Clown: Slipknot Spent the Last Week Writing New Music
Slipknot percussionist M. Shawn 'Clown' Crahan has confirmed that the band has recently spent time working on new music, having last released We Are Not Your Kind in 2019.
The update came in a video (seen below) published by Slipknot where Clown, Alessandro 'V-Man' Venturella and the mysterious new member dubbed 'NG' (New Guy — more affectionately referred to by fans as 'Tortilla Man') answered questions while signing bottles of their signature No. 9 Iowa Whiskey.
"Right now is kind of an interesting time," began Clown. "We're taking this time to write some new music. So for the last week, we've been just having a good time, eating a lot of food and writing God music. So we're having a good time."
The coronavirus pandemic has stalled plans for countless bands and with this unexpected downtime, Slipknot have started working on new music in a year they had originally planned to spend on the road and at sea.
Clown continued, "Since everybody's taken a lot of time off, we thought we'd utilize it by getting together and do what we probably do best, which is write music."
Operating on nobody's time and schedule but their own, the percussionist beamed, "So it's been good, because there's no pressure. It's not like we have to. We're doing it 'cause we want to. And it's just been a blessing, because boredom can set in. And I know all of us in the world are going crazy, so we're really lucky to be able to be together and do what we love most."
Obviously a year rife with so much turmoil can serve as a lyrical catalyst, but Clown wasn't eager to project exactly what Corey Taylor would be singing about when this new material progresses.
"We don't usually speak for Corey, or whatever, but I can imagine that anything that affects him and affects us and affects you will be included," said Clown. "To the extent, I don't know how blatant it will be, I don't know, but we are all living this, and everybody's involved. I wouldn't really know what what road [Corey] is gonna be going down or information that he wants to spread. I'm not sure. We're not quite there yet."
This news of new material in the works comes just a month after Taylor, who dropped his first solo album, CMFT, earlier this year, told comedian Don Jamieson on the That Jamieson Show podcast that he had been discussing ideas for new music with Clown.
"We’re obviously thinking about what the next album could be like," said Taylor, "and he’s in this trippy place, dude, which is rad. I love it when he’s in this crazy mindset, because I know I’m gonna hear stuff that I’ve never heard before. He’s so goddamn creative, and that inspires Jim [Root]. And all the tumblers really start to fall. So it’s pretty rad. I can’t wait."
With all eyes set on 2021 as a hopeful return to touring, Slipknot have already begun to tease South American Knotfest dates. In the meantime, head here to watch a video clip of a baby who will only stop crying when Slipknot music plays. We can all relate, right?
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