Slipknot have suddenly unveiled a brand-new song, “Arsenal,” along with an accompanying music video, giving fans an unexpected preview of the music emerging from the band’s current creative period.
The surprise release comes as the Iowa giants continue working on their next studio album, with guitarist Jim Root previously revealing that the band had already accumulated a massive amount of material during its current writing sessions.
In a recent appearance on the “Ride BYND” podcast, Root offered an unusually detailed look at how the new music is coming together. At the time of the interview, Slipknot had not yet publicly confirmed the departure of longtime turntablist Sid Wilson, making Root’s comments particularly interesting in hindsight.
“We have so, so, so, so much material — probably at least 50, like, arrangements,” Root said. “I’m not saying they’re all full songs, and they all need work.”
Rather than building the new material around completed demos, Root explained that the band has been embracing a much more spontaneous approach in the studio.
“We’ll jam for like an hour and a half, two hours, and we might get four song ideas out of that and then we just spend time arranging, and it’s so organic and it’s so real. It’s almost frightening.”
The sessions are being produced by Matt Wallace, whose credits include Faith No More’s The Real Thing and Angel Dust, The Replacements’ Don’t Tell A Soul and Marron 5’s Songs About Jane.
Root also revealed that Shawn “Clown” Crahan has been heavily involved in shaping the arrangements.
“This new album we’re working on, that’s what we’re doing, we’re just jamming and Clown’s arranging,” Root said.
And according to the guitarist, the results have been unlike anything he has previously experienced with the band.
“We’re working with Matt Wallace right now to write this stuff and there’s times where we just kind of sit back and we’re listening to what I just worked on and I’m just like, ‘Wow this is wild. This sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before.’ Yet there’s a familiarity to it that feels like I’ve been listening to it my whole life and it’s just so organic. It’s just Slipknot music.”
“This is the closest I’ve heard to the music that I can hear in my head that I can’t get out that I’ve ever been,” he added. “And it’s exciting. And it’s like breathing a new life into wanting to create.”
The development of “Arsenal” also comes during a significant lineup change.
On August 14, Slipknot announced that it was parting ways with longtime turntablist Sid Wilson, who had been with the band since 1998.
“Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
The statement was initially posted to the band’s social media accounts before being deleted. It was subsequently shared through Knotfest, further confirming that Wilson was no longer associated with the group.
The announcement followed reports that Wilson had been removed from the band. Those reports first surfaced on July 31, several weeks before Slipknot officially addressed the situation.
Interestingly, Root initially appeared to urge fans not to immediately believe reports surrounding Wilson’s status. His comments came before the band eventually confirmed the split.
The circumstances surrounding Wilson’s departure have since received considerable attention, with reports claiming that tensions involving the longtime member had been building for some time. Slipknot itself has not publicly provided a detailed explanation for the decision.
For now, however, the band appears firmly focused on its next musical chapter.
