It looks like a new Slipknot album is coming next year

Corey Taylor and Clown from Slipknot

Could it be finally happening? Are Slipknot actually working on album number six? Well it sure looks like it!

Slipknot's Twitter account posted a photo of Corey Taylor and Shawn 'Clown' Crahan on Friday, simply with the caption "2019" – so, surely, this means work is officially under way?

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At the end of last year, Clown said that the band were a year away from a studio return, but lately frontman Corey Taylor has become much more vocal about the status of the record. 

Back in February, Corey declared that the new material was "awesome", which was followed up by an image of him writing lyrics for the record, and two weeks ago it was revealed that the lyrics are now almost finished. So what could this picture mean? Well, we're guessing that the words are done, and now the magic is starting to happen. There's no doubt that in the years between .5: The Gray Chapter and April 2018, a lot has gone through the twisted mind of Slipknot, and you can bet that Clown and Corey have some rather unsavoury things to say about the world. 

With Corey exercising his, perhaps, more melodic muscle with Stone Sour, don't be surprised if the new Slipknot record is a return to the destructive, abrasive and pissed-off side of the The Nine from their earlier material. But then again, this is Slipknot, who only do things on their own terms, so we could just as easily be getting a freeform jazz album. 

But whatever it is, we want it in our ears. 2019 can't come soon enough.

Luke Morton joined Metal Hammer as Online Editor in 2014, having previously worked as News Editor at popular (but now sadly defunct) alternative lifestyle magazine, Front. As well as helming the Metal Hammer website for the four years that followed, Luke also helped relaunch the Metal Hammer podcast in early 2018, producing, scripting and presenting the relaunched show during its early days. He also wrote regular features for the magazine, including a 2018 cover feature for his very favourite band in the world, Slipknot, discussing their turbulent 2008 album, All Hope Is Gone.