Slipknot have surprise-released brand new song Bone Church and it's chillingly soulful

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By ( Metal Hammer ) published

Slipknot release surprise standalone song Bone Church, which has been described by Shawn 'Clown' Crahan as "a further vision deeper into Slipknot’s history"

Slipknot press photo
(Image credit: ANTHONY SCANGA)

Slipknot have surprise-released a brand new song, just months after the arrival of latest studio album The End, So Far. The track, titled Bone Church, is an epic, brooding ballad, and arrives accompanied by an M. Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan-directed video.

The visual, titled Yen – Director’s Cut (Bone Church), is comprised of footage from the Iowan metallers' music video for The End, So Far track Yen, which was released back in August.

Speaking of the track, Clown says: “On the road, we have a 'jam room' set up backstage at every show, where we play, practice, warm up and sometimes try out new ideas.  Bone Church started life in a jam room on the .5: The Gray Chapter tour.  

"We’ve been bringing it closer and closer to life ever since, and finally, here it is. This one is for the fans - a further vision deeper into Slipknot’s history, which is still being written. Enjoy.”

While Clown has hinted that 2023 may be the year we finally see the long 'lost' Slipknot album Look Outside Your Window, there's no word yet on exactly where Bone Church fits into proceedings. Nonetheless, the song definitely exhibits a sense of experimentalism with a gentle, accordion-led intro throwing up images of drizzled streets in Europe rather than the blood, fire and maggots we usually get in their singles. Yup, you heard that right: accordions in a Slipknot song. At this point, we probably shouldn't be too surprised by Iowa's finest, The End, So Far proving their commitment to challenging boundaries and branching out stylistically. That said, Bone Church still chucks a few curveballs our way to keep us on our toes, the band showing off their most morose, brooding elements since the days of The Subliminal Verses. 

Watch the video for Bone Church below:

Slipknot's world tour is currently due to kick off in Indonesia on March 19, and will see The Nine tour right through to the summer, where they are due to headline festivals including Welcome To Rockville, Hellfest and Download, as well as select headline appearances.

Yesterday (February 1), the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival, held at the historic grounds of the Ohio State Reformatory, announced that Slipknot will be headlining their 2023 event. Sharing the top spot with the Iowan metallers will also be Pantera and Limp Bizkit.

Rich Hobson
Rich Hobson

Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token.