Corey Taylor: Van Halen were the blueprint for a million bands

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By ( Metal Hammer ) last updated

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor pays tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen

Corey Taylor and Eddie Van Halen
(Image credit: Roadrunner Records / Lynn Goldsmith)

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has paid tribute to the late Eddie Van Halen, describing Van Halen as, "the blueprint for a million bands."

Taylor made the comments on This Is Jericho, the podcast hosted by professional wrestling legend and Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho.

"The sad thing is that [Van Halen’s death] happened on my [wedding] anniversary," says Taylor. "Me and Alicia, we’re getting dudded up and getting all ready, and then all of a sudden, we get the news.

"And everybody was hitting me up. So I immediately reached out to all the people I knew who knew Eddie. Because I’d never met him, but obviously his music touched all of us.

"Van Halen were so different, and yet they were the blueprint for a million bands, dude. I mean, every band I know, even if they didn’t dig Van Halen’s music, they respected the craftsmanship, the diversity, the intricacy that they put together. You had to be really good to play a Van Halen song."

Taylor went on to praise Van Halen's influence on the musicians that followed, saying, "The influence that he had on not only modern shredders, but the ’80s rock bands, the ’90s rock bands. He influenced 40 years of musicianship. Name another person who’s still alive, really, who’s had that kind of impact, man."

We can think of a few, but it's a nice thing to say.

Elsewhere on the podcast, Taylor talks about his solo album CMFT, his recent live stream from the LA Forum, and the difficulties of releasing music in the midst of a pandemic.

In other Slipknot news, the band have announced the first ever Knotfest Brazil. It'll take place at the 103,000-capacity Sambódromo do Anhembi in São Paulo, on December 19 2021.

The São Paulo event will feature a total of 10 bands spread across two stages, with tickets going on sale at 10am Brasilia time today (Thursday). 

Fraser Lewry
Fraser Lewry
Online Editor, Classic Rock

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 40 years in music industry, online for 27. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.