SLIPKNOT Parts Ways With Drummer JOEY JORDISON

SLIPKNOT has released the following statement:

"To our Maggots and fans around the world,

"It is with great pain but quiet respect that, for personal reasons, Joey Jordison and SLIPKNOT are parting ways. We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds.

"We understand that many of you will want to know how and why this has come to be, and we will do our best to respond to these questions in the near future.

"It is our love for all of you, as well as for the music we create, that spurs us to continue on and move forward with our plans for releasing new material in the next year. We hope that all of you will come to understand this, and we appreciate your continued support while we plan the next phase of the future of SLIPKNOT.

"Thank you, The 'KNOT"

Jordison has spent the past few months touring with his new project SCAR THE MARTYR, whose self-titled debut album sold around 3,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 129 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was made available on October 1 via Roadrunner Records.

In addition to Jordison and lead vocalist Henry Derek Bonner (BLOOD PROMISE),SCAR THE MARTYR's current touring lineup features guitarists Jed Simon (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) and Kris Norris (DARKEST HOUR),keyboardist Joey Blush and bassist Kyle Konkiel (IN THIS MOMENT).

In a recent interview with Australia's Loud magazine, Jordison stated about the future of SLIPKNOT: "I can only speak for myself on the SLIPKNOT angle.

"I spoke a long time ago in numerous interviews about the material that I had. I still have a lot of material.

"The future is bright with SLIPKNOT; we're not going anywhere.

"You know, there's nine eccentric guys in the band and some of us like to be more active than others.

"I have so much material, I like to be busy all the time. It's like the seize-the-day type aspect on music and life.

"I want to get out as much art as I can while I'm here and I seem to get better the more that I do it.

"Right now my work is SCAR THE MARTYR, but SLIPKNOT isn't going anywhere. You can mark my words on that."

Guitarist Jim Root revealed earlier in the month that he will sit out STONE SOUR's early 2014 tour so that he can concentrate on writing music for the next SLIPKNOT record. A post at STONE SOUR's Facebook page stated, "With an impending SLIPKNOT album on the horizon, Jim will not be touring with STONE SOUR this winter . . . It was a difficult decision, but as the fans have wanted another STONE SOUR tour and Jim had responsibilities to the writing process with SLIPKNOT, we feel this is the best decision where everyone wins."

SLIPKNOT's long-awaited fifth album will be its first since 2008's "All Hope Is Gone" and first since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray.

Root and SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor spent the better part of the last year on the road with STONE SOUR behind that band's two-album set, "House Of Gold And Bones".