Slipknot on Tortilla Man: The guy is next level - he's just out of his mind

Slipknot with the mysterious 'Tortilla Man' (Image credit: Alexandria Crahan-Conway)

Earlier this month, Slipknot guitarist Jim Root said he was surprised that no one had yet discovered the identity of the band’s new percussionist, affectionally known as Tortilla Man.

And in an interview with The Art And Span Show, Root has given a few more details about the mystery man – and reveals that he’s a world-class musician.

Root says: “He's a character. I didn't really know him very well before he started playing with us. But he's a hell of a musician.

“The guy is a world-class pianist, he's a great percussionist, he’s schooled in music. He’s not just a garage musician who came up and learned on his own. He obviously had natural ability, but he took it to another level and actually got a degree in music.

“So the guy is next level. Plus he's just out of his mind! I didn't think it was possible for anybody to match us.

“I’ll be standing there playing and all of a sudden I'll hear this thump next to me, and he'll have jumped down from his drum set. He's next to me and I'm like, ‘You're insane, dude. Your knees are going to fucking just be done.’”

In May this year, Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan said that the identity of the new member was “nobody’s fucking business” after he was asked by Kerrang if he was willing to unmask his bandmate.

The band are currently on their Knotfest Roadshow with special guests Volbeat, Gojira and Behemoth in support of their new studio album We Are Not Your Kind, which has landed at no.1 in both the UK and US.

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.