Ex-SLIPKNOT Drummer JAY WEINBERG On His Upcoming Solo Project: 'It's All Stuff That Is True To The Music That I Love'

In a new interview with Matty Roberts of the Percussion Discussion podcast, former SLIPKNOT and current SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Jay Weinberg spoke about his upcoming solo project which he has been working on for more than a decade. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've been embarking on a recording project that's been really near and dear to my heart for a long time, music I've been writing and working on since my early twenties. So I've been putting considerable time into that. It's pretty much just me and also inviting friends who I've always wanted to collaborate with. It feels like there's a wide diverse maybe sonic palette that I'm working with, but it all kind of comes from my background in music. It's all stuff that I feel is true to the music that I love, but it's kind of a little bit more varied than, I suppose, I've ever really dug into before. So working with different friends who I'm, like, 'Oh, you know what? So-and-so would be great to play with on this, or to sing on this,' and stuff. So I'm in the middle of that process right now and kind of figuring out how to integrate that in somewhat of a live setting where I know I'm not gonna be able to play the drums and the guitar and the bass and the keyboards all at the same time."

He continued: "Doing these solo performances [at some of my recent drum clinics], it's been a lot of fun personally. And finding the opportunity where, for example, we'll [SUICIDAL TENDENCIES] be on tour with METALLICA [this spring and summer], having a show every like five days, so finding time in there to take advantage of some good downtime around America, why not try to do some independent, solo kind of clinic-style events and try to get this stuff that I've been working on forever somewhat integrated into that. So that's kind of a little peek into the logistical making things happen. But that's very exciting. Figuring out all these kind of solo, more independent pursuits is very, very exciting to be embarking on right now. But it's a whole lot of planning that goes into it."

Asked about the challenges of performing with SLIPKNOT while wearing a jumpsuit and a mask and whether that presented a "problem" for him, Jay said: "Not that I describe as a problem. Obviously, having been acquainted with the band since a really early age, I knew the lengths to which the art demands it of the bandmembers, that commitment to that aspect of the band — the physicality, the fact that this is a specific part of this specific band that… Not only does the music demand everything of you, but the commitment to the art of everything that surrounds it, and as I learned, really, the music is just one component of the greater picture. And like many things, there's no way to really prepare for that other than doing it. And luckily, in a way, although I would later realize that it was kind of completely backwards of, our live show really informed how we would write together, how we would record together. Our second album together was a much more refined effort. We took three years of writing that from the ground up, and I had whatever it was — a hundred something, 200 shows or something — behind me. That informed, 'Oh, that's what actually playing in this band is about.' But I had this whole year of being in the band, of making a record and stuff, before that first show, before any of those other artistic elements came into it. I was just focused on helping create new music, but knowing full well what was ahead of me, what was ahead of the effort of creating an album, which already was a tremendous endeavor. But to then know at the end of that, then the real work starts. And that was something that we discussed a lot."

Jay continued: "We took a huge amount of time between my first joining the band and then playing a show where, yes, making the record helped create a connection, especially in a very, very difficult transitional phase for the band with the loss of, of [SLIPKNOT bassist] Paul Gray, the primary songwriter of the band. That was a huge thing to overcome. And I feel it was through the effort of making '[.5:] The Gray Chapter' that was like a huge rebirth element — lots of things to celebrate, but also mourn in between that. So while I'm kind of caught in the middle of this very turbulent transitional phase, at the age of 23 joining this band, all of these moments and learning about each other... And yes, we had been friends for a while, but not in this way. We weren't collaborating. That was really the only kind of flick-of-a-switch sort of moment, was that we went from being friends and these guys that I had admired from a distance to all of a sudden now we're working on stuff together and we've gotta see how this works and we've gotta feel each other out. I think anybody in that situation would be put through a necessary gauntlet of making sure 'this is our guy.' And so it was a difficult creative process in really pushing myself in ways that I had never pushed myself before but that I'm very grateful for because it allowed me to really open up to that process. And I think in being open for that to that process and the growth that I had to kind of embark on to meet the challenge head on, that made the transition into, like, 'Okay, yeah, now playing with a super-heavy piece of rubber on my face with fire enveloping all the oxygen on stage' and so on and so forth, that just became one in a sequence of incredible challenges. And then you break through, as we'd call them, breaking through veils, which takes a long time and you only do that when you put in the effort. And so there were periods where it's like breaking through this veil of writing a song together for the first time, and then writing two songs together for the first time, and having those be songs that we're gonna play a lot live. And then, 'Okay, now we've done our first show together.' 'Now we've done our first tour together,' blah, blah, blah, as life goes on. These were all incredible learning moments for myself."

