Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) and break (2003–2007)

In late 2003, the band began writing and recording with renowned producer Rick Rubin, who had previously worked with artists such as Johnny Cash, System of a Down, and Slayer. The band released their third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) in May 2004. It peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 and Johnny Loftus of All Music Guide called the album "a satisfying, carefully crafted representation of [the band's] career to date." Robert Cherry of Rolling Stone said that the album "experiments with even newer extremes, which in Slipknot's case means tunefulness and traditional song structures." In 2004, the band toured with Ozzfest for a third time. In early 2005, the band went on The Subliminal Verses Tour with Shadows Fall and Lamb of God.
Several members of the band collaborated with other artists on the Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions CD released in October 2005. On the record, Joey Jordison was named a "team captain". James Root, Corey Taylor, and Paul Gray also contributed to the album. 9.0: Live, a live album recorded from shows in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Osaka, Singapore, and Tokyo, was released in November 2005. The album peaked at 17 on the Billboard 200.
In 2006, the band won the Grammy for Best Metal Performance for "Before I Forget". The DVD Voliminal: Inside the Nine was released December 5, 2006. In January, Corey Taylor stated in an interview with VH1 that the band is currently on hiatus until 2008 while the members work on their side projects.