Slipknot guitarist Jim Root has said the band are trying new approaches on their upcoming eighth studio album and have no plans to repeat the sound of their early records.
Root made the comments on Monday, September 28, in reply to a fan under a social media post showing part of his guitar rig. The fan had urged him to make the new album the heaviest of the band’s career, asking for dark, groove-based riffs rather than fast thrash parts and comparing the moment to Metallica‘s Black Album.
In his reply, Root wrote:
“thank you! I very important thing for us at this time is to not ‘repeat’ ourselves. It’s gonna hurt some feelings. We’re really experimenting with different approaches… don’t expect another ‘Iowa‘ or ‘self titled’ record. We’ve been there. The vibe feels honest and true to me. It’s uneasy and reminds me of recording in the earlier days. I’m not saying that means it will translate to the type of music we’re creating or the sound/production of it. The early records had the vibe. You can’t miss that with Ross. But they always sounded ‘LoFi’ to me. And some of the later records felt/sounded ‘over produced’… like. Too many layers of guitar etc. we don’t need that. Me and Mick. L and R and then a few 3rd tracks and maybe solos. That’s it. And of the 16 amps I vetted to record with. Matt and I chose the most pissed off sounding one. Not necessarily the ‘best’ sounding one. The most exciting sounding… liveliest etc. we did track on the floor live with Eloy. We hadn’t done that in a long time for various reasons. Everything is analog and played. All the pieces that need to be there are there.”
The “Ross” in Root‘s message is producer Ross Robinson, who worked on Slipknot‘s self-titled debut in 1999 and its follow-up, Iowa, in 2001, while “Matt” is Matt Wallace, the producer overseeing the new album, whose past credits include Faith No More.
According to Root, the band recorded parts of the album live on the studio floor with Casagrande, something they had not done for a long time. He also said the guitars will be kept simpler than on some of the band’s later releases, with two main guitar tracks, a few extra layers and possible solos.
The new record is set to be the first release through the band’s own label, (sic)est Records, and is expected in 2027. Recording sessions have been underway in recent weeks.
Wallace also produced “Arsenal“, which Slipknot released earlier this month as their first new music in more than three years. The song was their first studio recording with Casagrande and their first release since turntablist Sid Wilson was dismissed from the band in August.
Root‘s comments came on the same day Slipknot announced their 2027 “(sic)est Stadium Tour“, which opens on July 3, 2027, at London’s Wembley Stadium and continues through North America and South America.
Slipknot‘s most recent studio album, The End, So Far, was released in 2022.
