Published: September 30, 2026 · 1:42 AM EDT
The guitarist says Slipknot are experimenting with a more stripped-down, analog approach while admitting 2022’s ‘The End, So Far’ was “disjointed and a mess”
Slipknot guitarist Jim Root says the band’s next album is deliberately moving away from its past, warning fans not to expect another Iowa or another version of the group’s 1999 self-titled debut. Root shared new details about the record while responding to fans on social media as Slipknot continue working in the studio.
Root said avoiding repetition has become important to the band and acknowledged that the direction they are taking “is gonna hurt some feelings.” Rather than trying to recreate the sound that defined Slipknot’s earliest records, he said the musicians are experimenting with different approaches while attempting to preserve the uneasy atmosphere he remembers from those sessions. Loudwire
The recording process itself appears to be changing as well. Root said he and fellow guitarist Mick Thomson are trying to avoid excessive guitar layering, relying primarily on left and right rhythm tracks with selected additional guitars and solos instead of building densely overdubbed arrangements.
Producer Matt Wallace is overseeing the sessions. Root revealed that he evaluated 16 amplifiers before he and Wallace selected the one they considered the most aggressive and exciting rather than simply the technically best-sounding option. Slipknot have also been recording live on the studio floor with drummer Eloy Casagrande, an approach Root said the band had not used in a long time. Loudwire
Root summarized the philosophy behind the sessions by saying “Everything is analog and played.” The comment reinforces his stated desire for a more immediate recording process after feeling that some later Slipknot albums became too heavily layered and polished.
He was considerably less diplomatic when discussing The End, So Far. Root described Slipknot’s 2022 album as “disjointed and a mess,” while adding that good material still emerged from it. He attributed much of the difficult creative process to COVID-era conditions and circumstances surrounding the band at the time. Metal Anarchy
Read: Slipknot Announce 2027 '(sic)est Stadium Tour' With Bring Me the Horizon, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God and More
The forthcoming record will follow The End, So Far and will be Slipknot’s first full studio album featuring Casagrande on drums. Root previously confirmed that Wallace had been working with the band as material developed from dozens of arrangements and extended studio jams.
Slipknot recently released the standalone single “Arsenal,” but Root has already clarified that the track will not appear on the upcoming album and should not be treated as representative of the rest of the new material. No album title, complete tracklist or official release date has yet been announced. Loudwire
The studio work comes as Slipknot prepare for their newly announced 2027 Worldwide (sic)est Stadium Tour, which will take the band to Wembley Stadium before moving through North America and South America with guests including Bring Me the Horizon, Marilyn Manson, Lamb of God, Lorna Shore, Acid Bath and others. Rockum
Watch Slipknot’s official “Left Behind” music video from Iowa, one of the albums Jim Root says the band has no intention of recreating, below:
Written by Gino Alache – Music Journalist
IMAGE CREDIT: Jonathan Weiner.
