Novelties and strategies in the semi-slav

Greetings, Chess.com denizens! Improving my repertoire is a constant project, and a fairly fruitful one. I'm satisfied that I achieve a small edge with white in almost all of my standard prep....but not against the semi-slav. This icy little opening is extremely difficult to crack - it's just equal.....not only that, it's easy to press too hard with white and end up WORSE! 

The system I've been using is not very ambitious - perhaps I should switch to something that plays for more?

I've  watched this video yesterday; The Noteboom variation against Queens Gambit. Its kind of semi slav defense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYy5SGHWSQY

The semi-slav is very solid. Locking in the QB early probably hinders White's iniative a bit. Getting that B going with action or potential could be key.

If you really want to mix it up, maybe look into the Stoltz lines. Where White wants to get the B's working on the Kside with strength on the b1 diagonal and eventually pressure from the c1 with a timely e4.

Most aggressive looks the line with a g4 pawn sac then Rg1. If I remember right Kasparov took it up vs Kramnik in the late 90's maybe and against some computers in the early 2000's. I also saw Carlsen win one vs Anand in 2009 in a brutal endgame though I'm not sure how current computer theory has the line.

Couple of things:

1) If you are going to go into the Meran Lines, play 5.e3 first, not 5.Qc2.  Gives you additional options like the agressive line that Shirov played, 7.g4, as a form of the Anti-Meran.

2) The other option that is a bit more agressive, though riskier, is 5.Bg5.  There's a recent book that came out on it by Everyman (maybe a year ago).  You have to be ready for the Botvinnik Variation (5...dxc4), which often leads to White having a 4-on-1 majority on the Kingside and Black has a 4-on-1 on the Queenside, and either the Moscow (5...h6 6.Bxf6) or Anti-Moscow (5...h6 6.Bh4) variation.  The Anti-Moscow is very similar to certain lines of the Botvinnik.

Thanks for the responses. Here are my thoughts: 

Certain lines in the Bg5 systems look completely out-of-control - the aforementioned Botvinnik variation is a prime example:

At the end of all this, however, I think white has a very good game! Black seems harder to play, and, unless my opponent is very well prepared, I prefer white's chances (and it is *much* less stale than the Meran!) I'm very seriously considering studying these variations a little and trying it out. 

The g4 variation in the Meran is a fascinating position, and, in some ways, deadlier than 5.Bg5 due to the surprise factor. It also offers the option of staying in the normal Meran and just playing a quiet position where Bg5 leaves it to black as to whether we will be playing sharp or quiet chess. The version where black refuses the gambit should be better for whoever is better prepared (which should be white - given that the novelty g4 comes from their side). The version where the gambit is accepted is total insanity. I'll show an example game from the most creative player on the circut, the great Morozevich: 

This variation takes a lot of guts to play...perhaps more than I have. The pawn is compensated by fast play on the kingside, but, as Kramnik showed, black has time to wiggle out of any immediate threats, and, in the meantime, white has to show something for the sacrificed material. Still, as a gunslinger variation, this one is great to keep in mind against opponents I want to create complications with. 

Thanks again for the suggestions. It was very educational looking through all of these ideas and getting a better sense of what I might want to play in the future.