SLIPKNOT Percussionist On New CD: 'This Record Is A Bridge Over To Some Uncharted Territory'

ARTISTdirect recently conducted an interview with SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan. An excerpt from the chat follows.

ARTISTdirect: It seems like "All Hope Is Gone" is another big step in SLIPKNOT's evolution. Would you say that's the case?

Crahan: It was a pretty strange record cycle for me, and there are multi-layered reasons why. Now that it's all done, I feel like I can digest what went on while making it and where our collective mind was going. I really do believe that this is another step. I thought that "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses" was the beginning of a time period that we'd been preparing for. I feel like this record is a bridge over to some uncharted territory, which is very exciting. We've been waiting for a long time to have an experience with all nine guys. All nine guys have been on everything all the time, but it's different now that we've been doing this for so long. We can express who we are and what we are through the music. We also can really start to shine out.

ARTISTdirect: "Vol. 3" began and ended with the theme of communication. The first lyric on "Prelude 3.0" is about holding back, while the last lyric on "Danger, Keep Away" is about finally opening up. That theme was prevalent throughout the entire record. Is there a unifying theme to "All Hope Is Gone"?

Crahan: Basically, there was a lot of craziness that went on for "All Hope Is Gone". For example, we had almost three years off. Just being off, a lot of people didn't see each other. That's not because we didn't want to. It's because everyone was just doing his own thing with families and other bands. Dudes were taking time off too — whatever the case was. It was a weird situation with how things felt, and we have a different thought process now because of where we were during that break. "All Hope Is Gone" feels good. Life is getting a little embarrassing though. You can't prevent what you see in front of you, so "All Hope Is Gone," you know?

ARTISTdirect: It feels like your most visceral album to date. That's going to resonate with a lot of kids because a lot of people do feel like all hope is gone.

Crahan: Yeah, we just do what we do. It's hard to explain because at anytime a song can take a strange turn in a different direction. Core writers can present everyone with a song, but the minute someone else gets his hands on it, it's wide open. For instance, I can only speak for myself, but when I go to do my drum parts, I don't want anyone around. I don't want Joey [Jordison, drums] around. I don't want Corey [Taylor, vocals] around. I don't want Paul [Gray, bass] around. I don't want Mick [Thomson, guitar] around. I don't want anyone around. Chris [Fehn, percussion] is usually in the other room because we try to do our percussion on the same day. Take a song like "Snuff", though. It sounded one way, but by the time I put my drums on it, it was a completely different song. So that's where we're at these days. There's a real maturity and almost a violent nature to the songwriting process. I like it a lot better because I'm not going to be told what to do or what to think. I'm just going to do whatever the fuck I want at all times in true SLIPKNOT fashion. It's getting easier and easier to do that because I'm over interviews, I'm over videos, I'm over playing the same venues, and I'm over buses. I'm more excited to challenge myself to do more difficult things.

Read the entire interview from ARTISTdirect.