News of Joey Jordison’s departure as drummer from Slipknot was striking the Internet late last night, soon after the band released the following statement.
Now, 24 hours after the announcement, fans of the heavy metal rockers out of Iowa, are still seeking answers as to why?
The band’s announcement left much to be desired for details. The 38-year-old drummer, and co-song writer, has been with the band since their inception in 1995.
In August 2010 Jordison was voted the best drummer of the past 25 years by readers of Rhythm Magazine. He was selected over a field of drummesr that included Mike Portnoy, Neil Peart, Phil Collins, and Dave Grohl. Jordison was humbled in his response.
“I’m at a loss for words,” he had said. “This is beyond unbelievable. Something like this reminds me every day why I continue to do this.”
The band had promised to release more details at a later time. But, for now, fans are left to speculate as to the reason behind the split; not to mention what kind of future remains in store for the band.
Slipknot last released an album with All Hope Is Gone in 2008. Their last tour was the 2012 Knotfest, a two-day event that launched out of Iowa and finished in Wisconsin. It was intended to be an annual event, but no such show took place this past year.
In addition to announcing Jordison’s departure, Slipknot stated plans to release new material sometime in 2014.
i am. it is. you should be. never gets too loud but is bold in the direction of some songs and the ambitious length of the 11 tracks on the album showcase Colby’s range. “Two” starts the album with soft ’70s rock, ala Jim Croce and Don McLean, with a long and paced acoustic melody binding the music to the lyrics. A little country grit is exhibited on “Forget This”, but not too much; there’s even a hint of Bon Jovi in this track.
The music itself is not your typical, run of the mill jazz either. Instead, his early training in the classics bleeds through as he moves through classically swung eights and transitions cleanly into a haunting straight melody. Ever the modernist, the sweetness of the melodies never lasted long; it usually fell into discordant breaks while he plucked from within the Steinway to add to his, and its, already stunning sound. The evening opened with ‘Where’s Sly?’ blended with ‘Otis’ and had plenty of improvisation for all. With those two songs alone, Medeski played for nearly 45 minutes straight with only a handful of breaks through the entire two hours.
The first set consisted mostly of tunes from the Los Lobos early years. “Ay Te Dejo En San Antonio” from the EP …and a Time to Dance, “Will the Wolf Survive?” from How Will the Wolf Survive? and “Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)” off By the Light of the Moon were all hits for the band in between 1983-1987. Other highlights included “Little Things” and “Burn it Down”, which featured David Hidalgo performing a blistering accordion solo. Set one finished up with a more recent dance tune titled “Tin Can Trust”.