Solway Firth (song)

"Solway Firth" is a song by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Produced by Greg Fidelman, it was released as the second single from the band's sixth studio album We Are Not Your Kind on July 22, 2019. The song's music video was directed by the band's percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan and features footage from the Prime Video series The Boys. The track peaked at number eight on the US Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart and number 14 on the UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart.

"Solway Firth"
Single by Slipknot
from the album We Are Not Your Kind
ReleasedJuly 22, 2019 (2019-07-22)
Genre
Length5:56
LabelRoadrunner
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Slipknot singles chronology
"Unsainted"
(2019)		 "Solway Firth"
(2019)		 "Birth of the Cruel"
(2019)
Music video
"Solway Firth" on YouTube

Background

"Solway Firth" was released on July 22, 2019 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album We Are Not Your Kind, following "Unsainted" two months previously.[3] The song's title refers to Solway Firth, a section of sea which forms part of the border between Scotland and England,[4] or may also be referring to the Solway Firth Spaceman, a popular subject of ufology; in fact, the recurring lyric "Here's an unexplainable one" is a likely allusion to this.[5]

Reception

Media response to "Solway Firth" was generally positive. Reviewing the song for Metal Hammer, Adam Rees claimed that it was "an altogether different assault" from "All Out Life" and "Unsainted", describing the track as "dramatic, a little troubling and downright heavy".[4] Similarly, Kerrang! magazine called it "a six-minute masterpiece".[6] Loudwire's Lauryn Schaffner praised the performances of vocalist Corey Taylor and drummer Jay Weinberg on the track, outlining that "Corey Taylor's vocals [shine] through with brutal intensity [... and] Jay Weinberg's drumming also stands out as a high point, crushing extended double kick patterns throughout the cut."[7] Several commentators have recognized "Solway Firth" as one of the "heavy" and "experimental" tracks promised by the band on We Are Not Your Kind – Nick Reilly of the NME claimed that the song "borders on Iowa levels of heavy", referring to a description made by Taylor,[8] while Kerrang! also quoted Taylor when claiming that the single "boast[s] the 'experimental' side of the band's sound".[6]

Music video

The music video features footage from Slipknot's summer 2019 European shows (including Download Festival) interspersed with clips from the Prime Video series The Boys.[8] It was co-produced by Uproxx and Prime Video, with the band's percussionist and frequent director Shawn "Clown" Crahan directing.[9] Ryan Reed of Rolling Stone outlined that the "gruesome" video "alternates head-banging live performance footage with violent clips from" the series, highlighting "Bloody scenes [including] a man holding two severed arms and one character bashing someone's head into a bathroom sink."[10]

As of September 2020, the song has 48 million views on YouTube.

Charts

References
  1. Hickman, Langdon (August 13, 2019). "Metal for the Masses: "We Are Not Your Kind" Sees Slipknot in Absolute Top Form". Invisible Oranges. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  2. "The Top 50 best Slipknot songs ever". Metal Hammer.
  3. Spruch, Kirsten (July 22, 2019). "Slipknot Debuts Gory 'Solway Firth' Video: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  4. Rees, Adam (July 22, 2019). "The first reaction to Slipknot's new single Solway Firth". Metal Hammer. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  5. Goldenberg, Matthew (July 22, 2019). "Here are the Lyrics for Slipknot's New Song "Solway Firth"". MetalSucks. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
  6. "Slipknot Release New Single And Video, Solway Firth". Kerrang!. July 22, 2019. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  7. Schaffner, Lauryn (July 22, 2019). "Slipknot Release Heavy New Song 'Solway Firth'". Loudwire. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  8. Reilly, Nick (July 22, 2019). "Slipknot return with furious new track 'Solway Firth' – listen". NME. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  9. Munro, Scott (July 22, 2019). "Slipknot unleash video for brand new track Solway Firth". Metal Hammer. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  10. Reed, Ryan (July 22, 2019). "Hear Slipknot's Pummeling New Song 'Solway Firth'". Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  11. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  12. "Official Rock & Metal Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  13. "Slipknot Chart History (Digital Song Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  14. "Slipknot Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2019.
  15. "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 22, 2020.
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