| There's absolutely nothing subliminal about Slipknot's third album, Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses). No, the anger and frustration is pretty much at the forefront throughout the 14 tracks here. But this isn't just blind rage on display--the nine masked men of Slipknot sound more focused than ever, all because they manage to broaden their sound. Best of all, they display a profound awareness of hard rock's heritage and their place within it (helped in no small part by the direction of legendary producer Rick Rubin). Vol. 3 has hints of Slayer's speed metal (right down to the double-time guitar solo in "Welcome") and Nine Inch Nails' sweeping and meticulously-constructed epics (and, in particular, The Downward Spiral). They even show that they're capable of exercising restraint, applying a delicate touch to the string-laden "Circle" and the piano and acoustic-guitar-led "Vermilion Pt. 2". Mostly, though, Vol. 3 is an organic industrial metal album, mixing sampled sounds and beats with real, rapid-fire drumming and split-second riffing. There's a lot going on here, even on tracks with silly names such as "Pulse of the Maggots". It probably doesn't do them any favours to say that Slipknot are cleverer than they look. But, on Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses) they prove themselves cleverer than most of their peers. Quite simply, this is an exceptional metal album. --Robert Burrow |
