Jim Root has told Slipknot fans that their upcoming new album is “gonna hurt some feelings”.
It comes after he shared a post on Instagram of his guitar pedalboard and said the band were about to “get real busy”.
He wrote: “This is where I’ll spend the rest of the year. With these amps and a few various guitars that I’ll put up later. This will also set a course for the new rack/rig that [guitar tech] @bradclifford will be subjected to! Because as you know by now… We’re about to get real busy.”
Root went on to say it was a “very important thing for us at this time” to not “repeat ourselves” on their forthcoming album and that it’s “gonna hurt some feelings” in the comments section.
He went on: “We’re really experimenting with different approaches… don’t expect another “Iowa” or “self titled” record. We’ve been there. The vibe feels honest and true to me. It’s uneasy and reminds me of recording in the earlier days. I’m not saying that means it will translate to the type of music we’re creating or the sound/production of it.
“The early records had the vibe. You can’t miss that with [producer] Ross Robinson. But they always sounded “LoFi” to me. And some of the later records felt/sounded “over produced” … like. Too many layers of guitar etc. we don’t need that. Me and [guitarist] mick [thomson]. L and R and then a few 3rd tracks and maybe solos. That’s it. And of the 16 amps I vetted to record with.
“[Producer] Matt [Wallace] and I chose the most pissed off sounding one. Not necessarily the “best” sounding one. The most exciting sounding… liveliest etc. we did track on the floor live with [drummer] Eloy [Casagrande]. We hadn’t done that in a long time for various reasons. Everything is analog and played. All the pieces that need to be there are there.”
Root was also heavily critical of their last album, 2022’s ‘The End, So Far’ which he said was “disjointed and a mess”.
“Some good stuff came from it,” he added. “But overall Covid and the state of the world made that a very hard process for us.”
Earlier this week, Slipknot announced their ‘(sic)est Stadium Tour’, which kicks off in 2027 and features support from Marilyn Manson, Bring Me The Horizon and more. It features their only UK and European show set to take place at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 3, next year.
Tickets go on general sale on Friday (October 2) at 10am local time, and the artist pre-sale is currently ongoing. Visit here for tickets.
Many fans have hit out at the band’s decision to allow Manson to support the band on their tour dates particularly at their Wembley show in light of the numerous allegations of sexual and domestic abuse that have been made against Manson, real name Brian Warner, all of which he has denied.
Thousands of comments were left under an Instagram post announcing the Wembley line-up, with some long-time Slipknot followers saying Manson’s involvement would prevent them from buying tickets.
“Would’ve loved to see this but there’s literally nothing you could do to get my cash in Manson’s pockets,” one fan wrote.
Another described the booking as “such a disappointment” and said they would no longer attend, while others called the decision “disappointing”.
Not all of the response was negative, however. Some fans welcomed Manson’s inclusion, with one pointing to the “huge fanbase overlap” between the two acts and calling him a “perfect support act”.
NME has contacted representatives for Slipknot and Manson.
