(Or, How I Made Peace with the Paranormal and Stigmatized Zealots and Cynics in the Process)
August 26, 2013
Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist Taylor's follow-up to Seven Deadly Sins reveals itself to be a well-meaning but often meandering collection of ghost stories and far-out philosophical and quasi-scientific ruminations on the existence of God and ghosts that never quite comes together. Circular discussions, tangential digressions and lack of focus detract and irritate rather than provoke thought or introspection; the reader instead must concentrate on Taylor's ever-wavering train of thought in order to keep up. Luckily he does much better when addressing paranormal and supernatural experiences, which constitutes the majority of the book. Some of these encounters are sought out, while others, like the ghostly children who inhabit his current home and the mansion full of ghosts who terrorized the band during a recording session, are mere chance. Taylor's enthusiasm for his topic and sheer wonder is infectious; he makes for a humble, charming host. Still, it's die hard ghost hunters and fans of Taylor's music that will likely get the most out of this. Those on the fence, whether it's regarding organized religion or the existence of ghosts, likely won't have any major revelations.
June 15, 2013
Slipknot singer sees dead people. Apparently, Taylor (Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good, 2011) has backstage passes to the spirit world that not many of us are privileged enough to get: He not only sees ghosts on a regular basis, but he's also convinced that the same spooks are haunting him everywhere he goes. His first recollection of seeing ghosts was around the age of 9, when he and some friends went on a Goonies-like adventure to a scary-looking old house in his suburb. In that house, he saw his first sinister apparition, which seemed to be an old man who wanted the young whippersnappers out of his house. From then on, according to Taylor, his life has been one big spook-tacular extravaganza filled with supernatural occurrences. (Later in the book, the author does his tedious best to scientifically prove that these spirits can, in fact, walk the terrestrial plane among us.) Taylor recalls stories about seeing a shadow man in a cornfield trying to attack him; he was once pushed down the stairs by a malevolent, otherworldly force; every time he buys a new Munsters-style mansion, it turns out to be haunted by the spirits of dead children. To Taylor's credit, all these anecdotes about his close encounters with the spirit world are told in exacting detail, and you certainly want to believe him. Unfortunately, insecurity about how his theories and stories will be received comes to the fore in a big way: Taylor alternates between annoying self-deprecation and smug self-congratulation, spending too much time on humorless, expletive-laden rants against those who would dare question his place among the elite few who have regular interface with supernatural beings. Mostly fun campfire ghost stories marred by pseudo-scientific babble and a self-conscious rock-star attitude.
COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from September 30, 2013
Heavy metal frontman Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour fame offers this fascinating insider look at paranormal investigation and how the otherworldly has affected his life. Taylor’s performance ability is undeniable, and he’s clearly comfortable talking about even the most bizarre and outrageous subjects with ease, making this an absolutely compulsive listen for fans of his music or the macabre. Taylor’s delivery is straightforward and unabashed. While the subject matter is, for the most part, quite dark—e.g., spirits and ghost busting—Taylor brings an air of nonchalance to his reading that allows humor and dark comedy to abound. A Da Capo hardcover.