Slipknot Part 3 - The Future

Ok, so enough horn-blowing... The actual reason for this feature is that I heard some good news...

But before I get into the good news, here is the bad...

 

Paul Grey (April 8, 1972 – May 24, 2010) R.I.P



For those who didn’t know, Paul Grey died on May 24, 2010 in a hotel room in Urbandale, Iowa. On June 21, the cause of death was confirmed as an accidental overdose on morphine.

With the loss of Grey, things look pretty ‘Grey’ for Slipknot, as no one (not even the band themselves) were sure what the future held. And rightfully so – Paul Grey was a founding member of Slipknot, and both Jordison and Taylor have credited him as a major player in the band’s creative song writing process.

Cleary a crippling blow... 

Corey Taylor & Shawn "Clown" Crahan mourning
the death of Paul Grey

Following the release of the last album (All Hope is Gone) and Paul’s death, the band has gone on yet another hiatus, with no word of what is to come - leaving their fans with a feeling that ‘all hope, well and truly, IS gone... [please excuse the pun]

Where are The Maggots to turn for unique, heavy music that makes you want to spit in any authority figure’s face? To Nickelback? NEVER!!!

This rang true until I found this article where Joey Jordison went on record saying that Slipknot will return to do their fifth studio album in 2011.
(Read more here: http://www.smnnews.com/2010/12/01/new-slipknot-album-coming-in-2011/)
This is great news fans! This means that Slipknot is probably in studio right now, as I’m writing this!

That being said, I do have a few speculations though...

Jason Newsted at his final Metallica gig

First: Take your minds back to when Jason Newsted announced that he would be leaving Metallica in 2001. Rumours surfaced that he was never “...a real part of the band...”, and that he “...was always treated as the new guy...” – Some kind of Monster DVD (2004). Metallica eventually replaced Newsted with Robert Trujillo in 2003.

The real question I’m asking is: Will Slipknot ever replace Paul Grey? For the moment, it seems not: “We’ll have a bass player that’s right next to me, to the right behind the stage, to lock in with me. But there’s no one right now who will go on stage.” – Joey Jordison.

Second: Should Slipknot find a bassist, will he fit in?
I’ve been in bands consisting of 2 people, where we couldn’t even keep it together – imagine the logistics involved in getting 9 muso’s (one being an “outsider”) together in a studio to record an album and then go on a world tour. Never mind the families, schedule clashes, and side-projects these boys are involved in. How do you get 9 super-famous heavy metal musician-egos in the same room, at the same time, without ructions of biblical proportions?

Third: Would they replace Paul with someone from within the band? Joey, Chris Fehn, Jim Root, Mick Thomson and Corey Taylor can all play bass. It’s a little unrealistic to give the drummer, guitarist or vocalist a bass guitar and say to him “Here, play this...”, but perhaps a re-shuffle amongst themselves..?

I’m doing my best not to be my usual self and become pessimistic about Slipknot’s future. Maybe they’ll recruit a bassist that will, not fill Paul’s shoes but, take them to a new, perhaps even greater place?! [Please, please, please...]
But there is no use in speculation, is there?

Never-the-less, my fingers are tingling, and it feels as though I haven’t had a cigarette for a week! I have a spine-bending craving that can only be satisfied by album number 5 from these giants. What will it sound like? Will Corey continue on his evolutionary path, steering the band towards a more melodic album? Will it be a return to the bedlam of the first two albums? Will it be a new direction all together? Who knows?
The only thing we, the fans, can do is hope and pray that it won’t be reminiscent of the latest, totally underwhelming, piss-poor, Linkin Park album.

All I can say is, Bring it on!!! I’m salivating over the thought of the upcoming album...

\m/