Slipknot’s Clown Credits Early Contributors, Admits Band ‘Not That Close Anymore’

Slipknot co-founder and percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan is reflecting on the band’s history in a new issue of Metal Hammer and he’s made sure to give credit where it is due, acknowledging the efforts of the band’s past members who are no longer with the group.

Given that the band are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled 1999 breakout album, this is a particularly reflective time for the musician who has been taking stock of how their career has played out so far.

Shawn Crahan’s Reflections on Early Slipknot

“Brother, the band will never be like that again,” stated Clown in reference to their 1999 era of the group. “I can’t tell you how close we were then: we’re not that close anymore. People are gone. Craig’s [Jones] out, Chris [Fehn] is out, Joey’s [Jordison] out, Paul’s [Gray] out. The band is different. But, back then, there was nine guys that wanted to be in the same place, and we made it work. And we wound up here, which is wonderful.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Clown turned his focus to two of the members who are no longer with the band – Joey Jordison and Paul Gray.

“I’m doing these 25-year anniversary interviews and not a lot of human beings are asking me about them,” said the percussionist, then stating, “You can’t talk about any of this without talking about them.”

“They’re greatly missed, and every day that I go through this 25-year anniversary, I miss them more, but also appreciate, love and just acknowledge who they were to all of this. It’s very important for me to say that because these are two gentlemen that should be talking to you and they can’t.”

Gray, the band’s bassist and one of their songwriters, died 14 years ago on May 24, 2010 at the age of 38. Jordison, the band’s drummer, passed away on July 26, 2021 at the age of 46.

The Contributions of Joey Jordison and Paul Gray

“Joey and Paul… Oh my God, they wrote this shit man. Number 1 and Number 2. The path changed for us after they passed, and we had to keep going, and take a new path, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t know where we came from, or ever forget what brought us here,” continued Crahan.

On Slipknot’s self-titled 1999 album, Jordison either wrote or co-wrote the lyrics for “Surfacing,” “Spit It Out,” “Prosthetics,” “Only One” and “Scissors.” Gray was credited on “Spit It Out” and “Only One.”

READ MORE: Slipknot’s Clown Addresses Whether Band Might Have Reunited With Joey Jordison

Jordison is also credited for lyrical contributions on “People = Shit,” “The Heretic Anthem,” “Sulfur,” “Psychosocial,” “Vendetta,” “Gehenna” and “All Hope Is Gone” off latter albums, while Gray received songwriting credits on “The Heretic Anthem,” ‘”Psychosocial,” “Gehenna” and “All Hope Is Gone.”

Slipknot In 2024

As stated, Slipknot have been celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1999 self-titled major label debut on tour, playing the album in full. The current North American leg is wrapping up this week with shows in Austin and Dallas, Texas, though Knotfest Iowa, Louder Than Life and the Aftershock Festival will keep them stateside into mid-October.

A South American run of dates begins in mid-October with Knotfest Brasil and continues through early November. Then it’s off to Europe and the U.K. for December dates to finish out the year. They’ve also announced a handful of European festivals for June 2025 as well.

See all Slipknot dates and get ticketing information through their website.