Slipknot
Vol.3 (The Subliminal Verses)

THE REVIEW

The best work so far by the band from Des Moines: that's what "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)" is! After the growls and chaos of "Iowa" (which I also reviewed) Slipknot returns to making good music as they did on their self-titled debut in 1999, this time with a decisive change of direction and an openness to new influences.

The entire album is dominated by one word: MELODY! And I say... finally! After two albums where melody was taboo, we really needed some freshness and tranquility, plus there are even solos, not majestic or super technical, mind you, we're still talking about a nu metal band and in nu metal, solos are rarely used, but still good solos, that are enjoyable to listen to, especially the one in "Vermilion", which is perhaps the best track of the lot alongside "Before I Forget", a vibrant and pumped piece of post-thrash metal loaded with a melodic break in the middle, excellent. Instead of the usual shitty intro, they give us at the beginning of the album a beautiful and melancholic "Prelude 3.0" which is the grungiest piece Slipknot has ever written. Then the real album kicks off with "The Blister Exists" which picks up that nu metal crossover post-Korn discussion they started on "Slipknot" in 1999 but cut short on "Iowa", another intense piece is well sung "Duality" (which is also the first single), you can begin to hear the announced influences from Slayer both in this track and in the following "Opium Of The People" which opens with a Slayerschool riff, then has an almost punk vibe and ends with Corey Taylor's rap, another highlight of the album is "Circle" a semi-acoustic ballad reminiscent of a certain Alice In Chains grunge, still a nice track, flows smoothly and pleasantly till the end, we return to the roots with the speedrap metal of "Welcome", perhaps the most pointless track but still listenable, and then comes the excellent "Vermilion" mix of aggressiveness, melody, metal and despair with a Corey Taylor that truly enchants the ears (this song, like many on the album, is influenced by Corey’s side project, the melodic nu metallers Stone Sour), we return to a more technological sound with the Manson-esque "Pulse Of The Maggots" where Sid Wilson, the DJ who had been mostly unheard till now, is resurrected, a nice track dedicated to the fans, aggressive enough, the already mentioned "Before I Forget" is another peak of the album, boring acoustic version "Vermilion II", while curious "The Nameless" mix of alternating voices, melodic singing, a fit Joey Jordison and in the chorus (again) acoustic guitars, "The Virus Of Life" is quite beautiful, with Corey at his best, the same goes for the concluding "Danger-Keep Away".

In the version with bonus tracks, the stunning "Scream" (very similar in structure to "The Nameless" and "Before I Forget") and "Don't Get Close" stand out. The album of maturity for a band that, despite being, as many criticize, quite commercial in look, feuds with other bands, satanism, and other such bullshit, knows it has the capabilities (and they prove it here, undoubtedly with the ever-winning Jordison and the two guitarists) to continue making good albums like this.