Corey Taylor of Slipknot recently sat down to answer some fan questions such as his favorite song to perform, what made him want to become an artist and whether he prefers tacos or pizza. Check out his answers! You can also access pre-sale tickets for Summer's Last Stand Tour here: www.slipknot1.com/events
Corey Taylor was on the latest episode of the Nerdist Podcast. Skip the first five minutes if you don't wanna hear Chris Hardwick being annoying and Jonah Ray making unfunny jokes.
Stone Sour/Slipknot guitarist Jim Root announced his decision to stay home to write Slipknot music rather than tour with the next round of Stone Sour dates. He said on an interview with Hard Driver Radio that Slipknot was finally going to get down to business:
"It’s looking like we’re probably gonna be doing some random touring throughout the next year, but we’re also gonna really try to get an album going, you know. I mean, I know I want to. I know it’s past time. I know we need to for ourselves, we need to for the fans and most importantly, for the legacy of Paul Gray. I mean, he would be looking at us right now going, ‘What are you idiots doing? Get in the studio. Start writing."
The tour begins on January 14th in Orlando, FL and stops in several major American cities through February 15th. See below for all current tour dates and make sure to get tickets now before there are none left! Additional dates are scheduled for announcement.
14-Jan Orlando, FL @ House of Blues
15-Jan Charlotte, NC @ Fillmore
17-Jan Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
18-Jan New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
19-Jan Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
21-Jan Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
22-Jan Boston, MA @ House of Blues
24-Jan Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
25-Jan Ft. Wayne, IN @ Piere's
26-Jan Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
28-Jan Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
31-Jan Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre
1-Feb Sioux Falls, SD @ The District
3-Feb Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
5-Feb West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
6-Feb Anaheim, CA @ House Of Blues
8-Feb Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
9-Feb Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
11-Feb El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls
13-Feb Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
14-Feb Houston, TX @ House of Blues
15-Feb San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
If you listened to the last couple podcasts, you know that we hit a big milestone: we have our first official sponsor for the show — Audible. As part of the sponsorship, Audible is offering one free book to each listener. If you’re a fan of Corey Taylor like I am, I suggest his two books which he narrates, Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven. As well as, Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s memoir) and Born Standing Up; Steve Martin’s autobiography about his comedy roots, which is also narrated by Steve himself.
There really is no “gotchya!” to this! It’s a 30-day free trial during which time you can find and download almost any audiobook of your choice for free. Even if you cancel your trial within the thirty days, you get to keep the audiobook. If you decide to support the podcast by taking advantage of the free download, definitely give these books a shot.
Rock 108 Amarillo is reporting that Stone Sour will be putting out a live DVD next year:
There will be a live DVD from the upcoming tour, Taylor notes, but he also has in mind two full-length feature films based on House of Gold and Bones which he hopes will have a unique visual style.
Corey Taylor’s new book, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven” comes out today. You can also get it for FREE as an audiobook on Audible.com read by Corey himself.
In this book, Corey Taylor undertakes something never before attempted in the history of rock superstardom: he takes you with him as he journeys undercover through various ghostbusting groups who do their best to gather information and evidence about the existence of spirits. Some are more credible than others, and, frankly, some are completely insane, but all are observed with appropriate seriousness as Taylor attempts to better understand some of the spooky things that have happened to him in his life, especially that night at the Cold House.
But that’s not all, folks. Taylor once again gives you a behind-the-scenes tour of his crazy life and the many beyond-the-grave events he’s encountered. (You’ll be shocked how often Slipknot has been invaded by the supernatural.) Taylor also touches on his religious background and how it led him to believe in much more than the Man in the Sky.
Drummers; they have the best view in the house and are the essential backbone of a band. Not to mention that drummers have to have the stamina of an Olympic athlete when playing live. As metal, hardcore, and other genres get faster, drummers are tasked with keeping a steady rhythm and flow. Now, the criteria we used may upset some people but it’s the only way to be fair.
1. Each drummer had to have both recorded AND performed live within the past five years.
2. We had to see them live (the only real way to decide to judge this)
10. Matt Nicholls (Bring Me The Horizon)
We’ll be the first to admit that BMTH were a shitty band for their first two albums (Okay, maybe just the first one). Aside from that, the band grew up (literally and musically) on their last two albums, “There Is A Hell…”, and “Sempiternal”. Matt’s drumming may not stand out when compared to the other drummers on this list, but it’s clear that the band is now making music that’s a clear departure from their beginnings.
9. Dan Searle (Architects UK)
Architects are a very underrated band; they have a huge following in their hometown of Europe but are just breaking through here in the US. Fans of mathcore will appreciate Dan’s drumming on their first two records. Their latest record, Daybreaker, sees a return to their technical roots on Hollow Crown.
8. Billy Rymer (The Dillinger Escape Plan)
Billy may have only joined TDEP four years ago but he’s definitely earned his place on this list. His playing includes plenty of polyrythmns and odd time signatures, which is the core of TDEP’s music which is ironic cause Billy played for a wide variety of bands including 311, Alien Ant Farm, and even Kelly Clarkson.
7. Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour)
Roy was the original drummer of Soufly and has played with Sepultura, and very briefly with Ozzy Osbourne. He joined Stone Sour in 2006 and has destroyed the kit since.
