorial part is my interpretation because that's what they discussed in the WWWB documentary, but the question is basically the same.

BTW, he acknlowledges a couple of times that whatever he went through in the past three years, it's not that bad. There are worse things in life, way worse. I'm pointing this because I've read many people (not here) basically go "cry me a river" and negate his *right* to hit rock bottom because he's so privileged.

Oh and Jon doesn't say anything about Richie, only that Living With The Ghost is obviously about him (the obviously is his, not mine), but the texts in the magazine refer to Richie's alcoholism and almost link it to his leaving the band: "One day Richie Sambora, famous for both his solos and his alcoholism, left on a concert day and never returned". There are no more references or questions about Richie

Do you have a link to this interview?

As far as I know it's only in printed version. Might be online in a few days, I don't really know since I don't buy magazines. I could upload the scan

A scan would be awesome. Thank you! :D

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No problem, I'll scan it tomorrow

Last week I caved, after initially intending to avoid any snippets from the album. And though I feel a little guilty, it's only hyped up this release even more. I was slightly disappointed by a few things; namely the mix on Roller Coaster. Jon's vocals are a little too exposed, and they perhaps should've employed some of those 'gang vocals' for the chorus. From what I can tell, it remains a fun, uber-catchy pop rock number, but I think the execution could've been better - much like Knockout I suppose. I think Reunion will wear off pretty quickly for me also, though it's a harmless and catchy track. I guess that's the price we pay for hearing the songs live prior to the full album release - we become accustomed to a certain arrangement and grow attached to, or are repelled by, it.

I wasn't particularly moved by Living With The Ghost from the live performances, nor New Years Day - although I totally bought into Jon's whole story about Tico introducing the drum beat and changing the song in the studio etc.. But those two songs, just from what I've heard off the record, sound like they could be my favourites from the album - putting aside The Devil's In The Temple of course! I'm so glad that the guitar sound on the album is equally as rocky and gritty. Born Again Tomorrow puts a smile on my face every bloody time - and sometimes that's all you can ask for.

Another song that surprised me is I Will Drive You Home. It's totally beautiful and entrancing. That drum beat and general vibe recalls DA, as some people here have mentioned. But for me that extended outro with the robotic vocals take the song to another level - stunning and unexpected.

So here's to everything on the album coming together in a meaningful way on Friday, when I have that Deluxe Edition blasting on the way back from the record store. :cool: