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Slipknot - Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses review



Reviewer:
8.5

828 users:
7.62
Band: Slipknot
Album: Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses
Release date: May 2004


Disc I
01. Prelude 3.0
02. The Blister Exists
03. Three Nil
04. Duality
05. Opium Of The People
06. Circle
07. Welcome
08. Vermilion
09. Pulse Of The Maggots
10. Before I Forget
11. Vermilion Pt. 2
12. The Nameless
13. The Virus Of Life
14. Danger - Keep Away

Disc II [special edition digipak]
01. Don't Get Close
02. Scream
03. Vermillion [Terry Date mix]
04. Danger - Keep Away [full-length version]
05. The Blister Exists [live]
06. Three Nil [live]
07. Disasterpiece [live]
08. People = Shit [live]

Three long years since Iowa? And now the nine madmen are back !
At the first listening, I found this album somewhat strange, with songs more akin to those written for Stonesour (Duality, the first single). The violence is still there, but? And then I listened it again. And yes, Slipknot are back, and they definitively kick ass !
This album is certainly the most complex they have written so far, with (listen well) a lot of different sounds absolutely everywhere. The percussions are - at least - a big, huge part of the sound (The Blister Exists), and you can even find guitar solo from time to time (Welcome). The songs seem sometimes to go in every direction at once, but it is not a cacophony because each instrument adds its part well.
You'll have on this album almost everything you wanted from Slipknot : aggressive, crushing songs (Three Nil), great riffs (Pulse of the Maggots), the catch-all single song (Duality, not unlike Wait and Bleed), the strange disturbing, Prosthetic-like song (The Virus of Life). But, there's no brutal straight-in-the-face song like Surfacing or People = Shit? You'll find, however, quiet and atmospheric songs (Circle, Vermillion pt 2)? No, no I'm not kidding, they made it ! I think they are quite good, but a little disturbing for a band praised for its violence (too much time with your side-projects, guys ?). But they prove that the guys from Slipknot know how to add great melodies to their songs.
Another great change is in the sound itself : for this album they worked with producer Rick Rubin (also guilty of a lot great work with Slayer and System of a Down), and I think this greatly improved er?, well absolutely everything in fact. I'm not a great fan of the nu-metal sound, and you'll find that Slipknot aged very well, leaving this sound style behind. Of course, they had to evolve, because nu-metal doesn't sell well anymore? I think that Slipknot is now a mature band (musically speaking at least), able to mix melody and violence, and well poised to continue to blast our ears off !!!

Highlights : The Blister Exists, Three Nil, The Nameless

Written by Darkside Momo | 22.06.2004




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 27   Visited by: 293 users
23.05.2006 - 23:02
The Damned
Account deleted
I actually found this album to be really disapointing...I mean it's a good album but it can never compare to the old SlipKnoT I know and love. I found Iowa to be their best album. Lyrically and stle rise Iowa is all that I wanted SlipKnoT to be. I've been a Maggot since it all began and Vol 3. has created massive posers. I don't blame SlipKnoT for that at all but It has happened. You can't walk down the street without seeing some supposed "goth" in a Vermillion shirt. Even the emo's (Which I dispise and wish they just kill themselves the next time they cut) are posing SlipKnoT. All of these posers came out of nowhere and they don't even know what being a Maggot is all about alot of them have answered my question "Are you a Maggot" when I've talked to them about SlipKnoT and I get numerous answers like "do I look like a bug" or "whats that" it's really pathetic that the band that has a reputation for being one of the most violent bands calmed down, changed their sound and created a wave of propoganda posers who listen to nothing but Vol. 3 and say their old music sucks. Even some of them say their old stuff scares them. Overall their sound has died. I mean I don't hate all of Vol. 3 it has some good songs but I don't like the way it changed SlipKnoT and changed who they are in the eyes of the world. Because they went from being a good (In their own style) Death Metal band whos Violence and hatred was unmeasurable on Iowa and just a pure in your face i'm gonna kill the whole world band on Self-Title and being hated and feared by everyone but the maggts to a band that if anyone wants to become quote "Gothic" SlipKnoT is always the first band they buy stuff of. If this rant offened any of you posers I'm glad go do me and all the true Maggots a favor and die. Overall about this album it's not horrible a bad change but as all true Maggots know you can't hate you "Bi-Polar Gods" for 1 bad mistake and the album is good overall I give it a 7... but for the record self title and Iowa are much better and personally in my opinion 2 of the best albums ever created and I give them both a perfect 10!
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30.06.2006 - 01:51
nick35
Account deleted
i love this album but its a lot more mainstream then anything else they have done. Thats cool that a metal band like slipknot can win a grammy for one of their songs. I think thats bad ass. This could do without the clow songs like circle and vermillion part2. Slipknot is not good with acoustic. If u want to hear cory some more check out stone sour.
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16.07.2006 - 10:02
Throne of Rats