6. Ryan “Legs” Leger (Every Time I Die)
After losing their previous drummer due to “personal conflicts” Ryan auditioned for Every Time I Die and laid down some of their best drum work yet on their latest record, “Ex Lives”
5. Blake Richardson (Between the Buried and Me)
Blake used to play in the deathcore band, Glass Casket before joining BTBAM. Noted for his blast beats, odd timing, double bass drumming, and fill-heavy style, Richardson is considered a standout in his field.
4. Branden Morgan (Misery Signals)
Probably the most underrated drummer considering Misery Signals have been a huge influence for newer bands. Their debut record, Of Malice and the Magnum Heart is highly regarded as one of the best metalcore releases ever. Critics and bands have praised the band’s ability on the record in effortlessly blending melody and aggression.
3. Matt Halpern (Periphery)
When Matt isn’t drumming for Periphery, he’s running BandHappy which allows you to take lessons from your favorite musicians online and on-tour. His playing is more focused on the groove then how fast he can play a blast beat. The kit he plays is just what he needs and nothing more; perfect for playing ghost notes.
2. Matt Greiner (August Burns Red)
If want to hear a great drummer who can play fast and also write some jazz parts, Matt is your man. He not only has great complex timing in his hand movements but also uses double bass in an interesting way and really compliments the rest of the music.
1. Chris Adler (Lamb of God)
Little known fact: Chris played bass long before he decided to pick up the drumsticks. His playing style is known for his creative fills and precision double bass and for his often used heel-toe technique. You can tell what band you’re listening to just by hearing his drumming.
Hell or Highwater, a band featuring the drummer of Atreyu now on vocals, were up first. It was a bit weird seeing Brandon rocking a mic and not a drumset but he knew how to get the crowd going; maybe Alex gave him some tips. During one of the songs, Brandon came down in the crowd and walked around a few times, high fiving several fans and taking quick photo ops while singing. The band, in my opinion, is basically Atreyu minus screaming, in my opinion which isn’t a bad thing at all.
In This Moment, a melodic metal band from California took the stage soon after setting up with some bizarre stuff. Vocalist Maria Brink came out in a revealing which seems to be the norm for her stage performances. She opted to use a wireless headset rather than a mic and sat in the middle of the stage on her “throne" of sorts. Corey Taylor came out dressed in a tuxedo with a bunny mask on to help out Maria with one of the songs. This was my first time seeing the band, so I wasn’t too familiar with the band’s material, but it’s easy to see why they’re one of the biggest female-led metal bands.
Stone Sour have been around for a good while. A majority of the crowd was older, middle aged people; some of which included married couples. Of course, there was that one guy who brought his kids and was being overprotective when a mosh pit started around them; I guess that’s what they get for standing right up around the front. The opening riff of “Gone Sovereign" played over the PA shortly before the rest of the band came out and played the rest of the song under the stars before launching right into "Absolute Zero”. Some might argue that Stone Sour’s new material sounds like Slipknot (aside from the fact of them sharing the same vocalist) but the truth is, they’ve always been heavy.
The new song, “Do Me A Favor" from the band’s latest effort, House of Gold & Bones – Part 2 fit in perfect with their set. I only wish they had performed more songs from the album. The highlight of the night for the crowd was when Corey asked them to help sing their next which happned to be “Say You’ll Haunt Me”. Later in the set, Corey came out by himself with an electric played a cover of Alice In Chains’ “Nutshell" before transitioning into "Bother" and my personal favorite, "Through Glass”. Corey mentioned that his comic book, “House of Gold & Bones" has just come out and urged people to go to their local comic shop and pick it up. All in all, it was a great night with each band being a new experience for me; I suggest hitting up this tour if comes near your town!
House of Gold & Bones Part 1 is the first half of two-part concept album that singer Corey Taylor has engineered for Stone Sour’s latest release. Along with the concept coming in the form of two albums, there will also be visual representations. Taylor has teamed up with Dark Horse Comics to create a miniseries to go along with the albums. The first is said to be due out in April before the second album is released. With so much riding on one concept fans are eager to see how it all pans out and House of Gold & Bones Part 1 definitely does not disappoint.
What Taylor calls a “morality play,” the album tells the story of a man on a search to find himself and who he wants to be and all the obstacles he faces on this journey. The opening track, “Gone Sovereign,” sets the stage for where the man in question is at in his life. With the line “If only the contented will survive, is anybody here left alive?” the man’s condition is made obvious. This track starts off the album strong with thrashing guitars and powerful drumming to get your blood pumping. “Absolute Zero” carries the same ideas into the next track with Taylor’s vocals never faltering in intensity.
“RU486” is probably my favorite song from the album. Taylor’s vocals are the fiercest yet in this song as he commands, “Assume your nemesis, RU486.” RU-486 is actually a steroid used to terminate pregnancy and, I’m assuming, the subject of this particular track. The following track entitled “My Name is Allen” describes the title character’s schizophrenic-like internal conflict. The band has released visuals to go along with this song, including one for the “Allen” character and “The Human” that is mentioned in the song (“Why does it matter when The Human is gone?”). Things slow down a bit with the acoustic “Taciturn,” but that doesn’t last too long. The album ends on a strong note with “The Last of the Real” that paves the way for the second half of the story.
Not many bands would be able to pull off what Corey Taylor and company is attempting with this double concept album, but they does so flawlessly. This album secures a place for Stone Sour as a force to be reckoned with and not just a side project for Slipknot’s Corey Taylor and James Root. The growth of the band is evident with this album and I can’t wait to hear how this journey ends.
- Emily Bunn
