Artist: Slipknot
Album: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
Label: Roadrunner Records
Rating:
Reviewer: Robin Cordeiro

"Forget everything you know. Slipknot is reborn in 2004." Those words made a shiver go down my spine when I saw them plastered all over flyers at a show I was at in March. I couldn't wait until the CD came out.

And now, the release of Slipknot's long-awaited third cd, Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses, has arrived. Now what I have to say about this, I'm not expecting anyone to agree with me, but regardless, I have to voice my opinion on this cd. Feel free to disagree, that's your right, but here I go.

I love Slipknot dearly and would honestly consider them one of my favorite bands. I wouldn't go as far to consider myself a 'maggot', but a very big fan, sure. A bunch of people that I know got a hold of the CD about two weeks previous to the release and have been listening to it since then and I've been listening to their opinions of it. "Oh man, it sucks," "Corey Taylor lost his scream," and "An acoustic song? Yeah, Slipknot sold out doing an acoustic song."

Um, no.

I don't know if I hate anything more than when someone says that a band sells out for doing something different from what they "should be doing" and don't agree with it, especially when it's a band I tend to favor. But I'm getting off subject. Anyway, I went out and purchased the cd on May 25, the release date, and put it on immediately in the car to listen to it. The first thought that occurred to me as "Prelude 3.0" played, was "Corey Taylor did NOT lose his scream." I don't know where they got that idea. Moving along to "The Blister Exists," which I remember them playing when I saw them, I absolutely love the song. It's Slipknot in its purest form. "Three Nil" has a close resemblance to that of "Disasterpiece" from their 2001 release Iowa, and "Duality." Oh, how I love this song. It's probably one of my favorites on the CD. If that's not Slipknot, then I don't know what is.

I know the question you're all probably thinking: “What's up with that acoustic song?” Well I hate to burst your bubble, but there isn't just one acoustic song, there's two. "Circle" and "Vermillion Pt. 2". On Circle, it's an okay song, don't get me wrong. Of course it's going to be kind of weird hearing Slipknot, the gods of the heaviness they bestow, doing something as mellow and calm and to have violins and harmonies connected with them in an acoustic song, but it's not a bad song in any way. The ending is a little weird also, because I don't know why you'd want to have a partial heavy drum solo at the end, but again, it's not bad. Be open-minded about it. I assure you you'll think of it the same way I do.

There really isn't anything BAD about this CD, it's just DIFFERENT from the usual what you'd expect from Slipknot. If anything, let's look at the things that are extremely better about the CD. The guitar riffs are the same usual creativeness that Jim and Mic usually put out. The kind you can feel in your bones. But what makes then even better is the improved quality of the percussion. There's more, it's louder, and it's in your face.

You have to remember that bands change. They experiment and try new things to try and improve their sound. And that's exactly what I think Slipknot did with this cd. It's not your conventional ear-splitting every-track-is-like-a-brick-in-your-face cd, but it's still your favorite neighborhood-friendly Slipknot. So don't go saying on a first-listen impression that they sold out, because you know Slipknot is better than that. I'm a VERY open-minded person when it comes to music, and maybe that's why I'm so accepting of this "different Slipknot", but I don't care. In my mind, they did not sell out, they just changed to what they wanted to do. And that's perfectly acceptable to me. But it might not be to you. That's where you come in. I suggest going and buying the CD and giving it a good thorough listen before branding it a "sell-out". Then, if you disagree with me, use it as a beer coaster to its fullest extent. If not, thrive in the fact that we finally have another Slipknot CD to listen to full-blast. It's about time.