Weinberg added: "Yeah, learning how to play with all the physical elements that I knew the art would demand, as a fan of the band, now I had to kind of approach it from, like, 'Okay, well, I'm no longer a fan. This has changed our relationship in a kind of a tangible way where I'm not just looking at this from the outside. Now I'm learning how to best contribute from the inside.' But I believe my proximity to the band preceding that, I think, allowed me to think deeper and deeper into that process of what would be expected of me, what I expect of myself, how I wanna push the boundaries of this element. How is my mask gonna define me? How are the artistic qualities that I can bring to the table going to shape this element in a way that I think serves my contribution well. So that's kind of where all that stuff, over the course of 10 years, was just refining itself, re-evolving and finding out how to go deeper and deeper with it. It was definitely a creative process I enjoyed."

Weinberg first revealed his plans to release a solo album two months ago, sharing on social media that he that he had "put together a group" in 2017 to play his solo music in a band setting, "during a prolonged downtime from touring." He wrote at the time: "I haven't touched these songs since then, until recently feeling inspiration to pick the guitar back up and kick this stuff around again. It's been a fulfilling experience, and I'll tell you — I'm starting to like where these songs are headed. It feels good to finally set the intention of releasing some of this new music in the coming year."

As well as sharing his excitement to support METALLICA with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES this spring and summer, Jay added that he was "equally pumped to spend considerable time in the studio, especially working on this collection of songs. Stoked for you to hear them. When they're ready, you'll know."

During an appearance on a July 2024 episode of the "One Life One Chance With Toby Morse" podcast, Weinberg addressed his surprise firing from SLIPKNOT in November 2023, saying: "Truth be told, I'm at kind of a point where I'm not quite yet really ready to talk about it, really. And that's not to dismiss the conversation, but I've spent time, and spend time, just processing the entire experience. And the experience not being the last six months, but really the last 10 years [of playing with SLIPKNOT]. And finally, in a way, processing all of that. And doing it in kind of what I would consider the responsible way.

"I have a fantastic therapist who helps me," he continued. "Before I speak on it, it's important for me to do the right work of processing these events that you spend 10 years exclusively committed to one thing. There's a lot to process that on the other side. And I think there is definitely a time where I'll speak to my lived experience over those ten years — just not quite yet."

On November 5, 2023, SLIPKNOT released a statement via social media in which it said it had "decided to make a creative decision and to part ways with Jay."

Six days later, Weinberg, who replaced Joey Jordison, SLIPKNOT's original drummer, in 2013, shared on Instagram that he "was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call", "the news of which, most of you learned shortly after."

Jay played his final show with SLIPKNOT on November 3 at the Hell & Heaven festival in Toluca, Mexico.

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

".5: The Gray Chapter" went on to score a trio of Grammy nominations, including two for "Best Metal Performance" and a nomination for "Best Rock Album".

Weinberg also played on 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind" and 2022's "The End, So Far", both of which topped Billboard's rock albums chart.

In February 2024, SLIPKNOT recruited former SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande as the replacement for Jay.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Jay played with AGAINST ME! and MADBALL.

Jay played his first concert with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES in March 2023 in Osaka, Japan.

In addition to Weinberg and frontman Mike Muir, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' current lineup features lead guitarist Dean Pleasants, rhythm guitarist Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and bassist Tye Trujillo (son of METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo).

Weinberg's pairing with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES came less than two months after he was announced as the new drummer of INFECTIOUS GROOVES, the long-running outfit formed more than three decades ago by Robert Trujillo alongside Robert's then-SUICIDAL TENDENCIES bandmate Muir.