With everything that the band has been through in the six years since their last studio effort, "All Hope Is Gone", it's quite the miracle that the album exists in the first place. Although the band is still reeling over bassist Paul Gray's 2010 death, evident on songs such as "XIX", "Goodbye", and "Skeptic", they don't let the feeling of remorse cover the entire record. Songs such as "Sarcastrophe", "Custer", and "The Negative One" show the band's darker, heavier side, and would feel right at home on Iowa or the band's eponymous debut. After being absent on previous recordings, vocalist Corey Taylor's hateful scream is back and on full display. On the other side of the coin, tracks such as "AOV" (Approaching Original Violence"), "The Devil In I", and "Nomadic" show the band's more melodic side, similar to the sound of All Hope Is Gone. Meanwhile, the band continues to experiment with new sounds, such as the industrial drum loop of "Killpop", the somewhat poetic "If Rain Is What You Want", and the dark "The One Who Kills The Least". The album's creepy atmosphere is furthered by the song intro "Be Prepared For Hell", after which their subsequent tour is named. In the end, the album makes it evident that the band is here to stay, and bent on world domination. As stated in the song "Lech", "NINE FOR SURE"
