SLIPKNOT's COREY TAYLOR: I Hope STONE SOUR Will Last A Long Time

If SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor get his way, he will pursue his other band, STONE SOUR, concurrently with his main outfit, with both groups touring and recording during each other's "down" time.

"Sure it'll be busy trying to work with both of these bands, but after a while I think it will work that when one band has downtime, I can work on the other," Taylor told Chart Attack. "SLIPKNOT records and tours… when they rest, STONE SOUR records and tours. I can handle that… I think I need to, since each band offers me something fresh to bring to the other. It keeps everything interesting for me. SLIPKNOT is a metal band, but with STONE SOUR we're all over the place, 'cause the music does its own thing…borrows from less drastic forms of heavy music, but at same time, it has a mellowness and attitude to it. It's just kick-ass hard rock…"

Although musical similarities between the two bands abound, Taylor is quick to point out that SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR have less in common than some people might expect.

"This isn't an album that's trying to appeal to SLIPKNOT fans. STONE SOUR has nothing to do with SLIPKNOT and people need to understand that before they listen. STONE SOUR is more melodic hard rock/grunge-ish kind of music," said Corey.

Formed in the mid-'90s, STONE SOUR was placed on a several-year hiatus after Taylor was forced to make a choice in the late '90s between the two groups. However, that all changed in 2000 when guitarist Josh Rand, an old friend and collaborator of Taylor's and a former STONE SOUR alumni, approached the singer with some songs he had been working on. Together, they would spend a year and a half writing what would eventually become the album, Stone Sour.

"I'll always love what SLIPKNOT does, but I really wanted to give STONE SOUR a second shot," Taylor explained. "I believed in the songs we had back then, but I was getting frustrated… so when SLIPKNOT offered me the singing spot, I took it. [STONE SOUR] was still in my heart, but nothing was working."

"Honestly, it picked up right where we left off in 1997," Taylor said of the songwriting process for STONE SOUR's debut. "It was like nothing had changed. I mean, this band was my first love before SLIPKNOT and it caused a lot of trouble when I left… thankfully we've all grown as people and as musicians so this was an enjoyable affair that I hope will last a long time."