M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) has spent more than two decades throwing everything he has into SLIPKNOT — physically, mentally, and emotionally. But after wrapping up the band’s most recent touring cycle, the percussionist discovered that his dedication to the masked metal institution may have also pushed his body to its limits.
Speaking with producer Rick Rubin on a recent episode of the Tetragrammaton With Rick Rubin podcast, Crahan reflected on his long journey with SLIPKNOT, the injuries he’s endured over the years, and the personal sacrifices he continues to make for the band. During the conversation, the 56-year-old musician also revealed that he recently learned he will need heart surgery after doctors uncovered an issue shortly after last year’s tour.
Clown explained (as transcribed by theprp): “You know SLIPKNOT is good for me, always has been. And I hate that. I hate that it keeps me alive. You know what I mean, Rick? Like it keeps me alive. It makes me drink water. It makes me… It gets the bad smoke that I had once out of me. It gets the tox… you know, it keeps me alive. It gives me desire. It gives me will. Gives me purpose. And I can’t stand it. It’s such a priority of existence. And I have to do it.
“I have a skipping heart and I got to get a surgery,” he revealed. “And I found this out after my last tour. I went in, I wasn’t feeling good, and I went in and the nurse was trying to get an EKG thing going on me or whatever and it just wasn’t happening. I kind of fell asleep and I woke up. I’m like, ‘Are you going to get this thing?’ And she’s like, ‘Oh, it’s not working.’ They thought I was having a heart attack right there. Anyway, my heart skips and apparently I’ve taught myself to be like a cross country runner.
“So, I’m overweight and my brain is so strong that it tells this stuff what to do. So, my standing heart rate at night is 43 and during the day I get down to 33. [It] hasn’t happened since I’ve been here with you, which is good, because I’ll go from ‘on’, to just straight up I feel like I’m dying. So, I got to get a surgery. It’s a very easy surgery. You’re usually out on the same day. It’s not like they rip you open. This is something about the electricity.
“But at first, they thought maybe I needed a pacemaker. And I was like, ‘Doc, listen, I get a pacemaker. I’m done, right? Touring, SLIPKNOT?’ So he goes, ‘Oh, no. You’re going to feel better.’ And I just I lost it. I was like, I can’t get out of this to save my life. I’m like, there is nothing, not even my heart. It’s going to be better because of SLIPKNOT.
He added: “I got a concierge doctor because I’m in SLIPKNOT and I’m able to go to levels and they’re like, ‘No, you’re going to feel better. You better get in shape because you got to do more now at 56.’ And it’s just like I just can’t believe it, man, that this was me. It’s wonderful. I’m lucky.”
In other SLIPKNOT-related news, the band recently surprised fans on Record Store Day with an exclusive physical release of their long-lost project Look Outside Your Window.
Originally recorded during the sessions for 2008’s All Hope Is Gone, the album stands apart from the band’s usual aggressive sound. The material was created by Shawn “Clown” Crahan alongside Corey Taylor, Jim Root, and Sid Wilson, and reflects a more experimental and psychedelic direction that was intentionally developed outside the constraints of a standard SLIPKNOT record.
Crahan first publicly discussed the project back in 2018, explaining that it was born out of creative downtime during the All Hope Is Gone era, allowing the members involved to explore ideas without pressure or expectations tied to the SLIPKNOT name.
While Look Outside Your Window is currently available only as a Record Store Day exclusive, new information circulating online has sparked speculation about a wider release. According to a discovery reportedly made by a Reddit user, a hidden listing briefly appeared on the Record Store Day website suggesting a global release date of Friday, June 12 at 8:00 AM.
The same listing also points to a “Go Live” date of Tuesday, May 19, which may indicate when pre-orders or official announcements could be revealed. At this stage, only CD and vinyl formats are mentioned, with no confirmation yet regarding a potential streaming release.
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