10 Most Divisive Hard Rock Albums

After Iowa, Slipknot truly felt like they were a band for the hardened metal fans. Since most metal fans are used to seeing potentially good bands get glossy and pop-friendly on their sophomore album, the 9 managed to get even heavier and make one of the most caustic records that the metal genre had ever known. Where did they go from here? Bring on the catchier stuff.

Then again, it's hard to even say that about Vol. III The Subliminal Verses, since most of these songs will never find their way onto Top 40 radio. I mean, this is Slipknot we're talking about here, so there's no real chance of getting these masked freaks on the same level as Lady Gaga, but the change did rub some people the wrong way all the same. This wasn't a moment to sell out though...this was tapping into something you didn't even realize was possible.

For their earlier albums' aggression, Vol. III marks a turning point where they wrote phenomenal songs, taking influences from everyone from Nine Inch Nails to old school ballads like on The Blister Exists or Duality. Even the softer songs like Vermillion don't hold too much back, feeling much too abrasive to be played anywhere else. Despite being one of their biggest risks to date, Vol. III is evidence that sometimes you need to take that risk to see what you're truly made of.