SLIPKNOT's CLOWN Talks About Upcoming Album

January 9, 2008

Revolver magazine recently spoke to SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan about his hopes for the band's next album, how all the side projects will influence the disc, integrating new instruments into the mix, the death of rock's former spirit, the dissipation of hope, and the pervasive sadness that has infected our once-exuberant nation. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

Revolver: How far into the creative process are you?

Crahan: We're going to be entering the studio in the first part of the year. But we write all the time. Joey Jordison [drums] writes 365 days a year. These breaks that we take, they get our appetites going. They let our brains slow down and then speed up again. We gotta decompress for a little bit just to feel human if we're going to be forced to be here in this reality.

Revolver: Do you think the side projects you guys have been involved with will affect the sound of the next record?

Crahan: For sure. Every time we're away, we grab life and learn things. I'm constantly writing songs in different genres. I'll work with metal, alternative, and blues in my studio, and then I'll go play some jazz with friends. We all do that, and that gives us a fresh perspective.

Revolver: What new elements do you plan to bring into the picture this time?

Crahan: Corey Taylor [vocals] brings the whole beginning, and I can't wait to read his murder bible. What’s on his mind? Self-destruction? Self-healing? I don't know. But I'm on my own trip playing drum seets, working to challenge myself. I'm a primal drummer, man, and I want to harness that. In the past, I would dictate parts. Now I'm interested in being involved in the whole process. I've learned a lot in 10 years, and now I think it would be really cool if [co-percussionist] Chris Fehn and I could utilize high-hats and cymbals, SLIPKNOT-style.

Revolver: What else will be different?

Crahan: I can't stress enough that we're going into this from a different place. When we did "Iowa", we hated each other. We hated the world; the world hated us. The next record was like rehabilitation. We had all this healing that needed to happen. Now, everything feels good because we feel good.

For more of Revolver's conversation with M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan, pick up the February 2008 issue of the magazine, available on newsstands now. More information is available at www.revolvermag.com.

Find more on
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • reddit
  • email

Comments Disclaimer And Information

BLABBERMOUTH.NET uses the Facebook Comments plugin to let people comment on content on the site using their Facebook account. The comments reside on Facebook servers and are not stored on BLABBERMOUTH.NET. To comment on a BLABBERMOUTH.NET story or review, you must be logged in to an active personal account on Facebook. Once you're logged in, you will be able to comment. User comments or postings do not reflect the viewpoint of BLABBERMOUTH.NET and BLABBERMOUTH.NET does not endorse, or guarantee the accuracy of, any user comment. To report spam or any abusive, obscene, defamatory, racist, homophobic or threatening comments, or anything that may violate any applicable laws, use the "Report to Facebook" and "Mark as spam" links that appear next to the comments themselves. To do so, click the downward arrow on the top-right corner of the Facebook comment (the arrow is invisible until you roll over it) and select the appropriate action. You can also send an e-mail to blabbermouthinbox(@)gmail.com with pertinent details. BLABBERMOUTH.NET reserves the right to "hide" comments that may be considered offensive, illegal or inappropriate and to "ban" users that violate the site's Terms Of Service. Hidden comments will still appear to the user and to the user's Facebook friends. If a new comment is published from a "banned" user or contains a blacklisted word, this comment will automatically have limited visibility (the "banned" user's comments will only be visible to the user and the user's Facebook friends).