The Monster Takes On A New Skin
Written: Jul 03 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wonderfully crafted songs, but still with the brutality of Slipknot
Cons: "Don't Get Close" wasn't on the album; the people who will knock the album down
The Bottom Line: This album gets five-star because it deserves every last one of them. Many will disagree, but be trusting and at least give it a whirl.
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| jakob_187's Full Review: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses [PA] by Slipknot |
This is the way Slipknot should have always sounded, and hopefully, the way they will sound from now on. With two previous efforts under their belts, plus numerous side projects, the nine-man monster that have rampaged the world with their blend of doom, gloom, rap, nu-metal, and balls-to-the-wall style have released an album that can only be deemed as classic. No doubt, there will be fanboys the world over that will say Slipknot sucks, and there will be even more who have been fans asking why there is an element of Stone Sour in the music. However, with all the insults and comparisons, there is no denying the brilliance found on this piece of plastic. Vol 3. (The Subliminal Verses) is here, and without losing their integrity, Slipknot has put together a musical masterpiece that is harder to describe than their motives behind the masks.
“I never wanted anybody more than I wanted you. The only thing I ever really loved was hurting you.” -- Nameless
With the self-titled album, Slipknot first introduced us to their onstage mayhem, the craze of their maggots (the fans), and the chaos that existed in their music. Using nine men who hide their true faces behind masks, they transformed into an insane monster that no one could seem to stop. Soon, merchandise was everywhere, their names were household commodities, and their message was clear: destroy anything and everything in their path. Unfortunately, their second release named after their home state, Iowa, went unseen by many fans and critics alike. Although a far superior album to their first, it was released within two weeks of the events on September 11, 2001, which meant that people weren’t up for hearing the horrors of human life. Afterwards, the band went separate ways for a while, working with side projects and living life. Although Shawn worked with To My Surprise and Joey worked with Murderdolls, it was Corey who drew the most attention. With a song that originally showed up on the Spider-Man soundtrack titled “Bother”, Stone Sour soon took on the world with their toned-down version of what Slipknot was doing.
“I am a worm before I am a man. I was a creature before I could stand. I will remember before I forget; before I forget this.” -- Before I Forget
Now, I told you all that to tell you this. Like I said, people will use the words “Slipsour” or “Stoneknot” when referring to this album. Go ahead and let them, because they are unwilling to admit the magnificence in the music that they have created. Going through turmoil, and on the brink of hating each other to the point of annihilation, Rick Rubin pulled the guys into the studio and forced them to live with each other. This created a new, more secure bond between the band, enabling them to look past everything and get to the music. There are still your pounding, heart-racing anthems of individuality on the album, such as “Three Nil” and “Welcome”. You have a tribute to the fans, which is one of the more brutal songs on the album, coincidentally titled “Pulse of the Maggots”. However, you also see things never done before on a Slipknot album, like their opus (of sorts) that spans over two or three songs. Yes, it is also true that acoustic songs have been introduced on the album as well. Slipknot did not want to make an album to jump around and headbang all the time, but instead, wanted to make an album to prove they are musicians and artists, not a trend.
“I push my fingers into my eyes. It’s the only way to slowly stop the ache, but it’s made of all the things I have to take. Jesus, it never ends. It works its way inside. If the pain goes on, I’m not gonna make it.” -- Duality
With their intro kicking off to the tune of something from Manson’s Mechanical Animals, the band moves right into the lethal injection of metal with “The Blister Exists”. Following with “Three Nil” and their first single, “Duality”, they continue to plaster the walls of sound around your ears with rabid, infectious guitars and pounding percussions pieces of destruction. Moving into “Opium of the People”, we notice the first big difference in Slipknot, starting with an off-key intro and a marching guitar/drum intro. Then, we get into the slower moving, single-styled music that is not normally expected from the boys. The rapping from Corey is pretty normal, but throughout the song, the tone is different from previous stances. The chorus kicks in, and just feels not only natural, but also inspiring. Once we get to track 6, titled “Circle”, we hear our first acoustic song after a ring tone from a phone and some sampling elements. The song has an Irish strum pattern to it, and Corey’s soaring vocal talents are put on display once again.
“I won’t let this build up inside of me.” -- Vermilion Pt.1 & 2
Say what you’d like, but the acoustic tracks work well. What works better is the opus, which includes the tracks “Vermilion”, and its counterpart, “Vermilion Pt. 2”. Now, I think the last track, “Danger, Keep Away” also belongs in it, with such a natural progression from the end of “Pt. 2” into it, but I’m not definite. However, this song is a totally different direction than normal, with a brooding drum riff and chugging guitar line, including Corey’s monotone vocal arrangement. Once the chorus kicks in, Corey’s soaring is back, but melody is added to the Slipknot sound, and it is absolutely beautiful, a word I never thought I could use with Slipknot’s music. Moving to the second part, there is a nice acoustic arrangement to go with the overture of the first part, chanting a version of the chorus throughout most of it. Overall, this opus is worthy of being put alongside Pink Floyd’s classic “Another Brick In The Wall”.
“This is the year where hope fails you. The test subjects run the experiments, and the bastard you know is the hero you hate. But anything is possible if we try. There’s no reason. There’s no lesson, and no time like the present. Tell me right now. What have you got to lose? What have you got to lose except your soul? Sell us your soul!” -- Pulse of the Maggots
Another new addition is the amount of off-key solos and quirky rapid-moving guitar parts in the background of the songs. “Pulse of the Maggots”, “Vermilion”, and many of the other songs have Mick and James proving they can play a guitar, albeit that the solos are in no correct order for notes and pitch. However, they work with the destructive pattern that comes expected with the Slipknot name.
“All that I wanted are things I had before. All that I needed, I never needed more. All of my questions were answers to my sins. All of my endings are waiting to begin.” -- Circle
As for standout tracks, the best song on the track is “Before I Forget”, which had me chanting and screaming the chorus for weeks upon weeks. You can never get enough of the song, and you might find yourself moving back to it quite often. It is something you can play anytime, but overall, you just want to hear it again. “Duality” is also a great song, since it doesn’t follow the pattern of a typical radio-friendly single, even though it has received a massive amount of airplay. The off-time drum patterns and wonderful lyrics make it a fantastic part of the album. One of the more problematic tracks on the album is “Nameless”, which is good, but the stylized techno drumming is only good for so long before it is annoying. Outside of that, the song does feature a really good chorus. “The Virus of Life” follows in the tradition of “Scissors” from the first album and “Gently” from the second. It is a slow moving song, showing more gloom than anything in its roots. The album does feature some good songs that could become crowd favorites, including “Three Nil”, “The Blister Exists”, and “Pulse of the Maggots”, but with the new elements added to the album, they can begin to feel like more of the same. Regardless, though, they are all fantastic songs.
“Pick me apart, then, pick up the pieces.” -- The Blister Exists
If you are not the kind of person that accepts musical evolution very easily, then you might have some problems swallowing this album down whole. Taking it in one dose at a time will be a better way to dissolve it and enjoy what it tastes like. For those of you who are ready for a change in the monsters’ habits, then this album will bring joy and a big fat smile to your face. The album does not don a parental advisory warning, like their previous two, and I can’t think of one time when they did cuss. Overall, the album can be enjoyed by anyone of any age, which means that you should open your wallet, travel to your local music store, and pick this album up right away. You will no regret adding this to your collection.
Recommended:
Yes
Great Music to Play While: Driving
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jakob_187
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Location: Waco TX
Reviews written: 22
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About Me:
"Music is the glue of the world. Without it, what fun is life?"
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