Trying to talk about Slipknot in the online metal community is like haling ass head-on into a minefield, but this is too big to not talk about: drummer Joey Jordison has left Slipknot, making him the first member to exit the band (not counting Paul Gray’s death) since their self-titled album in 1999.
Here’s the official word from Slipknot, posted December 3rd but somehow missed until today:
To our Maggots and fans around the world,
It is with great pain but quiet respect, that for personal reasons Joey Jordison and Slipknot are parting ways. We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds. We understand that many of you will want to know how and why this has come to be, and we will do our best to respond to these questions in the near future. It is our love for all of you, as well as for the music we create, that spurs us to continue on and move forward with our plans for releasing new material in the next year. We hope that all of you will come to understand this, and we appreciate your continued support while we plan the next phase of the future of Slipknot.
Thank you,
The ‘Knot
Blabbermouth picked up on a recent interview wherein Jordison seemed confident on Slipknot’s future:
“I spoke a long time ago in numerous interviews about the material that I had. I still have a lot of material.
“The future is bright with SLIPKNOT; we’re not going anywhere.
“You know, there’s nine eccentric guys in the band and some of us like to be more active than others.
“I have so much material, I like to be busy all the time. It’s like the seize-the-day type aspect on music and life.
“I want to get out as much art as I can while I’m here and I seem to get better the more that I do it.
“Right now my work is SCAR THE MARTYR, but SLIPKNOT isn’t going anywhere. You can mark my words on that.”
So was Joey kicked out or was it a willful departure? It’s hard telling right now.
Slipknot are rarely active as a unit in the grand scheme of things these days, but this is still big news. Jordison is one of the most well known drummers in metal. Some people out there are crying out as if Slipknot are done, and while Jordison is a talented drummer, it’s not like he’s irreplaceable. Slipknot could call up Gene Hoglan, who is always down for collaboration so long as his schedule allows, and it’s hard to imagine he’d turn down an offer like this if he’s free in late 2014-2016 for an album cycle. I wouldn’t even be mad.
What do you think? Are Slipknot even worth it anymore or is there still life in the group? I personally can’t wait to hear a new album, and hope we can get one late next year.
[image and story via Blabbermouth]
– JR