The Whisperers briefly made their debut on AMC’s The Walking Dead last year, but with the introduction of Beta, they are fully immersed into the show’s ecosystem now. The new villains have made quite the impression, too, and since their arrival, the tone of The Walking Dead has also shifted into something akin to more old-school horror. The look is part Michael Meyers and part Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while the show’s style is more George Romero than it’s ever been, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, The Whisperers are already responsible for one of the most disgusting scenes in the history of The Walking Dead, because when the villains of the show wear masks made of human skin, someone has to skin the masks off of zombies.
Fans aren’t just excited about how The Whisperers have given The Walking Dead a new gnarly edge, either. For a lot of fans, The Whisperers recall a specific mask-wearing, Grammy-winning heavy metal band that would fit right in on The Walking Dead.
The band is Slipknot, the often controversial band with aggressive music and a very distinctive image. And you know what I can see it. Granted, the fella there in the back looks more like Winslow, the greatest zombie in The Walking Dead history, but I can absolutely detect similarities between the band and The Whisperers.
I am clearly not alone, as fans of The Walking Dead and Slipknot can attest:
Slipknot's new lineup looks Fierce!#TWD #TWDAlpha pic.twitter.com/Lfw0dD0Uwn
— ihatepeacocks (@nosajmunson) February 18, 2019
Closing scene with The Whisperers tonight looked like a new #slipknot album cover #thewalkingdead
— TheGingerNinja (@misogynyology) February 11, 2019
Im expecting these walkers to start singing slipknot in a minute with these masks #TheWalkingDead
— Charl (@CharlAnnHorton) February 25, 2019
So basically #slipknot has added members and is now terrorizing the good people of #Alexandria #twd #thewalkingdead
— cameron petersen (@Mr_13) February 27, 2019
Que bueno ver a #Slipknot en la nueva temporada de #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/As2pFHFzLP
— Rafa 405 (@rafa405ortega) March 5, 2019
What’s up with Slipknot people on #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/q8bf5cm62q
— Rafi Bomb Meltz (@meltz00) March 4, 2019
This new Slipknot album is weird. #TheWalkingDead
— Kyle Thompson (@The_Strangerer) March 4, 2019
Man Slipknot sure got bigger #TheWalkingDead
— eureka labuschagne (@sunflower2780) February 25, 2019
I see we’ve entered the Slipknot season of #TheWalkingDead pic.twitter.com/L85DczERDY
— Kevin Begley (@KevinBegley) March 4, 2019
— Daniel Hernandez (@TheDH13) March 4, 2019
This season’s antagonists on #TheWalkingDead are as if Sinead O’Connor and Slipknot teamed up after the world ended. pic.twitter.com/75sQOcSQcd
— Vincent McDermott (@vincemcdermott) March 4, 2019
#TWD9naFOX #TheWalkingDead @FOXChannelLA @thewalking @slipknot I am ready for next season!!!! pic.twitter.com/POzWl6NX41
— …1990394 (@7895251) March 5, 2019
Obviously, if The Walking Dead wanted to go full circle on this, they’d ask music supervisor Thomas Golubic to feature a Slipknot song over the big showdown between Daryl and Beta in next week’s episode. Speaking of next week’s episode, we’ll visit with a new set of villains, The Highwaymen. Rumor is, this dude is from The Highwaymen, which means changing genres from nu-metal to old-school Waylon Jennings-style country music, the kind that comes with its own shot glass.
The Walking Dead airs Sundays on AMC.