Full Breakdown
Slipknot Moves Forward on New Album with Producer Matt Wallace
7/16/2026, 1:06:51 PM
Core Development
Guitarist Jim Root confirmed that Slipknot has entered the writing phase for their next studio record. The band is collaborating with producer Matt Wallace and has generated “at least 50 arrangements” that are being refined. Sessions involve extended jams with new drummer Eloy Casagrande, percussionist Michael “Clown” Crahan, and the rest of the nine-member lineup. No album title or release date has been announced, and the band’s touring schedule is currently open, allowing full focus on the material.
Background & Recent Activity
Slipknot’s last full-length effort, *The End, So Far* (August 2022), followed the 2019 album *We Are Not Your Kind*. Since then the group completed an anniversary tour for their 1999 debut, experienced the departures of keyboardist Craig Jones (June 2023) and drummer Jay Weinberg, and welcomed Casagrande as the new drummer. The band also released the long-shelved project *Look Outside Your Window* and sold its back-catalog to HarbourView Equity Partners, a deal that excluded future releases.
Key Personnel
- Jim Root – guitarist, primary spokesperson for the new-song process.
- Matt Wallace – producer overseeing arrangement and recording sessions.
- Eloy Casagrande – drummer whose “samurai-like” work ethic and diverse influences are shaping the jams.
- Michael “Clown” Crahan – percussionist who cues the producer during live improvisations.
- Corey Taylor – vocalist who later adds lyrics to the jam-derived riffs.
Data & Statistics
- ? 50 arrangements in various stages of development (not all full songs).
- Sessions typically last 1.5–2 hours, often yielding multiple song ideas per jam.
Official Summary of the Writing Process
Root described the approach as a return to the band’s early “garage-band” vibe: members jam together, record loops, and then the producer and Crahan identify structural parts (chorus, bridge, etc.). After each session, the group reviews the recordings, allowing individual members such as Mick Thomson to add their own interpretations. This method is intended to keep the music “organic, honest and open to interpretation,” contrasting with more contrived computer-based songwriting. The band has not set a public timeline for the album’s completion.
Criticism & Opposition
No dissenting viewpoints or external criticism were presented in the available statements. Sources focus exclusively on the band’s internal creative outlook.
Verbatim Quotes
- “That happens, man. That's like fashion, that's like movies. Everything has a cycle. Things come in and out of cycle… Which is wild, 'cause the new shit we're [SLIPKNOT] writing does not sound like that at all. We're not digressing or de-evolving into that sort of a... There's elements of it. I mean, we write how we write, so we're always gonna have a little bit of a vibe. But you're not gonna hear — for lack of a better term — a nu metal record out of us, if that makes any sense.” — Jim Root, guitarist, Slipknot
- “The new shit we’re writing does not sound like that at all. We’re not de-evolving into that sort of thing. There’s elements of it. I mean, we write how we write. So, we’re always going to have a little bit of a vibe, but you know, you’re not going to hear, for lack of a better term, a ‘nu-metal record’ out of us, if that makes any sense.” — Jim Root, guitarist, Slipknot
- “I know I'm writing some of the fastest grind-picking riffs, some of the most melodic, heavy, doomy kind of riffs.” — Jim Root, guitarist, Slipknot
- “And it's so organic and so honest and it's so open to interpretation.” — Jim Root, guitarist, Slipknot
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- No official album title, tracklist, or release window has been disclosed.
- While the band cites “at least 50 arrangements,” the exact number of completed songs remains unspecified.
What’s Next
The interview notes that Slipknot’s touring commitments are currently paused, suggesting the band will continue focusing on songwriting until a future announcement regarding the album’s release.
