Guitarist JIM ROOT Says He Feels 'A Lot More Comfortable' With STONE SOUR Than With SLIPKNOT

January 16, 2007

Heath McCoy of the Calgary Herald reports:

Usually, when a journalist asks a rocker who bides his time between more than one band to pick the band closest to his heart, that rocker will act like a father asked to pick a favourite child.

He'll either squirm uneasily and dance around the question or become indignant.

Guitarist James Root, who plays for metal bands STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT, does neither.

He answers frankly and without hesitation.

"STONE SOUR," says the six-foot-six axe-slinger.

This is his reply, despite the fact that he's far more famous as the guy wearing the evil jester mask with the S&M mouth-zipper in the masked rage-metal band, SLIPKNOT.

"I say that right now," he adds. "But I'm a very moody person."

But as he elaborates, there's no doubt Root is far more rooted in STONE SOUR, who will be opening up for EVANESCENCE today at the Saddledome.

"To be honest, I'm a lot more comfortable with the members of this band," he says.

"We're closer friends in STONE SOUR than I am with the guys in SLIPKNOT and that makes life a lot easier. I'm not trying to take anything away from SLIPKNOT.

"The energy (in that band) is powerful, but it's pain and anxiety that makes it what it is. I don't know if that (chemistry) would exist if (being in SLIPKNOT) was as comfortable as (being in) STONE SOUR."

Interestingly, the origins of both bands go back to Des Moines, Iowa, in the mid-'90s when they were bitter rivals on the city's metal scene.

From the beginning, Root's allegiance lay with STONE SOUR.

"There was a battle of the bands once that this radio station was putting on," Root says. "STONE SOUR ended up losing (to SLIPKNOT) and we thought we ruled that night. Looking back, I think we had just as many fans as SLIPKNOT, but SLIPKNOT's fans were more cultish."

While Root is still a proud to be a member of SLIPKNOT, he doesn't hide the fact that life in five-man STONE SOUR is far more enjoyable. "In a nine-piece-band is one guy gonna call up eight guys and have a 45-minute discussion about every decision? No. So things are a lot more democratic in STONE SOUR. Plus, we're closer and it's a lot easier to communicate. In SLIPKNOT that's the big problem — communication."

Read the entire article at www.canada.com.

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