STONE SOUR Parts Ways With Bassist

STONE SOUR, the band featuring SLIPKNOT members Corey Taylor (vocals) and Jim Root (guitar),has parted ways with bassist Shawn Economaki.

Root posted a picture on his Instagram account yesterday (May 3) of an unidentified bassist taken during the recording sessions for STONE SOUR's new album and wrote, "Shawn is no longer with us. A lot has happened in the past year… We need to move forward and [there will] be more detail when the time is right. He's still a great friend and we're in touch. But for now we have a mystery dude that shreds filling in for the studio."

Taylor confirmed the news via a tweet earlier today, writing, "As some of you might have heard but I'll confirm it: Shawn Economaki is no longer with STONE SOUR. We wish him luck in the future."

Economaki left STONE SOUR in April 2011 in the middle of the "Avalanche Tour" to deal with "personal issues." He was temporarily replaced by Jason Christopher, who has since joined Sebastian Bach's touring band.

As previously reported, STONE SOUR's fourth studio album is now tentatively going to come out in October. Taylor tweeted the fall release plan, adding that the album has a title but that he "won't give it away yet." Taylor told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he came up with a very ambitious concept for the disc. "It's a pretty grandiose idea that I've been kind of chewing on for a long time, and if we can pull it off, it'll be really, really cool," he said. "It'll probably be the biggest thing that we've ever done in our career. Artistically, visually, like, I mean, we're gonna swing for the fences with this one, and it's gonna put a lot of people in their place."

The disc is being recorded at Sound Farm Studios, just outside STONE SOUR's home base of Des Moines, Iowa.

Guitarist Josh Rand recently said that the album will be "another progression for the band," adding. "Musically, we have always challenged one another to push things to our limits, and this record is no exception."

The set will tell the story of one character who "finally has to decide which path to take," explained Rand, who also said, "It's a spiritual and moral power play for control of what this man will be for the rest of his life."

The project — which may end up becoming a double album — will follow up 2010's "Audio Secrecy".

Taylor and Root will also be busy this summer with SLIPKNOT as that band headlines the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.