Slipknot have never been known as a band to hold anything back, but on their latest album, All Hope Is Gone, the masked nü-metal mavens really let it all hang out. Following 2004's platinum-certified Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and an unofficial hiatus that saw singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root landing on the modern-rock charts with their Stone Sour side project, all nine members of the Iowa-based Slipknot regrouped to churn out some Hope. The result is an album both as punishing and as powerful as the band has ever released.

"It's definitely a sign of us maturing. We never let anyone guide us or tell us what to do, but, this time, we went right for what we were feeling," bassist Paul Gray tells ArtistDirect.com. "I think it's our best. It's definitely the most well-rounded and most cohesive record we've done." It's also the most eclectic Slipknot album to date, with cuts spanning the wide gap between the grinding ballad "Dead Memories" to the full-throttle assault of the disc's title track. First single "Psychosocial," which recently nabbed a Best Rock Video nomination for the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, melds hoarse-throated heavy metal with epic alternative rock interludes.

Slipknot recently completed a run co-headlining the inaugural RockStar Mayhem Festival, which saw 'Knot DJ Sid Wilson breaking both his heels during the tour opener and performing the remaining dates in a wheelchair. The band was set to head overseas for a European trek, but the jaunt was canceled after drummer Joey Jordison broke his ankle. "Doctors have advised Joey to stay off his leg for 4-6 weeks to prevent further injury or permanent and more serious damage," reads a post from the group. Slipknot are expected to return to the road in October for a Japanese tour. (Joe Robinson)

Check out the video for "Psychosocial," which shows off the band's new masks, here: