How to handle temper tantrums from a 3 year old?

Oh boy have his tantrums really gotten out of control... And they are getting so bad that he sometimes hurts himself. today he got angry, threw himself down and hit the back of his head really hard on the corner of our entertainment center, now he has a huge knot and a big cut in the center. i totally agree with time outs and such, but sometimes with him, he gets so upset and so wild with his tantrum that I fear he is going to hurt himself or his 1 year old brother really bad, so instead of jumping right to discipline I first sit and hold him and try to get him to calm down. I have no idea what else I can do for him... what do you guys do when your kid has a violent temper tantrum? oh and don't say spanking because I won't do that to him. if I don't want him to hurt himself, I'm certainly not going to hurt him myself.