Slipknot: We’re no longer just a band - we’re a culture

Last month, Slipknot shook the metal world by launching their new single All Out Life.

It was a surprise as new material from the Iowa heavyweights wasn’t expected until next year, with the band continuing to put the pieces in place for the follow-up to 2014’s .5 The Gray Chapter.

Frontman Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer that the band have written the heaviest song of their career and had worked through 20 demos – and now percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan has opened the door on what else they've been up to with co-producer Greg Fidelman, and has hinted at the concept behind what will be their sixth album.

But first, he talks to Billboard about the new single.

Crahan says: “All Out Life means get the fuck up, go live your life and live it all-out. The band's been gone for three years. You want blood from me? You got it.

“That's what I've been giving you for 20 years. But I want blood from you, too. We're no longer just a band. We're a culture.”

Crahan echoes Taylor’s previous comments about the wealth of new material they have to hand and adds: “That's something we never had the luxury of, but it's because we started three years ago.

The band's been gone for three years. You want blood from me? You got it
Shawn "Clown" Crahan

“What I can tell you is I've known all the words all the time, so I've been able to paint the dream world and the nightmare in my mind.”

He says the record “breaks down to good v evil, or in this sense, evil v good. It's about being a human being and experiencing what you have in correlating it to this world.

“This world is ugly and it's supposed to be, and it has to be in order for art to lead to grandness and beauty.”

Slipknot will tour across Europe next summer – a run which includes a headline slot at the UK’s Download festival. And while no release date for the as-yet-untitled album has been revealed, Clown says: “We would never go do dates without an album, but, we're not following any rules this time – not that we ever did.

“We're on an outline, and I think everybody's going to be pleasantly surprised."

Last week, Crahan exclusively revealed to Metal Hammer that he recorded an album’s worth of music during the All Hope Is Gone sessions back in 2008.

Slipknot are the cover stars on the latest edition of Metal Hammer magazine, which is on sale now.

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.