Slipknot‘s percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan recently spoke with NME amid the band’s European/UK touring this month. In that discussion, Crahan seemed more confident than ever about the band’s long-shelved “Look Outside Your Window” album finally meeting a release in 2025.
That notoriously delayed effort was tracked during the recording sessions for Slipknot‘s platinum-certified fourth studio album, “All Hope Is Gone” back in 2008. Described as an experimental effort with a ‘Radiohead‘ vibe, it also isn’t expected to serve as a canonical Slipknot release.
Instead, Clown and the band’s vocalist Corey Taylor, guitarist Jim Root and turntablist Sid Wilson splintered off to create the album together as a side project of sorts to entertain themselves while the rest of the band tracked their parts for “All Hope Is Gone“.
When pointed out by NME that Clown previously stated that the album would arrive in 2024, after several other missed released windows, Clown newly offered:
“I did say it was going to be in 2024, and I gave it the best fight that I could to make it this year. What I can tell you is that I showed Corey the final artwork two days ago. It is happening, but unfortunately, because of Christmas and New Year and the way business works, I can’t slide it in this year. But you have my word, it’s out of my hands now. It’s being moved on, the money has been spent and there is a plan. The management has it and it is coming out.
I’m really pleased about it and happy to finally be rid of it! What’s nice though is that it isn’t a hype thing, it’s just something we did while we were doing other Slipknot albums. It was a very honest action to make music that wasn’t Slipknot, but utilized the skills of guys with no rules. I don’t know if it’s ‘good’, but I know that I love it. I make music for myself, but I hope that the people who waited and waited and waited think it was worth it too.”
New output from the group has also been a going concern, but it seems writing is still in the early stages. While the masked metal outfit have teased at least one new song with their latest lineup, which most recently saw the addition of drummer Eloy Casagrande, it doesn’t appear there’s too much assembled otherwise. Clown stated of that:
“Eloy is in the band and there’s something happening between the nine of us right now that is very fun. A lot is floating around and we probably have several albums in us right now. As for how things feel, I’m being completely honest with you now, it’s like a cloud has left. Whatever that cloud was… everybody participates to the cloud. It’s looking great.”
He later added:
“You’ve gotta realize, we’ve been on tour for a while and we’re slowly winding down from the long runs. We have some shows next year, then it’s back to healing ourselves from all the work we’ve done and drawing up the next material. Corey already has ideas and is writing lyrics that he sends over. It doesn’t mean it’s set in stone and it doesn’t mean it’s done by any means. We don’t know where any of these directions are headed right now, but I do know that there will be a lot [of ideas] brought to the table at the start of every day.
It feels reminiscent of how it all started in the first place. It’s better than I could ever want and I think everyone would say it feels like a good time. It’s fun, like how it was when we were younger and writing music for ourselves. It’s all thumbs up.”
A bit further into the discussion he also mentioned that some surprises may still make their way out in the not too distant future. Speaking of what Slipknot have planned in the new year and beyond, he teased:
“I think the future is very bright. In the past, I’ve been anxious for the future, but now I’m content. I’m fine with just letting everything unravel and then winding it up to see where it goes. We got some surprises for people that I can’t talk about now too. There are always some things you’re not going to know about, and then, all of a sudden, you wake up and you’re on your way to work: BANG! There’s Slipknot.”
