SLIPKNOT‘s percussionist, Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown), has revealed that the band’s close-knit bond from their early days has diminished due to the challenges they’ve faced over the years.
Since the band’s formation in 1995, they’ve experienced significant lineup changes and the loss of key members, including founding members Paul Gray and Joey Jordison. These departures and tragedies have inevitably impacted the band’s dynamic and overall chemistry.
“Brother, the band will never be like that again,” Clown said while reflecting band’s history in a new issue of Metal Hammer.
“I can’t tell you how close we were then: we’re not that close anymore. People are gone. Craig‘s [Jones] out, Chris [Fehn] is out, Joey‘s [Jordison] out, Paul‘s [Gray] out. The band is different. But, back then, there was nine guys that wanted to be in the same place, and we made it work. And we wound up here, which is wonderful.”
In another part of the interview, Crahan delivers a heartfelt speech about the crucial role Gray and Jordison played in SLIPKNOT‘s growth.
“I’m doing these 25-year anniversary interviews, and not a lot of human beings are asking me about them,” he says. “You can’t talk about any of this without talking about them.”
“They’re greatly missed, and every day that I go through this 25-year anniversary, I miss them more, but also appreciate, love, and just acknowledge who they were to all this. It’s very important for me to say that, because these are two gentlemen that should be talking to you, and they can’t.
Gray, the band’s bassist and one of the key songwriters, passed away 14 years ago on May 24, 2010, at the age of 38. Jordison, the band’s drummer, died on July 26, 2021, at the age of 46.
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