Corey Taylor hints at change in musical direction for Slipknot
“It's getting to the point where, at some point, the music will have to evolve,” he explains
Corey Taylor has been speaking openly about the future of Slipknot and says they’re considering a change in musical direction.
The vocalist explained that Slipknot have always tried to “expand the range of music” they’ve made over the past 21 years but at sometime soon “the music will have to evolve.”
Asked by Full Metal Jackie how he thinks Slipknot will develop in coming years, Corey said: "It's funny you ask that, because it's something that me and Clown (Shawn Crahan) and Jim (Root) have kind of been talking about for a couple of months now. Like, where do we go?
“I mean, this band has always tried to find the path less travelled. We've always tried to expand the range of the music that we're making and find new ways to speak our piece, find new ways to kind of push our agenda and our message.
“And it's getting to the point where, at some point, the music will have to evolve. And I think from day one until this album, it has. We've done really great things to broaden our musical horizons. At the same time, though, at some point it's gonna have to twist and it's gonna have to change even more.”
Hinting that the music might be less angry, Corey continued: “When does the war end? When do you win the battle? When does that fight stop, as far as the internal fight, the internal war, that internal rage? When do you feel like you've said everything you need to say on that subject?
“I'm not saying that things aren't gonna come around in my life and continue to piss me off, but, for me, I don't wanna be considered the old guy who's just bitching to hear himself bitch; I don't ever wanna feel like that. So at some point, the message and the approach has to change.”
Assuring fans that they’re not going to betray their roots, Corey added “Now, will it still feel like Slipknot? Absolutely. We write a certain type of music, even though that music may be very, very eclectic and varied, we still write what I consider Slipknot music.
“But at some point, that will have to evolve and become something new, because our message will have to change. You can't keep trying to beat yourself up or beat somebody else up if you've already done it.
“That old adage 'flogging a dead horse' comes to mind. And it's true. But if you'd asked me that when I was 25, I would have told you you were crazy. But now I'm 42, and looking down the road as far as what musically Slipknot is going to mean, it's interesting. There's a world of possibilities that we can look into."
Elsewhere in the interview, Corey confirmed he’s working on material for a new Stone Sour album and he’s just started work on his fourth book ‘America 51’.
Corey plays and completely and utterly sold out solo show at London’s KOKO on Sunday 8th May.