As one of metal’s most creative and enduring acts, it’s hard to believe Slipknot could possibly have any rocket fuel remaining in their truly frightening deposits.

In a recent interview with NME, Slipknot member ‘Clown’ (Shawn Crahan or, #6 if you will, revealed where the band up with recording a follow up to 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter. 

He discussed how the band has previously utilised their time in between recording, reaffirming the need to recuperate.

“We’re about a year away from being in the studio. It’s not my fault the maggots don’t pay attention. We make an album, we tour for three years, we take two years off. It got a little screwed up after ‘All Hope [Is Gone’, the band’s fourth album] because Paul passed away, so we took time off, took time with our kids, and toured for a couple of years until it felt right. Then when it felt right, Joey took off.”

Crahan also went on to disclose the pressures of constant creativity amidst label commitments.

“I’ll be in the studio in November 2018. There’s a plethora of shit written. I don’t wanna be told by a label when to write, like some fucking Cheerio. I wanna write because I write. I’ve made people so much fucking money – pay for the studio. Give me this engineer, give me this producer. It’s just jamming, but I’ve never heard music like this, that we’re doing right now. I’ll be 50 by the time it comes out. I’ll be touring when I’m 50, they’ll throw me a birthday party! So where I’m at these days, I’m like, ‘Maybe make it the last one.’”

Unfortunately, this means 2019 will probably be the next time Slipknot grace (or offend, depending who you are) our ears with new music, so until then, you’ll have to remain content with replays of ‘Spit It Out’ to fuel your ever-burning high school angst.

YouTube VideoPlay

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine