SLIPKNOT Frontman: 'Our Fans Can Smell Lies Like Farts In A Car'

Darryl Sterdan of Canada's Toronto Sun recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.

Toronto Sun: Why do you still live in Des Moines? Shouldn't you be closer to where the action is?

Taylor: This has been my home for so long. My family lives here, my friends live here, my kids were born here. I have a place in L.A., but this is my hub. This is the place that feels like home. I can come back and just be me, just remember why I do it and find the hunger again, basically. A lot of people move away from what inspired them in the first place. That takes the edge off their music, it takes a lot of the attitude out of it. I want to stay where I've got inspiration around me all the time.

Toronto Sun: The frustrations and limitations of life in Middle America have always informed your music. Could this band have come from a bigger city?

Taylor: I really don't think this band could have come from L.A. or New York. What we say you couldn't manufacture in a big city. This band is almost like the perfect storm. You've got nine disaffected idiots that just had to get together and not only make music but just set s--- on fire, basically. You come from L.A. or New York, there's a whole different set of wants and needs. i just think this band had to come from the Midwest; it had to come from Des Moines.

Toronto Sun: Between your album and new CDs from METALLICA and AC/DC, there's been a big metal resurgence this year. Why do you think that is?

Taylor: I think people are tired of fake music, man. And there's a lot of it. Technology has reached the point where any boob can walk into a studio, and with a little AutoTuning you can have a hit song. I think it's pathetic. The wrong people get a lot of credit for nothing. But metal is still one of those genres where you have to be talented to make this music and be popular. You are judged by the level of performance and songwriting and showmanship. And we've kind of always been underdogs. So to me, it's just desserts basically. We're finally starting to get the respect that we deserved for a long time. Not that we're knocking BRITNEY SPEARS out of top spot or crap like that. But it's definitely better right now than it has been.

Toronto Sun: Your live show is pretty intense. How do you handle it?

Taylor: It's like fighting the Civil War every night. And I mean all four years of the Civil War. It's brutal. I'm 35, but I feel like I'm 50. That's why I'm working out. I've gotta keep in shape to do this crap now, man. I used to be able to chug a bottle of Jack and get onstage. Now I gotta watch what I eat. But that's how much it means to me. It wouldn't be right to go up there and go through the motions. That's how bands die. I have enough respect for this to work for it. And at the end of the day if I'm not feeling it, I have enough respect to walk away. Besides, I wouldn't be able to fool our fans. Our fans can smell lies like farts in a car.