Maps of Music

Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004)

Where the lyrics of Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) take you, and where it was really made.

Initially unproductive, the band wrote more than enough material for this album, and it became the only Slipknot album produced by Rick Rubin.

Key places

Where the album was recorded (2004)

Recording site The Mansion — Slipknot recorded the album with producer Rick Rubin at The Mansion in Los Angeles in 2003, and the band had moved in there to work on it. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mixing studio for the album (2004)

Recording site Village Recorders — The album was mixed at The Village Recorder, according to the release credits. The listed location is a building-level point. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Mastering at Sterling Sound (2004)

Recording site Record Plant Studios — The album was mastered at Sterling Sound according to the release credits. The point is placed at New York City's city center, not at the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot
• Released May 25, 2004 by Roadrunner Records
• A special edition with a bonus disc was released April 12, 2005
• It is the band's only album produced by Rick Rubin
• Regarded as a swan song of the late 1990s to early 2000s nu metal era
• Credited as Slipknot's first album to incorporate more traditional, melodic song structures, guitar solos and acoustic instruments

Background

• Speculation about the band's future began after the tour promoting its second album in 2002
• Some members were already 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, and lead vocalist Corey Taylor was drinking heavily
• Even so, the band managed to write more than enough material for a new album

Recording

• Recorded with producer Rick Rubin at The Mansion in Los Angeles in 2003
• Band members were divided over their experience of working with Rubin
• Vocalist Corey Taylor said he drank heavily throughout the time in the mansion
• Mixed at The Village Recorder and mastered at Sterling Sound

Cover

• The cover features the 'maggot mask' designed by Shawn Crahan
• The mask's name refers to the name the band gives its fans

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, vocalist Anders Colsefni and bassist Paul Gray.
• The band is known for its masks, matching jumpsuits and numbered identities.
• Their self-titled debut album (1999) brought rapid fame, and Iowa (2001) made them more popular.

Members

• Shawn Crahan is the only founding member in the current lineup.
• Corey Taylor has been the lead vocalist since 1997.
• Mick Thomson and Jim Root are guitarists in the current lineup.
• Eloy Casagrande became the drummer in 2024.

Career

• The band released All Hope Is Gone (2008), which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200.
• Paul Gray died in 2010 from an accidental overdose.
• The seventh studio album, The End, So Far, was released in 2022.
• The band has sold about 30 million records worldwide.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Metacritic: generally favorable reviews, weighted average of 70 out of 100 from 12 critic scores
• AllMusic (Johnny Loftus) praised the band's dedication to making it a Slipknot album
• Q hailed the album as a triumph
• Stylus (Todd Burns) called it the best pop-inflected metal album since System of a Down's Toxicity
• Entertainment Weekly (Sean Richardson) gave it an A−, describing it as a deranged hippie update of Slayer's Reign in Blood
• Rolling Stone gave it 3 out of 5
• Alternative Press criticized it as a tepid, second-rate version of Iowa
• Yahoo!'s Chris Heath also reviewed it negatively, finding the track 'The Nameless' awkward

Reappraisal

• Metal Hammer named it one of the Albums of the Decade in 2009
• Kerrang! readers ranked it 31st in The 50 Best Albums of the 21st Century poll
• Rock Hard ranked it 396th in its 2005 book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time
• In 2025 Loudwire ranked it thirteenth in its list of the top 50 nu-metal albums of all time

Records

• Peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 242,683 copies in its first week
• Peaked at number two on the Australian and Canadian sales charts
• Within the top ten in album sales across eleven countries
• Certified Platinum in the United States on February 21, 2005
• Won the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance for 'Before I Forget' (2006)

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album is Slipknot's first without a Parental Advisory label, since its lyrics are much less explicit than the band's earlier albums
• The special edition does carry the warning label, because of the heavy profanity in its bonus content
• Corey Taylor said the first verse and chorus of 'Circle' were written and recorded during the 2001 Iowa tour, and that same take ended up on the album
• Shawn Crahan worked on the documentary Voliminal: Inside the Nine during the album's creation
• In 2025 Loudwire ranked the album thirteenth among the top 50 nu-metal albums of all time

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Maps of Ages ↗ (mapsofages.com)

Privacy · Contact