Corey Taylor and Serj Tankian Just Shattered the Myth of Ronnie Radke the Outcast

Every few months, the internet rediscovers its favorite narrative about Ronnie Radke: that he is too controversial, too combative, too radioactive for the rest of the music world to touch. Then "Joseph" happened. Falling In Reverse's latest single arrives with guest turns from none other than Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Serj Tankian of System of a Down, two of the most respected frontmen in heavy music, and suddenly that tired storyline is lying in pieces on the floor. Ambo Fam, whatever you think of Radke, this one is impossible to wave away.

A Lineup Nobody Saw Coming

Let's just sit with that billing for a second. The voice of Slipknot and the voice of System of a Down, sharing a track with the man behind "Popular Monster." According to a fan post on the Falling In Reverse subreddit, the collaboration itself is the loudest rebuttal to the haters. As Reddit user Relevant-Reaction457 put it, "Everyone claiming that Ronnie is all alone and isolated can be quiet now. Anyone who manages to recruit the frontmen of System of a Down and Slipknot is definitely not cut off from the rest of the music world" (source: ^[1]).

That fan is right, and the point deserves to be made more forcefully. You do not get artists of that caliber to appear on your song as a favor. Taylor and Tankian are famously selective, with decades of credibility to protect. Their presence signals that inside the industry, where people actually know how the sausage gets made, Radke is viewed as a peer, not a pariah. The court of public opinion may still be deliberating, but the verdict from two legends has apparently already come in.

The Song Itself Is a Monster

Strip away the star power and "Joseph" still holds up as one of the most ambitious things Falling In Reverse has ever released. The track was produced by Radke alongside Tyler Smyth, with credits shared by Jason Richardson, Daniel Laskiewicz, and Luke Holland, according to the official video description from Epitaph Records (source: ^[2]). That is a serious collection of musicians in its own right, and it shows in the arrangement.

Musically, the song swings between cinematic menace and full-throttle aggression. The Reddit poster compared its impact to "Ronald," the band's earlier theatrical blitz, and honestly the comparison holds. There are orchestral swells, spoken-word menace, and a chorus built for arenas. The lyrics lean into apocalyptic imagery, war machines, genocide, martyrs, and a repeated, almost ritualistic command to "repeat the cycle." It is heavy-handed, sure, but heavy-handed is kind of the point. This is a song that wants to sound like the end of the world, and it mostly succeeds.

The visual treatment matches the ambition. Directed by Jensen Noen, with stunt coordination, elaborate production design, and a small army of VFX artists credited, the video plays like a short film rather than a promo clip. An Instagram reel highlighting the single describes it as continuing the band's darker, more cinematic direction (source: ^[3]). That is an understatement. The production values here are the kind of thing that used to be reserved for bands with double the commercial footprint.

The Fan Debate: Evolution or Betrayal?

Of course, this is Falling In Reverse, so no release comes without a healthy dose of fan division. The subreddit thread shows the split clearly. One commenter lamented that the music is not what it used to be, missing the metalcore era of Just Like You and former guitarist Jacky Vincent's technical fireworks, and complaining that songs now arrive in a scattered drip rather than cohesive albums.

Another fan pushed back with an argument I find genuinely persuasive: the release strategy is not laziness, it is adaptation. In the current streaming landscape, artists get more attention per song when tracks are released individually, rather than being buried as deep cuts on a fifteen-track album. As that commenter explained, the old album format meant most songs never got heard, while the new model means each track gets its own moment in the spotlight (source: ^[1]).

My take? Both sides have a point, but the purists are fighting a losing battle. Radke has always been a shape-shifter, from the post-hardcore of his early days to the trap-metal experiments to the orchestral bombast of "Popular Monster" and now "Joseph." Complaining that he refuses to stay in one lane is like complaining water is wet. The man's entire artistic identity is built on refusing to stay in one lane. And when the lane changes produce results this massive, commercially and creatively, the argument kind of ends itself.

Why This Moment Matters

There is a bigger picture here beyond one song. "Joseph" represents something of a victory lap for Radke's redemption arc in the industry's eyes. A decade ago, the idea that Serj Tankian would lend his voice to a Ronnie Radke project would have sounded like a joke. Today it is a headline. The guest spots are not just features, they are endorsements from artists whose approval cannot be bought with clout alone.

The original poster's closing sentiment, essentially asking critics to set aside the side drama and just let Ronnie make music, is the right note to end on. You do not have to like the man personally. You do not have to love every era of the band. But when the output is this ambitious, this well-crafted, and this clearly resonant with a massive audience, the noise around it starts to look very small by comparison.

"Joseph" is out now via Epitaph Records, and the video is well worth your twelve minutes. Watch it once for the spectacle, then listen again with headphones on, because the mix by Tyler Smyth and Charles Massabo deserves the attention. And Ambo Fam, let us know in the comments: is this the best thing Radke has ever released, or are you still holding out for a return to the old sound? The debate, like the cycle the song keeps singing about, is bound to repeat.