Corey Taylor says Stone Sour’s split with Jim Root was the right thing for the band – and for Slipknot.
The frontman feels that dismissing the guitarist was the best way to ensure a future for both bands, even though it’s led to some “awkward” moments as the pair worked on Slipknot’s album .5: The Gray Chapter.
Root was fired from Stone Sour last year, although the move wasn’t made public for several months. He recently told TeamRock that, while he’d been surprised, the band had become like a “sinking ship.”
Now Taylor tells Loaded Radio: “With all due respect to Jim, I just want him to be happy – and for the longest time it seemed like he wasn’t. It made sense to do what we had to do to make sure that both bands could still exist.”
He admits: “It was awkward at first. But the more we’ve talked, hung out and seen the success of the album burgeon, that takes a lot of the pressure off. It’s helped him see it was the right decision – he just seems happier in Slipknot.”
Stone Sour are working on a covers record to be called Meanwhile In Burbank. Taylor reports: “We’re putting stuff together in our downtime and trying to have fun with it. It’s way on the backburner, but it’s cool – that means we can take our time.”
Slipknot, who headline the 2015 edition of Download, return to the UK next month with Korn and King 810.
Tour dates
Jan 14: Dublin 3 Arena
Jan 16: Sheffield Motorpoint Arena
Jan 18: Glasgow SSE Hydro
Jan 19: Newcastle Metro Radio Arena
Jan 20: Manchester Arena
Jan 22: Liverpool Echo Arena
Jan 23: London Wembley SSE Arena
Jan 24: Cardiff Motorpoint Arena
Jan 26: Nottingham Capital FM Arena
Jan 27: Birmingham Barclaycard Arena
