Slipknot
Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses

THE REVIEW

The Slipknot... the nine monsters that once terrorized the nu metal scene are back, and after releasing two powerful albums with almost death metal influences, here they return with an innovation: almost pop melody, a manifesto of the commercialization of 90% of modern bands.
The album contains some nice tracks, undoubtedly, but the sounds, the melodies, the riffs, too commercial to be Slipknot, would leave anyone shocked. With this work, Slipknot seems to have taken the same path as bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, System Of A Down, and other great Nu Metal bands, which end up in the commercial whirlwind, although they have the qualities to recover. And it is with these qualities that Slipknot has managed, despite attached criticism, to produce an album clearly sufficient, but with something that decidedly pulls it back... let's see in detail.

Prelude 3.0 is a worthy introduction that almost feels like a triumphal march, and already hints at the melody that dominates the album. The Blister Exists is the classic Slipknot song re-proposed in a more catchy version, with the ferocity of the voice and guitar dampened by decidedly too calm tones, but that do not detract from an overall enjoyable song. The third track, Three Nil, has a start that clearly reminds us of the band's first album, but it soon gets boring; it's an attempt to make fans understand that Slipknot are still the same, but we will soon find that this is not true at all. The first single, Duality, the most commercial song of the album (and perhaps the most beautiful) is dominated by catchy melodies, almost as if wanting to become a hit like Wait And Bleed; the track is nonetheless very interesting, especially for the guitar and drums, which, despite the 4:12, never seem repetitive. Opium of The People, with a start in "pure" Korn style, shows a certain aggression before bursting into an MTV-like chorus alternating with the classic Slipknot power. Circle, a very unusual track for Slipknot, is a ballad with always clean guitar, which leaves a little to be desired. Welcome, with a start that seems almost a demonstration of Joey Jordison's skill, is (like Three Nil) a less aggressive edition of the band's old songs, and it will soon become boring. Another extremely commercial but very beautiful track, Vermilion; despite deviating from the Slipknot formula with pop/rock influences, it results in a brilliant mix of Nu Metal and rock from emerging bands like Nickelback, Puddle Of Mudd, etc., resulting in a very enjoyable piece. Pulse Of The Maggots, a song that seems a mix of punk and metal, seems a dedication to their fans, and quickly becomes boring - insufficient. Before I Forget, another piece now in pure commercial nu-metal style, is supported by melodies far too banal and a structure that has little of Slipknot. Vermilion Pt. 2 is the acoustic reprise of Vermilion, and it turns out to be a rather enjoyable ballad (viewed in Slipknot terms, words of criticism abound, because it's already the second clean piece of the album, something never seen in an album by this band), something more than appreciable. The Nameless is an alternation of furious parts and parts "too" slow to be Slipknot, and practically results in a collage of two parts that have nothing in common with each other. The Virus Of Life, with an almost marching rhythm, is rather interesting in its entirety, seemingly concluding the album with a certain tone. The final track instead, Danger-Keep Away, is quite disappointing, and seems a really poorly done trip-hop piece where Slipknot ruin the little good there was in the album, and I won't waste further words.

In short, the album would even be good if it weren't for the fact that 3 out of 14 songs are clean, and many songs are too melodic to be Slipknot. I think anyone, including fans, was a bit shaken by this work of Slipknot, and it cannot be said that the band was experimenting. The commercialization of this group had already begun some time ago, but the weight of the melody did not yet bear down in such a powerful way. The band's potential clearly emerges under the dust of unnecessary melody, which is why I feel compelled to harshly criticize this album. I recommend it only to fans of commercial Nu Metal like Limp Bizkit, because this album is indeed the flag bearer of band commercialization.