Slipknot are not the extreme band their record label would like you to think.

In fact, compared to a lot of metal bands their music is quite commercial. The previous two albums were enjoyable, energetic slabs of relentless fury.

However, Volume 3 (actually their fourth album) harks back to the days of their self-released debut, Mate, Feed, Kill, Repeat, experimenting with acoustic guitars, slower songs and non-typical metal styles. Sadly it fails.

Every few tracks a good riff or catchy vocal melody surfaces, but most are all too brief and the tracks just plod along. This isn't really a case of a band selling out to become more commercial, but it feels like a band trying too hard to be something they are not.

Fans of vocalist Corey Taylor's other band, Stone Sour, may find a few decent tracks on here, but people wanting something truly representative of modern metal would do better to go elsewhere and check out The Haunted or Himsa.

Updated: 08:28 Thursday, July 01, 2004