After the conclusion of the touring cycle for .5: The Gray Chapter, Slipknot guitarist Jim Root and percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan began writing and demoing material for the band's follow-up album in early 2017.

We Are Not Your Kind received critical acclaim; numerous commentators hailed the album as one of the best releases of Slipknot's career, praising the level of experimentation displayed on several key songs.

Work on Slipknot's sixth studio album began in February 2017, when the band's guitarist Jim Root and percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan started writing new material together.

[2] Plans for the direction of the album had been touted by the percussionist as early as the summer of 2015, when he claimed that he wanted to write an "art record" in the vein of The Wall by Pink Floyd or Sgt.

In an interview with the NME, he added that "A lot of us are meeting up in September to start working on those 27 pieces of music and we're going to add to that," reasserting his desire to make a double album.

Speaking about working with the producer, vocalist Corey Taylor credited Fidelman with his contributions to their previous releases and noted that "He gets us, he challenges us ... we have a great relationship with him".

[12] It was initially suggested in the media that Ross Robinson, who worked with the band on 1999's Slipknot and 2001's Iowa, would be producing the album, however this rumor was quickly dismissed by guitarist Jim Root.

"[19] Speaking on music streaming service Spotify's Metal Talks podcast, Crahan explained that when choosing what songs to include on an album, he tries to "picture [himself] as a fan in the world that we live in today".

[20] He went on to say that this line of thinking is what ultimately led to the exclusion of "All Out Life" from the album, claiming that he believed fans would prefer to hear a new song in place of one that was already available to stream.

[21][23][27] During a pre-release interview with Daniel P. Carter on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, Corey Taylor claimed that "it is probably the furthest we've pushed the boundaries of creativity and experimentation," adding that "We not only went places that we've hinted at musically over the years, but never really went full-board, but we're also doing heavier things than we've ever done.

described it as "the 'Knot's most experimental album to date,"[29] NME writer Jordan Bassett called it "Slipknot at their artiest",[25] and Roisin O'Connor of The Independent claimed that "The sheer ambition of We Are Not Your Kind is just as staggering as their seminal record Iowa".

[30] Several critics highlighted "Spiders" as one of the most avant-garde songs on the album, on which "creepy piano tinklings" and "scattershot drum beats" are favored over the more commonly used low-end guitar riffs.

[35] Sam Taylor of the Financial Times admitted that the band "weren't bluffing" when making such claims, suggesting that the album "often verges on the attritional".

[8] One of the main influences on Taylor's lyrics was his separation from then-wife Stephanie Luby in 2016; in an interview with Loudwire, he explained that "The narrative [of the album] really came from me working my way through the repercussions of a really toxic relationship.

"[40] Another major influence on the album's lyrical content is that of global "divisiveness",[41] which Taylor claims is fueled by US President Donald Trump through "bigotry" and "racism".

[12] The song's music video, directed by Shawn "Clown" Crahan,[44] broke the band's record for most views in a single day on YouTube, with more than 3.4 million.

[49] Less than two weeks after the announcement of the album's release date, it was revealed that percussionist Chris Fehn was suing the rest of the band (with Taylor and Crahan named as separate defendants), claiming that royalties from merchandising and touring had been withheld from him.

[15] On May 16, 2019, the day of the album's official announcement, Slipknot released "Unsainted" as the first single from We Are Not Your Kind, alongside a music video which revealed each member's new mask.

[77] In a five-star review for the NME, Jordan Bassett described We Are Not Your Kind as "an astonishing record: a roaring, horrifying delve into the guts of the band's revulsion, a primal scream of endlessly inventive extreme metal and searing misanthropy".

writer Emily Carter also gave the album a perfect rating, writing that "20 years since their debut, Slipknot are as bold, fearless and exhilarating as ever.

Adam Rees of Metal Hammer highlighted "A Liar's Funeral" and "Not Long for This World" as having "the biggest impact" on the album,[74] while Loudwire contributor Jon Wiederhorn wrote that "With We Are Not Your Kind ... Slipknot have done more than play to their strengths, they've broadly expanded their parameters, taking the band in musical directions that they've previously only hinted at.

Pementel admitted that "To be frank, given all the stylization, the production, and creativity taking place, it's tough to find something wrong with the album," claiming that "fans who pine for the band's early sound may not latch onto We Are Not Your Kind immediately – but even those listeners will likely come around to this exceptional LP.

"[71] Pitchfork contributor Andy O'Connor admitted that while the album "has more to offer than expected", it is "still sometimes frustratingly short-sighted", claiming that "Slipknot know what works for them and they exploit it to a fault".