Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) is the third studio album by the metal band Slipknot, released on May 25, 2004, by Roadrunner Records. A special edition, containing a bonus disc, was released on April 12, 2005. It is the band’s only album produced by Rick Rubin. Following the band’s tour to promote its second album in 2002, speculation regarding the future began. Some band members had already been involved in side projects including Murderdolls, To My Surprise, and the reformation of Stone Sour. In 2003, Slipknot moved into The Mansion to work on the album. Initially, the band was unproductive; lead vocalist Corey Taylor was drinking heavily. Nevertheless, the band managed to write more than enough material for a new album. Vol. 3 is credited as Slipknot‘s first to incorporate more traditional, melodic song structures, guitar solos and acoustic instruments.
The album received generally positive reviews. The album peaked within the top ten in album sales across eleven countries, and went Platinum in the United States. The band also received the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for the song Before I Forget. At the end of 2009, Before I Forget was listed as “AOL’s Top Metal Song of the Decade”. Roadrunner Records have listed the music video for “Duality” as the best music video in Roadrunner history. The cover of the album features the “maggot mask” designed by Shawn Crahan. The name of the mask is a reference to the name given to fans by the band. The mask was made of stitched leather, with a zipper around the mouth area, and copies can be obtained as part of the band’s merchandise. It is featured in the music video for the album’s second single “Vermilion”, in which the band appears whenever the protagonist wears the mask.
Tracklist:
- Prelude 3.0
- The Blister Exists
- Three Nil
- Duality
- Opium of the People
- Circle
- Welcome
- Vermilion
- Pulse of the Maggots
- Before I Forget
- Vermilion Pt. 2
- The Nameless
- The Virus of Life
- Danger – Keep Away
Japanese edition bonus track - Scream
Slipknot
Corey Taylor: vocals
Mick Thomson: guitars
Shawn Crahan: percussion, backing vocals, art direction, photography
Craig Jones: samplers, keyboards
Jim Root: guitars
Chris Fehn: percussion, backing vocals
Paul Gray: bass, backing vocals
Joey Jordison: drums, mixing
Sid Wilson: turntables
Design
Michael Boland: design for The Boland Design CO.
Neil Zlozower: band photography
Production
Rick Rubin: producer
Greg Fidelman: mixing
Phillip Broussard: assistant engineer
Miles Wilson: assistant engineer
Dan Monti: assistant engineer
Lindsay Chase: album production coordination
Ted Jensen: mastering
Management
Monte Conner: A&R
Cory Brennan and Merck Mercuriadis: management for Sanctuary Artist Management Inc.
Michael Arfen: US booking agent for Writers and Artists Agency International
John Jackson: international booking agent for K2 Agency
