Volume Three is a lot different from other Slipknot releases, but people who liked the band before seemed to surprisingly still like this one.
1. Prelude 3.0 (3:57)
A really slow song for the Knot gang, but still good nonetheless. Some nice single note pick scraping from the guitar for most of the song and good lyrics from Corey, while not the best singer he handles this and the rest of the album well. Good intro song, sets the mood, but definantly not the pace of the album. 3/5
2. The Blister Exists (5:19)
Easily one of my favorite Slipknot songs ever, the instruments truly shine through on this and overall a great head banging song. At the beginning there are some heavy bass and drums that I knew when first listening to it would make it a great song. Corey screams Drop it and when Corey starts singing theres some great fast guitar that is really cool and is heard throughout the song. The lyrics are also some of my favorite from the band Can you feel this? Im dying to feel this is the best part of his singing on this song in my opinion. Theres also a drum solo, that lasts awhile, I love to air drum to whenever I listen to it. The song ends after some more solo drumming and Corey or someone else gasping. This is overall a tremendously great song from the band and is great live as well. 5/5
3. Three Nil (4:48)
Another solid song, starts out heavy with some nice riffing from the guitar and the bass with some good drumming as usual. Corey does a quick scream and the music gets a little heavier. Corey sings quickly on this one which is cool, but at this point the music to me needs to and soon does (not by a mile or anything though) with some fast paced guitar riffing and drums staying the same while keeping everything together. Near the end Corey and another person count 1,2,and 3 then with the heavy guitar riffing and drumming the song closes out. Not the best song, but certainly deserving, I give it a 3.5/5
4. Duality (4:12)
The first single and the most radio friendly song on the album. Starts out with that wonderful piano intro and Corey singing I push my fingers into my eyes, its the only thing that slowly stops the ache, but its made of all the things I have to take. I absolutely, after all this time, still love the lyrics to this song, but it can still get old. The last minute of the song is easily the best part to me, but I think this could have been extended in length a little. I wont be going into to much detail since anyone reading this would have heard it already unless they have been living under a rock the last year. 4/5
5. Opium of the People (3:12)
One of my favorites, this one got played the hell out of on Music Choice when the album first dropped and was for a while my favorite song on the album. Starts out with some great guitar which stays strong throughout the song. The bass and drums are nice and hold it all together, but arent the best. The vocals are quick which I think is what Corey is best at doing without annoying me too much. I love the parts where he sings slowly and clearly though. My favorite part is after he says Stop around the 1:40 mark and the music that follows. The last ten seconds are pretty cool to, warranting this a high score. 4.5/5
6. Circle (4:22)
This is what I think should have been the second single instead of the horrid Vermilion pt. 2. The song stays slow the entire time and has a nice intro with some acoustic guitar and percussion with a nice bass line. Corey does the best job on this with quiet soothing vocals and the actual lyrics are enjoyable to. My only real complaints
is that the song sounds to much like a Stone Sour song rather than something fromSlipknot and that the ending sounds a little to Techoish for my tastes. 4/5
7. Welcome (3:15)
This song is a little too bland and boring for me. It sounds like a mixture of The Blister Exists and Three Nil. It stays heavy throughout, but just doesnt sound original at all and in this case its definitely a bad thing. The good things about it that the lyrics are cool and the part when Corey sings destruction and the music that goes with it are pretty much the only good things about it. 2.5/5
8. Vermilion Pt. 1 (5:16)
Okay so this song was acceptable before I found out that Verm. 2 is the same thing except pussier. Its still better than the second version and I wish if they had to have one be a single it would have been this one. Musically this is enjoyable with nice drums, guitars as well as the rest of the instruments. However, I cant stand the singing on this, by now I would have thought it could have grown on me, but no. 3/5
9. Pulse of the Maggots (4:19)
This is the other song that got played the hell out of on Metal Music Choice and rightfully so. The beginning starts out with a siren going off then Corey starts giving a speech to his maggots about rising up against oppression or something never really figured it out. The music is extremely awesome with some of the best drumming, lyrics, and guitar playing on the album. This is probably the most head bangingist (I know thats not a word) song on the album right there with The Blister Exists. 5/5
10. Before I Forget (4:38)
Okay so this is the third single which I know has gotten a lot of hate, but I enjoy this song a lot more than most people. I personally think that this has some of Coreys best singing and lyrics on it, but I do grant that it does get very repetitive with both the music and the lyrics. Although, I still get drawn in with that hook every time. Musically as I already said it gets repetitive, but the bass has its moments on here as well as the drums and percussion to. The song ends with crackling feedback and murmurs. 3.5/5
11. Vermilion (3:44)
Ugh is pretty much what I think of this song I want to put it on pause it as if Imallergic to the song itself, but I cant since I want to give a fair review. The acoustic guitar is okay while it makes my skin crawl with the singing and lyrics themselves. The single note acoustic is cool, but I cant stand the chords played by the other one. Sorry if people do think this is to biased I cant help it. Personally its a 1.5 to me, but I wont be to biased. 2.5/5
12. The Nameless (4:28)
This sure is a strange song has it's share of shredding metal and quietness of something like A Perfect Circle, but they do it in their own way. The chorus is pretty cool while being nothing you would think Slipknot do. I like how Corey handles the chorus and the rest of the song, but hes been spending to much time with Stone Sour if this is how he wants Slipknot to end up being. Strange, but cool anyway gets a 4/5
13. The Virus of Life (5:25)
The strangest song on the entire album all experimental and a lot of the time it can be to make out what Corey is saying/singing, but the song is well put together for whatever its worth. All the effects and music in it are enjoyable yet well get on a lot of peoples nerves. Ends with the sound of him choking. For people who are into weird experimental music like me I guess. 3.5/5
14. Danger-Keep Away (3:13)
There is a lot of piano in this song almost makes me think of a Slipknot version of a gospel song at times. The piano itself is really cool I think and shows how much Corey is willing to embrace different types of music although if this song was going to be done it should have been on a Stone Sour album in my opinion. Very good and cool, but ends suddenly and Im not to sure if this was a great way to end the album. 4.5/5
Overall this was nothing like the bands other three albums and in my opinion that can be both good and bad. With some cool experimental things like The Nameless and The Virus of Life, head banging songs like The Blister Exists and Pulse of the Maggots and horrid stuff like Vermillion and Welcome. Overall I would have to give this a 4/5.
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