COREY TAYLOR On Being Compared To 'A Young BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN' By DUFF MCKAGAN: 'That Meant So Much To Me'

During a recent appearance on "The Rockman Power Hour", SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor was asked about a recent quote from Duff McKagan in which the GUNS N' ROSES bassist described watching a solo Taylor performance thusly: "I saw Corey command an audience like a young Bruce Springsteen, acoustic guitar around his neck and truth-telling through songs as his means of communication. It was truly inspiring." Asked how he felt when he first read that statement from McKagan, Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Are you kidding me? I mean, there are not a lot of people in this business that I have more respect for than Duff McKagan. Not only is he one of my good friends, but he's… I mean, in terms of just people who have not only seen it all but they've been through hell and come back to live to tell about it, man.

"When you grow up watching somebody going, 'Fuck, he's one of the coolest dudes in the world, and then all of a sudden his number is in your phone, it does things to your brain," Taylor continued. "So, when [Duff] said that [about me], when he wrote it, man, that meant so much to me 'cause I have not always been the easiest person to like in this business, let's put it that way. 'Cause I'm very free with my opinion — that's putting it nicely. I tend not to hold back. I'm not a dick, but I'm not kissing anybody's ass, man; I don't have to.

"At this point, when it comes to music, I take this very seriously, and if something feels half-assed or below average, I'm gonna fucking say something. So when I have somebody like that saying what he does… I try not to let the ego balloon get a little too big, I try to pop it with as many needles as I can, but at the same time, that's a huge thing to live up to.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that that's kind of where my vision lies with what I wanna do as a solo artist — hints of Springsteen, hints of Ozzy [Osbourne], a lot of ALICE IN CHAINS and vibes like that," Corey added. "I'm basically just trying to put my spin on everything that I've ever loved and doing it for an audience. So it's rad not only to feel the appreciation but to feel it from somebody like him who, he's been all over the world, he's in one of the biggest bands of all time, and he's just one of the best in the business. Yeah, it's a mindfuck. [Laughs]"

Corey will release his second solo album, "CMF2", on September 15. "CMF2" is Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Released in May, the first single from "CMF2", "Beyond", entered the Top 15 at Rock Radio in just six weeks and was the cover and No. 1 spot of the Rock Hard playlist on Spotify.

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP in early January at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with STEEL PANTHER and ANTHRAX, among others. Joining Corey in the studio was the rest of his solo band — bassist Eliot Lorango, drummer Dustin Robert, along with guitarists Christian Martucci and Zach Throne.

Twenty-six songs were recorded for "CMF2", including the first two singles, "Beyond" and "Post Traumatic Blues".

"CMFT" featured the No. 1 Billboard mainstream rock single "Black Eyes Blue" and streaming sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie). The LP hit No. 6 on Billboard's U.S. Top Rock Albums chart.

In support of his new album, Taylor has announced his 2023 tour featuring special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour kicks off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.

Corey Taylor photo credit: Marina Hunter