SLIPKNOT's ALESSANDRO 'VMAN' VENTURELLA Unveils New Mask

SLIPKNOT bassist Alessandro "VMan" Venturella has unveiled his latest mask, created in collaboration with German visual artist, writer and sculptor Hedi Xandt.

Xandt's work ranges from poetry and time-based digital works to complex visuals and monumental sculptures, encompassing and evolving classical subjects such as vanity, physical tension and the depths of human life. An apt user of traditional and digital creation techniques, the artist blurs the lines between illusion and existence: though many of his works trigger the urge to obtain and possess them, they are often masterful, immaterial renditions of a fantasy, whereas others that seem to be confined in a digital space are in reality monstrous entities of stone and metal.

Venturella said about his collaboration with Xandt: "I've been a massive fan of his work and thought it was time to go get him to make me a piece of his art for SLIPKNOT. Beyond stoked!"

Hedi stated about the piece he created for Venturella: "Its design nods to earlier incarnations of V Man's face and references Italian expressionist sculptures ravaged and converted into a mask by brute force. This 'slashed' appearance is one of three different designs."

Xandt added: "It's been an absolute pleasure to work on these, and there's much more to show you! Thanks to @vmanshreds and the trust he put in me and my work."

Venturella debuted the new mask at the first show of the North American portion of SLIPKNOT's "Here Comes The Pain" tour on August 6 at the Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. This year the nine are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their seminal debut album, "Slipknot", which catapulted the band back in 1999.

Venturella began working with SLIPKNOT during the recording of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter" album, contributing bass tracks along with guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson and former touring bassist Donnie Steele. He made his live debut with the band in 2014 at the first annual Knotfest.

In 2019, Alessandro told Bass Guitar Magazine that he landed in SLIPKNOT after getting a phone call from Root while working with MASTODON as guitarist Brent Hinds's tech.

"Me and Jim became friends while I was teching," Venturella said. "He was asking if I knew any bass players. When I found out what for, I put my hand up right away. He pointed out, 'But you don't play bass?' and I said something to the effect that I could do whatever he needed from me. Then I just had to make sure it was true."

According to Venturella, his role early on in SLIPKNOT was to "fill a great man's shoes and do him justice," referring to original bassist Paul Gray, who passed away in 2010. "My approach isn't the same as Paul's. I can't be him and never will be; every player is ultimately born different. That said, if you listen to Paul's note choices on 'Vermilion', he was all over the shop and it sounded great. I wanted to try things like that.

"After listening to his stems, I honestly looked at bass in a different light and understood how to support everything as the backbone," he continued. "Take the bass out of the mix and everything will fall flat on its arse — and equally, if you mix too bass-heavy, you're not going to get your point across either. Lead guitarists, on the other hand, always need to cut through because that's what the job entails. As the rhythm section, we're there to hold the fort."

Gray passed away from an accidental overdose of drugs.