IMO THE WORST ALBUM RELEASED BY SLIPKNOT BY FAR!!!
I worship their early material but wont even lay eyes on their new albums. In my eyes they went from a great heavy metal band to a pathetic Mainstream Alternative rock band, and this is the album that does it for them.
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Burning Crosses, Invoke the Powers, Rape the Crown, Hell Awaits!!
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23.07.2006 - 16:42
Rating: 7
iaberis
Advice Troll
What are you saying guys??? I totally disagree with you! The review has a point. This album is the best from from Slipknot, a band that's evolving and the sound becomes better and more mature. The sound is very good, you can even recognize melodies. I liked many songs of this album, who were different, i.e. Duality, Before I forget, Vermilion etc. The sound still's that violent as the other songs from previous albums, but here you can see the evolution of this band. They show us that their not just "I hate you all" but they can write some good ballads too. Everyone I've asked about this album, said only good things. I'm talking about fans of them and people who didn't like them much in the past.
Even me, I didn't like their previous albums and every time a friend of mine (big fan of them) put me down to listen to their songs, we had fights. But not with this album; I found it very good.
Not to mention the excellent music videos like "Before I forget" & "Duality" were you can truely see the violence and whatever else this band is.
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Bitch! Please
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27.10.2006 - 06:52
Mr.Wilson

IOWA the best album?...ha ha ha ha..you are out of your mind..Iowa is unsuccesfull atempt to sound heavier...the songs don´t make no sense...at least this album..is decente..with alot of melodies!
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"..Damned in any Language..."
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23.11.2006 - 21:07
devildriver86

Slipknot does have some talent but they need to work on some of there guitar parts in songs some of there songs i personaly think just suck bc they have no rythem and harmony to them but the rest of the songs are very well put together
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07.12.2006 - 04:31
Rating: 9
Rupert

The reviewer had a good point in that this new album is much more mature than the others, and that there are many sounds within each song that you just never notice but still enhance the overall feel. However, I do not find this album to be their best as it is too different to compare, and same with all their albums (possibly excluding Mate.Feed.Kill.Repeat because I haven't heard it in its entirety). Slipknot was creepier with their long almost-instrumentals, Iowa was more precise and angry, and their newest was more melodic and complex (not that their others weren't complex); each album was excellent in their given fields.
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09.12.2006 - 07:32
XStraightxEdgerX
Account deleted
Nu metal mature? Oxymoron anyone? That's right. Slipknot was creepiest when we weren't all certain that they suxorz.
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15.12.2006 - 17:20
DLMokoma
Account deleted
When I first heard Pulse of the Maggots, I thought, "hell, this solo reminds alot from Slayer". I think that if you wanna know whether Slipknot is metal or not, this record is a step up. I really like it.
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13.05.2007 - 16:46
Rating: 7
iaberis
Advice Troll
Slipknot sound metal enough to me... Because they use turntables that makes them non-metal?
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Bitch! Please
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12.10.2007 - 14:14
Rating: 7
Olli

I love slipknot but I actually think this rating is a bit high. Iowa and the self titled were their best work, sublinal verses was too soft.
I still think this album is good, "Vermillion pt. 2" Is completely different to previous albums but is a really nice peice of music.
The drumming in "The Blister Exists" and other songs are pretty good too, thanks to Joey.
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When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
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20.10.2007 - 02:32
Rating: 8
+{Jonas}+
I R Serious Cat
I agree with this review. This album is really goos, and proves that Slipknot is evolving and making great music, and looks like Corey realizaed he doesn't have to scream for everything.
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"Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie

