SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR Frontman Celebrates 36th Birthday In Las Vegas; Photo Available

According to the Las Vegas Sun, SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR lead singer Corey Taylor celebrated his 36th birthday with friends and family at Penn & Teller's show in The Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada Tuesday night (December 29) and visited with the two magicians backstage before watching their performance.

STONE SOUR recently confirmed speculation that the band will work with producer Rob Cavallo on its third studio album. Cavallo is perhaps best known for his work with GREEN DAY on that band's massively successful 2004 effort "American Idiot", but he has also been in the producer's chair on hit records by PARAMORE, KID ROCK, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, SHINEDOWN and others.

Taylor told Metal Hammer magazine about the collaboration, "He's worked with a lot of people and it's going to be awesome. I can't wait to see what he does with us, man. We took a couple of meetings with him and he's really, really stoked on the music. I think this is probably a little heavier than he's used to but I have every confidence we're going to make a great album together."

STONE SOUR will begin recording the new disc in February. It follows up 2006's "Come What(ever) May".

Drummer Roy Mayorga said about the direction of the new record, "It's sounding very different from the last record in every way now that there are five writers, including myself. Some songs are heavy, dark, melodic and with a lot of color. A very well-rounded record this is going to be."

Taylor and STONE SOUR guitarist Jim Root are also members of SLIPKNOT, which just wrapped up more than a year of touring behind its latest album, 2008's "All Hope Is Gone".