When a heavy band reaches its third decade, the easiest path is usually to deliver whatever sound longtime listeners hold dearest. Jim Root made it clear that Slipknot have no interest in that sort of nostalgia. Sharing an image of his pedalboard setup on Instagram, the guitarist warned fans that the band's upcoming record will break sharply with routine. Responding to followers in the comments, Root stated plainly that the new material is going to hurt some feelings.
Root plans to spend the rest of the year testing an assortment of guitars and amplifiers, dialing in his sound and assembling a new rig for guitar technician Brad Clifford. Behind the technical adjustments lies a deliberate creative pivot. Root stressed that refusing to repeat past formulas is an absolute priority for Slipknot right now. He specifically advised listeners against waiting for another self-titled album or a second version of Iowa, pointing out that the band has already explored that musical space. While he described the current creative atmosphere as honest, uneasy, and emotionally aligned with their earliest studio days, he maintained that the music itself and the production standards will not recreate that chapter.
Their formative catalog, tracked with producer Ross Robinson, carried a low fidelity finish. Over the years that followed, later releases gradually tipped toward high gloss polish, weighed down by dense walls of layered guitars. For the next record, Root and fellow guitarist Mick Thomson are taking a leaner route alongside producer Matt Wallace. The new songs strip the guitar architecture down to a clean stereo spread of left and right rhythm tracks, making room only for occasional solos and a handful of third tracks. Wallace and Root tested sixteen vetted amplifiers before choosing the one that sounded the most pissed off and lively, intentionally passing on anything that sounded too pretty.
That raw philosophy extends directly to how the group captures performances. Slipknot are tracking live on the room floor with drummer Eloy Casagrande, returning to an old working style they had avoided for a long time. Root noted that the results are entirely analog and human, keeping only the musical elements that strictly need to exist. This strict self-restraint is meant to answer the shortcomings of their 2022 album, The End, So Far. Looking back on that release, Root offered an unvarnished assessment, calling the finished record disjointed and a mess. He admitted that strong ideas survived the process, but noted that recording during the pandemic amid global unrest created an unusually difficult environment.
These studio dispatches arrive as Slipknot prepare their newly announced (sic)est Stadium Tour. Scheduled to launch in 2027, the tour includes a performance at London's Wembley Stadium on July 3 of next year, promoted as the band's only date across both the UK and Europe. Following an artist presale, tickets open for general sale on Friday, October 2, at 10am local time.
The tour announcement has sparked an immediate storm among listeners due to the supporting roster, which pairs Bring Me The Horizon with Marilyn Manson. Thousands of critical comments quickly surfaced under the Wembley post, focusing almost entirely on Manson. Manson, whose legal name is Brian Warner, has faced numerous allegations of sexual and domestic abuse, all of which he has denied. Many followers argued that putting him on the bill crossed an ethical boundary, writing that they would refuse to buy tickets or go to the concert. Others took a contrasting view, noting the deep history of audience crossover between the two artists and defending Manson as a logical stylistic fit for the event. Between a stripped, unsparing studio process and a deliberately provocative tour lineup, Slipknot seem entirely willing to court discomfort.