http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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25.04.2008 - 16:30
Rating: 5
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Well.. they kinda lost indentity... IOWA is hated by many, but its the real slipknot, fast, violent, close to a death metal with a DJ xD. This one is good too.. but sounds different.. corey screams arent the same... i still consider IOwa their best album.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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09.05.2008 - 00:03
PrinceofSylvania
Account deleted
Extremely badass album. Love it!!!
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21.06.2008 - 02:02
Rating: 10
Passenger
Lost To Apathy
Apart from the slow acoustic songs, this is pretty much flawless. Honest, this album is great modern Metal!
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You don't make up for your sins in church. You do it in the streets. You do it at home. The rest is bullshit and you know it ~ Mean Streets
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06.01.2009 - 23:02
Rating: 8
Slayer666

And that's the problem with some people it seems.... I don't know why are so called "true metalheads" so fucking alergic to success of a band oustide the underground scene. Underground IS my favourite, but there is still some Mainstream shit that's pretty good.
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06.01.2009 - 23:36
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Slayer666 on 06.01.2009 at 23:02

And that's the problem with some people it seems.... I don't know why are so called "true metalheads" so fucking alergic to success of a band oustide the underground scene. Underground IS my favourite, but there is still some Mainstream shit that's pretty good.


Same for me... Sometimes I listen to some underground bands but there's a time that I listen to Korn or Slipknot and that's ok for me. They are not my favorite bands but they're still pretty good at times.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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05.09.2009 - 10:43
Smurfophagist

8.5? is this an april fools joke review?
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Having a signature is an absolute must.
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05.09.2009 - 17:08
Ragana
Rawrcat
Nah.
I like "Prelude 3.0". It's my all time favourite song by Slipknot despite the fact there are only three songs I like - "Vermillion Part II", "Duality" and this "Prelude 3.0". Hah.
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05.09.2009 - 21:39
tulkas
el parcero
Written by Ragana on 05.09.2009 at 17:08

Nah.
I like "Prelude 3.0". It's my all time favourite song by Slipknot despite the fact there are only three songs I like - "Vermillion Part II", "Duality" and this "Prelude 3.0". Hah.

Vermillion pt. II and Duality rule. nd despite the fact that it was the 'hit' song from that album, Before I Forget is pretty good as well. I love playing that one on Guitar Hero This album is really good, although if I remember correctly I didn't like it that much the first time I listened to it.
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love is like a jar of shit with a strawberry on top
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27.11.2009 - 21:17
Rating: 8
Boxcar Willy
yr a kook
I like Before I forget and duality the best
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14:22 - Marcel Hubregtse
I do your mum

DESTROY DRUM TRIGGERS
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11.01.2010 - 09:46
Immortal

I think 8.5 is a spot on rating. I just can't believe it was nearly 6 years ago since it was released!
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"Hope is the greatest of all evils, for it prolongs the torment of man." - Friedrich Nietzsche
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11.01.2010 - 23:54
Rating: 5
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
How can people not like ''The Virus of Life''. Its an amazing dark industrial song, catchy, heavy ambiented, like the olds ''Prostethics'' and ''Tattered and Torn''.

Virus of Life absolutly the best song of the album. The rest is worse than IOWA in every way.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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12.01.2010 - 01:23
Baz Anderson

I remember this coming out too, it was such a change from "Iowa"... no one knew what to think about it.

It is the best Slipknot album though. Really a great album. Maybe now some years have past, some new people might give it a go and appreciate it.
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08.06.2010 - 16:39
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Baz Anderson on 12.01.2010 at 01:23

I remember this coming out too, it was such a change from "Iowa"... no one knew what to think about it.

It is the best Slipknot album though. Really a great album. Maybe now some years have past, some new people might give it a go and appreciate it.

Spot on with this comment. Whether or not it's still too early for this album to be appreciated I don't know, maybe when people stop vilifying the genre it'll have a proper chance.
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14.06.2012 - 19:13
Cuca Beludo
Account deleted
I'm not a "Trve metalhead nu metul hater", but this albums is boring as hell. Every song sounds the same. One of my friends recommended me this album, as "the best slip album so far". If is this their best work, the weak ones are how?

5/10 for me.
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06.11.2018 - 17:14
Gween Giant

This is my favorite Slipknot album. I know that it's not as loved as Iowa or the self titled album but, I just love all the songs from start to finish.
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