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Similarly, ‘The Nameless’ with its groovy, albeit slower riffing and pleasantly intertwining vocal harmonies in both the verses and chorus, are well executed and straddle the boundaries of both ballad and heavy metal. ‘Circle’’s divertingly dark slow-burn is a rare moment of earnest clarity for Slipknot, and it is nicely balanced with following track ‘Welcome’, an anthemic, stamp-along blast from start to finish. The distorted, half-mumbled verses of tracks such as ‘Duality’ are a prime example of this, retaining a creepy, angry energy that capitalises on the hip-hop infused tone of earlier releases, but thanks to clever production choices never feels too overt or crowbarred-in. The resulting sound is far more aurally pleasing and much more enjoyable. The drums no longer rattle like aerosol cans, the guitars no longer sound so tonally muted, the production is no longer so muddy. But this familiarity is cleaner, more polished and overall, of higher quality. Its’ lurching chorus riff and superbly constructed mid-point breakdown are both satisfying and appropriate, vicious and so-very slipknot. Tracks such as ‘The Blister Exists’, ‘Opium of the people’ and ‘Pulse of the Maggots’ are groovy, schizophrenic showstoppers, with the first a noteworthy high point. The reduction in prominence of the grab-bag of nu-metal party tricks such as turntables, ‘rapping’ and overall edginess is a welcome change and the result is an album that feels more serious, thus more engaging.įeaturing a generous selection of both headbangers and ballads, the balance on the album is consistent and well-maintained contemplative musings followed by explosive, violent catharsis. Rather, it is a gentle tweaking of the formula, managing to remain true to the band’s original vibe whilst simultaneously allowing it to become more expansive overall.
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To this end, although it represents a crossroads for the band, Vol 3 is not a reinvention of the signature sound. The genre was reaching saturation point and everyone was picking a different road to run down.
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But the noughties were nearly at their mid-point bands like Three Days Grace, P.O.D., and Papa Roach were bleeding through into the mainstream, and Lamb Of God were laying down a thick and heavy sound to appeal more to nu-metal-infatuated purists. They sold well and they were relatively well received, but they also opened the band up to a slew of criticism that they still battle now. Their first self-titled album launched them and their attention-grabbing image to global prominence, and their sophomore release just added more fuel to the fire- both LPs an angsty whirlwind of choppy, distorted riffs, industrial percussion and ill advised electronic components. The band were more chaotic, heavier and edgier than their contemporaries the perfect foil to limp bizkit’s faux tough-guy image and Korn’s murky, brooding lonerism. It would not be unfair to call them pioneers of this sound, and although the quality of their music has undeniably lapsed in recent years, their distinctive energy and style has remained largely true to the sound of a bygone era. Although they undoubtedly exploited their own image to sell their music, Slipknot have always been one of the main antiheroes of the nu-metal wave, punching through the scene hardest and loudest. This branding onto the public consciousness has allowed the genre, perhaps not to survive, but to assist certain tropes and stylistics in latching onto other, more popular genres, allowing the distinctive sound to continue spreading to this day. Ask any longtime fan of heavy music, and they will undoubtedly have at least one nu-metal act that they have a soft spot for. It was obnoxious, infectious, and perhaps most tellingly, it was f**king everywhere. It is hard to look back on the moment nu-metal infiltrated the mainstream charts and semi-successfully managed to retain a loyal fanbase for such a long period of time without raising a smile or two. The epidemic was even claiming good bands and bastardising them into obnoxious caricatures of their former selves (shudder at memories of Machine Head’s Burning Red/ Supercharger era). Backpacks held together by safety pins, bike chains and dangly Korn fobs. Everywhere you looked, patches crudely sewn onto hideously baggy jeans. Feel that nu-metal-shaped wave of bile course through your soul. Oh what a time the late 90s/ early 2000s were for heavy music. Review Summary: Potent and primal: still Slipknot’s crowning achievement