(RockAndMetal.com) (03/11/04)

By Michael Bennett

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA - SLIPKNOT has revealed the title of their forthcoming album is going to be "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)."

After more than two years in hibernation, the band is about to re-emerge with a new look as well, as the group will don its third series of masks on this year's Jagermeister Music Tour, which begins March 30th in Orlando, Florida.

The new masks are more streamlined than those Slipknot wore on the 2002 tour for their second album, "Iowa," but the look is basically the same.

"It's just an extension of what we wore last time, they just have more elaborate detail," says drummer Joey Jordison.

"You can still tell which guy is who, so I don't think the kids are gonna be confused." Nor will they be confused by Slipknot's new music, Jordison said.

As with the masks, the vibe is instantly familiar, but the songs are more developed than the group's prior material.

The first track released will be 'Pulse Of The Maggots,' which comes out the same day the Jagermeister tour launches.

"It's got the feel of Ministry crossed with Slayer," Jordison said.

"It's heavier than fuck, and it's really cool. Also, it's the first introduction to the shredder old-school guitar solos of Mick [Thompson] and Jim [Root].

Mick and Jim are two of the best guitar players I've ever heard, and I think it's cool that we never really showcased their talent at playing technical metal solos.

But when you hear them play back-and-forth solos on that track, it's so insane that it kind of makes you laugh."

'Pulse Of The Maggots,' like many songs on "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" - due May 24th - is about the band's development over the last couple of years and the relationship it continues to nurture with its fans.

"It's a rallying cry anthem, and it's about how our fans still hold the flag for a band that has been gone for two years. It's a tribute to them, fully."

Slipknot chose the name "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" because -- while the album is an obvious cry of rage and frustration -- there's an underlying theme of bonding and unification.

"I don't necessarily look at it as a negative or evil title," Jordison said.

"I just think there are so many internal thoughts and so much intensity within the lyrics that there are a lot of different meanings that can be pulled out of it."

"A lot of feelings went into the making of this record, and after digesting the whole thing you can really see that we're dealing a lot with getting back together and learning how to be a band again."

The first "official" single, 'Duality,' expresses the dichotomy of the bandmembers wanting to be away from one another and striving to get back together.

"It's about realizing how important we are to our fans and how important they are to us, and how important we are to each other," Jordison said.

"It's about creating that movement again." The track is the most experimental single the band has ever released.

"It's got one of the heaviest grooves we've ever come up with," Jordison said.

"It's a dark song, but the chorus is very liberal as far as tones and things that we've never done before, and the things we've done with [singer] Corey [Taylor]'s voice are really wild."

For the upcoming release, Slipknot recorded over 25 tracks in the Harry Houdini mansion with producer Rick Rubin -- 13 of which will make the final cut.

Outside of 'Pulse Of The Maggots' and 'Duality,' other tracks expected to be on the release include 'Vermillion,' 'The Blister Exists' and 'Circle.'

Slipknot will shoot a performance video for 'Duality' later this month in their hometown of Des Moines, Iowa, with Mark Klasfeld and Tony of Vem and Tony.

"It's gonna really show the actual intensity of the band," Jordison said.

"Doing it in our hometown will really bring out an ethereal type of vibe that I don't think we could capture by being in L.A."

March 30th will also mark the release of an interactive section on www.slipknot1.com, the band's web site, made whole by nine individual parts that are going to be unveiled one by one during the next few months - five before the official album release, and the remaining four after the album is released.

Site viewers will be granted access to new and original stuff by Slipknot, starting with skins, images of the studio recording of the album, and pictures from the shows on the Jagermeister tour, which also features Fear Factory and Chimaira.

Later on, two new songs will be added to the web site: 'Duality,' and one other track yet to be confirmed.

By the time the new album drops, the web site will contain material that can only be accessed though the original CD.

Fans who buy the new CD will be able to enter exclusive areas, and will be able to listen to a song NOT included on the album.

They will also be given the opportunity to win various prizes, including nine signed jumpsuits used by the band at their live shows.

