SLIPKNOT's JAY WEINBERG Unveils New Mask For KNOTFEST JAPAN

SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg has teamed up with Japanese artist Solid Blackline to create a new mask specially designed for the band's two Knotfest shows in Japan this weekend.

SLIPKNOT performed Saturday night (April 1) and will appear again tomorrow (Sunday, April 2) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba for Knotfest Japan. Both days feature SLIPKNOT as headliners, alongside a collection of Japanese and international rock bands.

Earlier on Saturday, Weinberg took to his Instagram to share a few photos of his new mask, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "It's an honor to collaborate with Japanese painter @solid_blackline for my mask this weekend, specially designed for @knotfestjapan. The organic, flowing shapes of his high-contrast designs evoke feelings of mysticism and beauty, balanced within the duality of chaos and order one feels as a visitor in this wondrous country.

"There's truly no better way to further immerse ourselves within everything that @knotfestjapan stands for — to share our love for Japan, and its rich artistic culture — than to welcome local talent through collaboration with our own expression through this weekend's performances.

"See you tonight, Tokyo!"

Earlier this year, Weinberg stated about the SLIPKNOT mask he used in connection with the band's 2019 album "We Are Not Your Kind": "My idea with it was to kind of take elements of this and act like there was this kind of ritualistic act of cleansing and bleaching it out. It definitely looks gnarlier than when it was first made. But that was the idea — kind of sharpening some elements of what this was, kind of burning away some of the burlap stuff. There's a patch with the logo on my forehead and I wanted to sharpen that and make it more like a carving."

As for the mask he had worn for much of the cycle for SLIPKNOT's latest album, 2022's "The End, So Far", Weinberg said: "That was definitely a step in a different direction. It came about after we had finished the record. And to me, that's always been what comes first... So finishing the record, what became evident to us was that this is the probably one of the most experimental things the band has ever done, and this very large leap in a new direction. I felt like this kind of characterized that."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father Max, of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O'Brien's talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Jordison passed away "peacefully in his sleep" in July 2021 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Weinberg was a member of AGAINST ME!, having played with the Florida-based act from November 2010 until December 2012.

Weinberg joined AGAINST ME! shortly after he was ousted from MADBALL and following the departure of AGAINST ME!'s previous sticksman, George Rebelo.

In May 2013, Weinberg filled in for KVELERTAK drummer Kjetil Gjermundrod during the band's North American tour because Gjermundrod had to bow out of the run after experiencing significant pain in his arm.