Slipknot: We’ve just written one of the heaviest songs of our career

(Image credit: Steve Jennings/WireImage - Getty)

Corey Taylor has spoken exclusively with Metal Hammer as Slipknot continue work on the follow-up to 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter.

The vocalist reported earlier this week that Slipknot had 20 demos in play and would begin sifting through them to see what tracks make the final cut.

And speaking with Metal Hammer, Taylor says that one of those songs is among the heaviest they’ve ever written.

Asked about the direction of the new album, which is expected to be released at some point in 2019, Taylor says: “The way we’ve been describing it is, ‘What if the guys who made Iowa matured? What if the kids who made Iowa grew up?’ 

“That’s kind of the way we’re looking at it because some of this shit is so heavy – but there’s melody, there’s really cool melancholic melody going on. 

“Some of this shit is just so hard and dirty fast. It’s fucking really good. It’s also us at our most ambitious, our most experimental, also us doing what we fucking do best which is basically when everybody thinks they’ve got us figured out, we just smack them in the face with everything we’ve got.”

Some of this shit is so heavy – but there’s melody, there’s really cool melancholic melody going on

Slipknot's Corey Taylor

Taylor adds: “At a time when most bands are slowing down, I think we’ve written our heaviest song – one of them anyway – on this new album. 

“It’s going to be fucking crazy. People are going to shit their pants when they hear it.”

Earlier this week, Taylor also hinted that Slipknot could release the tracks that don’t make it on to the as-yet-untitled album following its launch.

But he cautioned: “It’s gotta make sense, it’s gotta be Slipknot. It can’t just be something we throw out there because we can. It’s gotta have art, it’s gotta have content, it’s gotta have passion to it.”

Slipknot have teamed up with the Slaughterhouse Haunted Attraction for a horror-themed event in their home town of Des Moines, Iowa, with this weekend dedicated to a very special VIP experience.

A member of Slipknot will personally guide you through the gruesome Slaughterhouse, while there will also be meet and greet sessions with the band and exclusive merchandise bundles available.

Find out more.

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent more than 30 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving to the e-commerce team in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, scouts out the best deals for music fans and reviews headphones, speakers, books and more. He's written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog and has previous written for publications including IGN, the Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to 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.