The debut solo effort from the frontman for masked nu-metalheads
Slipknot
and post-grunge/alt-metallers
Stone Sour
,
Corey Motherfucking Taylor
(released for the weak of heart acronymically as
CMFT
) covers a wide swath of sonic territory that takes a swing at everything from Southern rock and pop to rap-metal, country, and punk. The 13-track set commences with the bluesy, country-rock road-burner "HWY 666, a
Bad Company
-meets-
Moetley Cruee
rush of machismo that feels tailor-made for one of those shell-casing-strewn Sons of Anarchy-style shootouts where nobody gets hit. Vibe-wise, the rest of
more or less follows suit, with the greasy "Samantha's Gone" channeling
Lynyrd Skynyrd
, the lurching, rockabilly-tinged "Maria Fire" evoking a post-grunge version of
Stray Cats
, and the blazing "Meine Lux," which mocks the opening countdown to
Billy Joel
's "Matter of Trust" of all things, administering a lethal dose of fired-up dude-bro punk-pop. Disappointed
fans will find some solace in the beefy "Culture Head," but even there
Taylor
seems more intent on inciting arena fist-pumps than he does nu-metal apoplexy. It all works, for the most part, because
sounds like he's having a blast putting his own spin on a mule-kicked jukebox of influences -- closer "European Tour Bus Bathroom Song" is pure, bratty school
Black Flag
. The stylistic shifts can be jarring, but
sells the hell out it, and in doing so manages to bring some fun into the often-dour
universe. ~ James Christopher Monger