COREY TAYLOR Promises His New Solo LP Will Be 'The Best Rock Album Of This Year, And The Next'

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor spoke to NME about his recently completed second solo album, "CMF2".

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP in early January at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with longtime 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.

Promising to NME that "CMF2" is "going to be the best rock album of this year, and the next," Corey added: "I can't wait for people to hear this album. It chews up that first record and spits it out. It's more dialed in with everything people expect from me, so it's got hints of 'CMFT' but there are also hints of SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR and all the stuff I've done in my acoustic shows. It's got everything for everybody. People are going to fucking lose it."

Twenty-six songs were recorded for "CMF2", including first single "Beyond", which could arrive in May, with the full-length LP tentatively due in September.

"Some fans will recognize a few [of the tracks] from other projects that I've done while others were written just before we went into the studio," he said.

"I was really inspired by my band, but also the reaction that the first solo run had, where people leaned into everything," he continued. "They liked the acoustic stuff, they liked the heavy stuff, they liked the fun stuff. We wanted to make a hybrid thing, but not have it feel chaotic."

Corey went on to say that there will "absolutely" be many more solo albums to come.

"It's almost a weird peace I've found myself in," he explained. "For the longest time, I always felt very comfortable in a band situation. A lot of the time, people look to you as the de facto leader but maybe you're not necessarily the one who's making the decisions. It can also be a lethargic process trying to get people on the same page."

He added: "With this, it's so gratifying. It's so much fun recording, but it's also been played by dudes who know what the fuck they're doing and love the music. It's a cool vibe. It's a fun vibe. I think people can see that camaraderie. This project has definitely reignited my love for playing music. It's kind of showing me what my future is going to be, for better or for worse."

In February 2022, Corey released a solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", via Roadrunner Records. The collection comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that inspired Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions.

"CMFT" made impressive debuts on charts around the world, entering at No. 1 on Billboard's Current Hard Rock Albums chart, while claiming No. 2 on Current Rock Albums, No. 6 on Vinyl Albums, and No. 9 on the Top Albums charts. Furthermore, "CMFT" landed Top 10 on the official album charts in Australia, Germany, Switzerland and Austria, with Top 20 debuts in the United Kingdom, Finland and Japan (international chart).

Photo credit: Ashley Osborn