SLIPKNOT's COREY TAYLOR: 'The Mask Is Part Of The Art; It's A Representation Of Who I Am'

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor appeared on this past Monday's (May 22) episode of Viceland's "The Therapist" to talk in depth about his life behind his public persona, including his history of self-harm and his suicide attempt.

Asked about the significance of wearing a literal mask when he is performing with SLIPKNOT, Taylor said: "With SLIPKNOT, at least for most of us in the band, the mask is part of the art — it's not just the visual and the shock; it's a representation of who I am in that album. So, for me, it's as natural as having a different hairstyle for one album and tour cycle, wearing different clothes for an album and tour cycle. It's a part of the dynamic. It's one of the things that you look forward to. Not just writing the songs, not just putting the music together, not just putting the visuals together, but what… who am I in this album? And on the last album [2014's '.5: The Gray Chapter'], the one that dealt with Paul's [Gray, SLIPKNOT bassist] death, the mask that I had was two layers, so I could pull one off and there was another mask there. And it was the mask behind the mask — being open to a point, but never really sharing that pain. Even when push comes to shove, pulling that layer away, and it's still… there's still something behind it that I'm not willing to share. And that album, 'The Gray Chapter', was basically my way of processing everything and hopefully helping the band process it and putting it into perspectives that we can understand. It was me trying to give my friends a voice and letting them know that I was with them and that things weren't gonna be okay, but we were gonna move on."

In the program, which premiered on May 8, Los Angeles-based licensed therapist Dr. Siri Sat Nam Singh sits down with some of today's most influential musicians and artists to take a deeper look into their psyches, their pasts and their presents to discover what makes them tick. He leads them through compelling discussions, inviting them to look at how they've faced some of the most formative, troubling or difficult experiences from throughout their lives.

Each of the artists who sit with Dr. Siri quickly realize they are in the presence of a man who is knowledgeable, deeply sensitive, compassionate and highly intuitive. This fact alone provides them with an unparalleled level of comfort allowing them to truly be a part of the experience.

Aside from a cameraman, there was absolutely no one else in the room throughout each shoot. There were no "re-takes," no "re-shoots," no "producing." Each artist was fully immersed in a full-length therapy session which enabled Dr. Siri to truly engage them and break down the emotional barriers and walls we all carry.

There has long been a stigma surrounding mental health care. Dr. Siri Sat Nam Singh and his patients take steps forward to normalize a process which they feel all people should be able to take advantage of, asking for help and trying to truly understand oneself.