Slipknot's Upcoming Confirmed Tour Dates:

03/30 Orlando, FL [Hard Rock Live]
03/31 West Palm Beach, FL [Backstage @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre]
04/02 Birmingham, AL [Sloss Furnace]
04/03 Atlanta, GA [Tabernacle]
04/04 Myrtle Beach, S.C. [House Of Blues]
04/06 Charlotte/Winston Salem, N.C. [Grady Cole/Millenium Center]
04/07 Norfolk, VA [Norva]
04/09 Washington, D.C. [Nation]
04/12 New York, NY [Roseland]
04/13 Philadelphia, PA [Electric Factory]
04/14 Rochester, N.Y. [ESL Center]
04/16 Detroit, MI [Harpo's]
04/17 Cleveland, OH [Tower Amphitheatre]
04/18 Columbus, OH [Promowest Pavilion]
04/22 St. Paul, MN [Roy Wilkins Auditorium]
04/23 Chicago, IL [Congress]
04/24 Milwaukee, WI [Eagles]
04/26 Kansas City, MO [Uptown]
04/27 Des Moines, IA [7 Flags]
04/28 St. Louis, MO [Pageant]
04/30 Houston, TX [Verizon Theatre]
05/01 Dallas, TX [Nextstage]
05/02 Oklahoma City, OK [Bricktown Events Center]
05/04 Denver, CO [Fillmore]
05/05 Salt Lake City, UT [Salt Air]
05/07 Tempe, AZ [Marquee]
05/08 Las Vegas, NV [House Of Blues]
05/11 San Diego, CA [Soma]
05/14 Sacramento, CA [Memorial Auditorium]
05/26 Copenhagen, Denmark [Parken]
05/28 Helsinki, Finland Olympic Stadium]
05/30 Gothenburg, Sweden [Ullevi]
06/02 Glasgow, Scotland [Green Download]
06/04 Lisbon, Portugal [Parque Bella Vista RIR]
06/06 Donington, UK [Donington Park]
06/08 Ludwigshafen, Germany [Sudweststadion]
06/10 Gelsenkirchen, Germany [Arena Auf Schalke]
06/11 Vienna, Austria [Wiener Neustadt Aerodrome]
06/13 Munich, Germany [Olympic Stadium]
06/16 Bremen, Germany [Weserstadion]
06/18 Zurich, Switzerland [Letzegrund Stadium]
06/19 Zaragoza, Spain [La Romareda Stadium]
06/21 Amsterdam, Netherlands [Amsterdam Arena]
06/23 Paris, France [Parcs Des Princes]
06/25 Dublin, Ireland [RDS]
06/26 Antwerp, Belgium [Graspop Metal Meeting]
06/29 Padova, Italy [Padova Stadium]
07/04 Nr. Strasbourg, France [Eurokennes De Belfort]
07/10 Hartford, CT [The Meadows] (Ozzfest)
07/12 Mansfield, MA [Tweeter Center] (Ozzfest)
07/14 Wantagh, NY [Jones Beach Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
07/16 Holmdel, NJ [PNC Bank Arts Center] (Ozzfest)
07/18 Bristow, VA [Nissan Pavilion] (Ozzfest)
07/20 Columbus, OH [Germain Amiphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
07/24 Englewood, [CO Fiddler's Green] (Ozzfest)
07/27 Auburn, WA [White River Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
07/29 Mountain View, CA [Shoreline Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
07/31 Devore, CA [Hyundai Pavillion] (Ozzfest)
08/03 Albuquerque, NM [Journal Pavilion] (Ozzfest)
08/05 Dallas, TX [Smirnoff Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
08/07 Schertz, TX [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
08/10 Bonner Springs, KS [Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre] (Ozzfest)
08/12 Maryland Heights, MO [UMB Bank Pavilion] (Ozzfest)
08/13 Clarkston, MI [DTE Energy Music Center] (Ozzfest)
08/14 East Troy, WI [Alpine Valley Music Theatre] (Ozzfest)
08/19 Cuyahoga Falls, OH [Blossom Music Center] (Ozzfest)
09/04 West Palm Beach, FL [Sound Advice Ampitheater] (Ozzfest)

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