Music / Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)

I am a worm before I am a man!

Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) is the third studio album by Slipknot, released on May 25, 2004, by Roadrunner Records. It is the band's only album produced by Rick Rubin.

The album solidified Slipknot as a household name with a more radio-friendly Alternative Metal sound than the first two albums, even including some acoustic songs, though their usual Nu Metal sound is still present. It is also notable for being the only Slipknot album not to have any hard swearing present, excluding the live bonus tracks on the CD-exclusive special edition released in 2005, as a deliberate response to claims that the band's lyrics were too reliant on profanity.

"Duality", "Vermillion", and "Before I Forget", all released as singles for the album, became staples on rock radio. "Before I Forget" also won a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, making it the band's first (and to this day only) Grammy win.

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Tracklist:

1. "Prelude 3.0" (3:57)
2. "The Blister Exists" (5:19)
3. "Three Nil" (4:48)
4. "Duality" (4:12)
5. "Opium of the People" (3:12)
6. "Circle" (4:22)
7. "Welcome" (3:15)
8. "Vermilion" (5:16)
9. "Pulse of the Maggots" (4:19)
10. "Before I Forget" (4:38)
11. "Vermilion Pt. 2" (3:44)
12. "The Nameless" (4:28)
13. "The Virus of Life" (5:25)
14. "Danger – Keep Away" (3:13)

Special Edition Bonus CD

1. "Don't Get Close" (3:47)
2. "Scream" (4:31)
3. "Vermilion" (Terry Date mix) (5:25)
4. "Danger – Keep Away" (full-length version) (7:55)
5. "The Blister Exists" (live) (5:21)
6. "Three Nil" (live) (4:57)
7. "Disasterpiece" (live) (5:25)
8. "People = Shit" (live) (3:54)

Principal members:

• (0) Sid Wilson - Turntables
• (1) Joey Jordison - Drums
• (2) Paul Gray - Bass, backing vocals
• (3) Chris Fehn - Percussion, backing vocals
• (4) Jim Root - Guitar
• (5) Craig "133" Jones - Keyboards, sampling
• (6) Sean "Clown" Crahan - Percussion, backing vocals
• (7) Mick Thompson - Guitar
• (8) Corey Taylor - Lead vocals

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I push my fingers into my tropes:

• Album Intro Track: "Prelude 3.0", as the name suggests. Although it has two verses and a chorus, it is a quieter song that builds up to the heavier "The Blister Exists".
• Alternate Album Cover: The special edition has a slipcase of a black-and-white photo of the band with a red-tinted background over the standard album cover. This photo was previously used for one of the sleeves of the album's vinyl release.
• Big "NO!": The end of "Prelude 3.0" as it segues into "The Blister Exists".
• Breather Episode:
  • Acoustic song "Circle" is sandwiched between two of the heavier songs, though it does end on a synth and drum Last Note Nightmare.
  • "Vermillion Pt. 2" is another acoustic song, though it has some Lyrical Dissonance as it deals with the aftermath of Obsession Song "Vermillion". It comes before "The Nameless", another Obsession Song.
• Creepy Monotone: Parts of the full version of "Danger - Keep Away" are delivered this way.
• Fading into the Next Song: "Vermillion" flows into "Pulse of the Maggots" as the latter starts by sounding a siren.
• Last Note Nightmare:
  • "Circle" brings in the drums at the end, along with a spooky synth/sample loop after all the other instruments have been stopped.
  • The full version of "Danger - Keep Away" follows the end of the album version with a pause, then a Creepy Monotone saying, "Danger, danger, danger, we too feel alone."
• Lighter and Softer: This album is more melodic than the first two and has almost no swearing, not counting the live songs on the bonus CD.
• New Sound Album: This is more of a heavier Alternative Metal album with occasional keyboards and guitar solos.
• The Not-Remix: The "Vermilion" remix is essentially the full version of the radio version, which has a slightly different keyboard sound.
• Obsession Song:
  • "Vermilion" and "Vermilion Pt. 2" obsess over someone who is apparently not even real.
    "I won't let this build up inside of me"
  • "The Nameless" is another one.
    "I never wanted anybody more than I wanted you
    The only thing I ever really loved was hate"
• Song Style Shift: The full version of "Danger – Keep Away" is a sparse, percussion-driven track with a Creepy Monotone. It fades into a melodic keyboard section, returns to the first section, then fades into the part heard on the standard album.
• The Virus: "The Virus of Life" is in the perspective of it, at least in a figurative sense:
  "I can see you but you can't see me
  I could touch you and you wouldn't even feel me
  Wait a second and you'll settle down
  I'm just waiting, 'til you really let your guard down"

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