Slipknot secrets to stay under wraps - Taylor

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor insists the band will keep the identity of their drummer secret, along with the title of their fifth album, until fans have got used to their new music.

This week they launched a video for The Negative One, the first track to appear from the follow-up to 2008’s All Hope Is Gone.

Speculation has been ramped up since then, with those in the frame including Lamb Of God’s Chris Adler and Jay Wienberg, son of Bruce Springsteen’s sticksman Max.

But Taylor tells The Pulse Of Radio: “We’re keeping a lot of that under wraps out of fairness. We want the music to speak for itself. We don’t want people making up their minds about something before they even know what the music is.

“Trust me – when the time is right we’ll give you the answers you need. That’s the way it is.”

The frontman yesterday confirmed The Negative One won’t be the first official track from the album, saying: “That was just a gift for the fans. The single comes out in a few weeks and it’s completely different. It’s more melodic, but it’s dark; it’s powerful.”

He added: “Remember, I said I wanted the album to feel like a cross between Iowa and Volume 3 – and I think we did that. Wait till you hear the whole album. This story is so deep and so honest and so crazy that people are going to lose their minds when they hear it.”

They’re aiming to release the record in October.

Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.