Slipknot fans worldwide are still reeling from last month’s news that drummer Joey Jordison had left the masked nu-metal giants and while speculation still runs rampant as to the cause of the departure, frontman Corey Taylor said the only other option to replacing Jordison was “shutting the band down.”
Taylor addressed questions about the split in an interview with Rock Revolt Magazine on the set of Robert Hall’s new horror flick Fear Clinic. “We’re keeping everything really close to the chest right now. I mean, it’s out of respect for Joe, and for us,” he said.
“There’s just a host of legal things that we still need to sort out,” added Taylor. “It’s hard — it’s really hard — but the only other thing was shutting the band down, and none of us wanted to do that. So we’re gonna push on.”
The original announcement of Jordison’s departure cited “personal reasons” as the main catalyst, but later developments revelled the split was not quite as amicable as originally thought. In a statement issued on Facebook Jordison decalared, “I want to make it very clear that I DID NOT QUIT SLIPKNOT.”
“This band has been my life for the last 18 years, and I would never abandon it, or my fans,” he added. “This news has shocked and blindsided me as much as it has all of you.” The band are remaining tight-lipped about the situation with Taylor telling radio station 93x (via NME), “as soon as we can say something, we will, but we’re trying to protect him, trying to protect us.”
Corey also confirmed to Rock Revolt that the masked metalers are actively looking for a replacement drummer and have a few contestants already in mind. “It all comes to someone who can play the old stuff, but also brings a certain creativity to it,” he said.
“I know there’s this myth out there that Joey wrote everything, but that’s not at all true,” he continued. “We all write, and we all bring something to the table. And between me and Jim and Mick and Clown and everybody I think we’re gonna be able to put something really, really cool together.”
Slipknot have not released any new material since 2008’s All Hope Is Gone and the band suffered a devastating blow in 2010 when bassist Paul Gray was found dead in a Des Moines hotel room. In their statement announcing Jordison’s departure, the band confirmed their plans to release new material this year.
“The dynamic will change a little bit, but as far as our approach to the music and our intensity and how much we love doing what we do, that will remain unchanged,” Taylor told Rock Revolt. “We’re gonna go for it just 110 percent.”
Watch: Rock Revolt Magazine Interview Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on the set of Fear Clinic
