For all of the great bangers that they’ve given us over the years, Slipknot isn’t the most prolific band in the world by any stretch.
Since it takes them so long to pump out full-length albums, it always feels like quite the event when you do finally get them. In short, a new Slipknot album means an excuse to rage in the pit, with all of us Maggots gloriously feasting on whatever the 9-headed-hydra has to offer us as their musical sacrifice. According to Clown though, you might not want to get too used to that kind of album cycle anymore.
In a recent interview, Clown talked about walking away from the traditional album format entirely, saying: “I always thought, ‘What would it be like if Slipknot was big enough that we weren’t held to albums? Instead of waiting two years for 12 songs, I’m gonna give you one song every month.’ So in reality, I’m shaving a year off for the same thing.”
This won’t be a fly-by-night decision or product either, assuring that when the band pivots to this approach: “it’s gone through all the filters – it’s gone through the band, it’s gone through Corey Taylor, it’s gone through a professional mixer and masterer — no avenues have been chopped up, it’s all business as usual. And we want to do this because I think it’s time for you, our fans, to get everything.”
The album might bring a sense of cohesion into everything, but Clown is also quick to say that albums are becoming more retro these days, which gives the band more room to work with if they go into this new mindset of a song every two months, going on to explain:
“Albums are going to be a thing of the past… physical product is becoming obsolete”. He elaborates:
“[It] gives us the freedom to explore deeper, more surreal opportunities to hone in with our craft — it’s a win-win for everyone. The philosophy is for the fans to be sucked into thought, rather than just heavy metal, record labels, video channels, radio… No, it’s the love of music. Look at what we can do when we are free to dip our paintbrushes anywhere.”
Even if records like Iowa and Vol. III might still sound great these days as a full-on listening experience, what Clown is promising for Slipknot going forward might be a lot more forward-thinking than what the old guard of metal would be willing to do.
The album might still be the preferred medium (for now), but after almost 25 years in the business, the guys in Slipknot are still trying to test the limits of what their band can do.