Slipknot confirms they’re working on new music already

The coronavirus has unfortunately brought all live music to a halt, so bands are getting creative when it comes to releasing new music and creating new content for their fans to digest. Tool is apparently working on new music during the quarantine, Fearless Records bands are livestreaming, and Slipknot is apparently working on new music. Wait, what?

Yes, you read that right. While Slipknot is known for relatively long periods in between album cycles (notably, 6 years passed between 2008’s All Hope Is Gone and 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter), it seems the band is indeed working on new music. In a new interview, guitarist Jim Root told Loudwire that he’s working on both a solo project, as well as new Slipknot music.

“Now that we have this bananas insane pandemic thing going on I’ve been trying to force myself to write. I’ve had a lot of people ask me about doing a solo project. I think now I have a little bit of extra time to dedicate to that, so I’ve been writing some stuff that maybe wouldn’t slide in with the Slipknot world. But like I said I’ve got kind of a bit of a writer’s block thing going on right now. I would like to [start a solo project] just because I need to stay busy. You know, I didn’t start a family, I never got married, I didn’t do any of that stuff. I know Corey wants to do a solo project that’s outside of Stone Sour; he’s mentioned that.

“Unless I’m writing for Slipknot I wouldn’t know what to do with my time. There’s a lot of different philosophies and ideas and things we’re throwing around with Slipknot for another record, things like that. It’s easy for me to write Slipknot arrangements and ideas. They come kinda naturally to me just because I spent so much time with Paul. As much as I’ve written on the last two records I don’t have to think about that too much.

“For a solo project, I’m gonna overthink that until I’m insane and it may never ever come out. What direction do I go? Do I even think about a direction? Do I just let it naturally come out? Do I use things that I’ve written intended for Slipknot that maybe Slipknot didn’t gravitate towards? Or maybe Slipknot was just like ‘That’s not really very Slipknot,’ not that there’s any rules on what is or is not Slipknot. A good song’s a good song whether it’s for this or that or the other thing. Like Don Henley said for that Eagles thing, he stepped back and took a drink of his beer and introspectively said ‘shit don’t flow.’ So if I make some shit that doesn’t flow maybe that’ll be my side project.

“Obviously, Slipknot is my priority and it’s what I’m always gonna have as a priority and that’s gonna be the main thing that I always focus on as long as I can or as long that we’re viable or as long as we want to continue to do that. What I do as a solo project, what direction do I take, I want to get all that out. With all the arrangements I’ve written for the last couple of Slipknot records, I don’t know that I need another outlet, but I’m going to try. Set a goal, maybe see if I can achieve it. We’ve got time on our hands now.”

Digest that information in whatever fashion you would like. This should be cause for more celebration, though, considering how well-received WANYK was last year. It was especially impressive considering the band have spent 20+ years together, and, outside of drummer Jay Weinberg, they’re all in their 40’s.