Taylor nearly died on his last night of drinking

Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has recalled how he nearly died by falling off a hotel balcony on the last night he got drunk.

The episode, which took place in 2003, forced him to rethink his attitude to drinking – but 12 years later, he believes he still has more to do.

Taylor tells Spotify Metal Talks: “I found myself hanging off the balcony of the hotel room at the old Hyatt House on Sunset Boulevard. I was just about to fall and a friend of mine grabbed me and pulled me back. If he hadn’t, I’d be dead.

“The next day I woke up on the floor, covered in God knows what – sick, sweaty gross – and I just said, ‘I can’t do this any more. What the hell is going on with me?’ That’s when I started to take those first faltering steps.”

Slipknot were recording Vol 3: The Subliminal Verses at the time, and Taylor admits it’s difficult to listen to the 2004 release because his changing approach to life included a changing approach to vocals. “I’m not sure if it worked, to be honest,” he says. “It worked for some of the songs, but not all of them.”

He adds that it took a long time before he learned to feel comfortable with himself. “I knew who I wanted to be. You can’t be a better person until you just start being a better person.”

And the process of “building bridges” continues, he says. “It took 10 years, and I’m kind of starting to feel the good part of that. But I’d done a lot of damage to a lot of people, and I’m still trying to make up for it.”

Slipknot released their long-awaited video for Killpop yesterday. They headline Download at Donington on June 12, where Taylor will sign copies of his latest book, You’re Making Me Hate You. The band will deliver a run of European festival sets in the coming weeks before another US tour:

Jun 09: Impact, Poland

Jun 11: Greenfield, Switzerland

Jun 12: Download, UK

Jun 14: Novarock, Austria

Jun 16: Copenhell, Denmark

Jun 19: Hellfest, France

Jun 20: Graspop, Belgium

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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.