New Slipknot Drummer And Bassist Will Wear The Same Mask

http://www.gettyimages.com.au/detail/news-photo/bassist-paul-gray-of-slipknot-seen-here-performing-in-news-photo/100766947

Corey Taylor has revealed that Slipknot‘s newest recruits will don the same new mask in order to avoid any disrespect towards late bassist Paul Gray or departed drummer Joey Jordison. Speaking in a recent interview, the frontman confirmed that percussionist Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan has “designed a mask that the drummer and the bass player will both wear.”

“We wanted to make something that still looked unified but still stayed with the spirit of what the band is all about,” Taylor told Full Metal Jackie. “Instead of trying to find something that was individualistic, we designed — well, Clown designed a mask that the drummer and the bass player will both wear.”

“On one hand, they get a mask, but at the same time, it’s not the individual mask that we in the band use,” he continued. “We knew that any attempt to do anything like that might be taken as disrespectful, but at the same time it’s part of the way of moving, getting past the hardest steps, which is just moving on.”

In the interview, Taylor referred to the band’s new album, .5: The Gray Chapter, out Friday, 17th October, as “the story of the last four years of everything that we’d had to deal with as far as losing Paul”, and said the track If Rain Is What You Want was particularly difficult to record as it most required the band to “[open] up” about Gray’s death.

The identity of the band’s new drummer and bassist have not yet been revealed, though Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler recently quashed speculation that he was Jordison’s replacement. Meanwhile, Blabbermouth reports that Slipknot is rumoured to no longer be working with original guitarist Donnie Steele, who played bass when the band resumed touring in 2011.

Last month, Taylor said that the band would be keeping the new drummer’s identity under wraps until “the time is right” in order to let “the music to speak for itself”. Many fans have speculated that Jordison’s replacement is Jay Weinberg, son of longtime E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg.

The Soundwave-bound metal veterans recently teased some of their new masks in a promo for their upcoming North American tour. The clip features Taylor obscured by plastic sheeting, seemingly donning a never-before-seen mask, intercut with flashes of the mask traditionally worn by guitarist Mick Thomson and what fans have speculated is Crahan’s new mask.

Gallery: New Slipknot Masks Revealed?

Soundwave Festival 2015

General public tickets on sale 9am local time Friday, 29th August

Saturday, 21st February & Sunday, 22nd February 2015
Bonython Park, Adelaide, South Australia
Tickets: Soundwave

Saturday, 21st February & Sunday, 22nd February 2015
Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Victoria
Tickets: Soundwave

Saturday, 28th February & Sunday, 1st March 2015
Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales
Tickets: Soundwave

Saturday, 28th February & Sunday, 1st March 2015
RNA Showgrounds, Brisbane, Queensland
Tickets: Soundwave

Lineup – Day One
Adelaide – Saturday, 21st February, 2015
Melbourne – Sunday, 22nd February, 2015
Sydney – Saturday, 28th February, 2015
Brisbane – Sunday, 1st March, 2015

Faith No More
Soundgarden
Incubus
Lamb Of God
Ministry
Antemasque
Gerard Way
Mayhem
New Found Glory
Fear Factory
Hollywood Undead
Atreyu
The Aquabats
Area 7
Godflesh
Crown The Empire
The Interrupters
Icon For Hire
Emily’s Army
Patent Pending
Fireworks
The Bennies
The Color Morale
Monuments
Nothing More
Deathstars
Ne Obliviscaris
The Treatment

Lineup – Day Two
Melbourne – Saturday, 21st February, 2015
Adelaide – Sunday, 22nd February, 2015
Brisbane – Saturday, 28th February, 2015
Sydney – Sunday, 1st March, 2015

Slipknot
Slash
Marilyn Manson
Fall Out Boy
Judas Priest
Godsmack
All Time Low
Papa Roach
Of Mice & Men
Escape The Fate
Apocalyptica
Lagwagon
Tonight Alive
Crossfaith
Butcher Babies
Confession
The Swellers
Conditions
Coldrain
King 810
Dayshell
This Wild Life