List of Slipknot band members
| Slipknot | |
|---|---|
 Slipknot performing at 2008's Mayhem Festival. |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Genres | Heavy metal, alternative metal, nu metal |
| Years active | 1995- 2010 (on hiatus until 2012) |
| Members | |
| Corey Taylor Mick Thomson Jim Root Joey Jordison Shawn "Clown" Crahan Chris Fehn Craig "133" Jones Sid Wilson |
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| Past members | |
| Donnie Steele Anders Colsefni Greg Welts Josh "Gnar" Brainard Paul Gray) |
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Slipknot is a heavy metal band formed by vocalist and percussionist Anders Colsefni, guitarists Donnie Steele and Josh "Gnar" Brainard, bassist Paul Gray, drummer Joey Jordison and percussionist Shawn Crahan, in Des Moines, Iowa.[1] Since its inception in 1995, the band has gone through multiple line-up changes, all occurring before the release of their debut album Slipknot, in 1999. The band is known for its large line-up, which consists of nine members; including a vocalist, two guitarists, a bassist, two percussionists in addition to a primary drummer, a sampler, and a turntablist.[2]
In 1996, during the mixing stage of the band's demo album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., Slipknot saw its first line-up change when guitarist Donnie Steele left the band and was replaced by Craig Jones. Shortly after, drummer Jordison suggested they would need a full-time sampler and Jones fit the position as "he liked doing that anyway."[3] Mick Thomson was brought in to fill the open position on guitar. After the release of Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. the band were working on new material which required more vocal melody and vocalist Colsefni struggled with this.[4] In 1997, Corey Taylor was recruited from local band Stone Sour and after practicing with Slipknot "everything just clicked."[5] As a result of this Colsefni was moved to backing vocals and percussion. However, Colsefni became unhappy with his new role and left the band a month later.[6]
Wanting to retain their percussive edge, Greg Welts joined the band as Colsefni's replacement. Towards the end of 1997, each band member chose an individual number as their alias.[7] In 1998, Welts became the only member who has been asked to leave the band and he was replaced by Chris Fehn. Slipknot's members considered including a DJ in their line-up, but had difficulty finding one because "the people [they] knew who were DJs all sucked!"[8] Sid Wilson approached the band after seeing them live. He proceeded to impress the band with his ability and his antics; Wilson was considered "Slipknot material" and his hiring brought the band's line-up to nine members.[9] The final change in the band's line-up came at the latter stages of the recording process of the band's debut album, Slipknot, in 1999. While the band took a break from recording the album, Brainard decided to leave the band and was replaced by Jim Root.
This lineup remained unchanged until May 2010, when bassist Paul Gray was discovered dead in his hotel room. On June 21, the cause of death was confirmed as an accidental overdose on morphine and fentanyl, a synthetic morphine substitute.[10]
Contents |
Current members
- Sid Wilson (#0)
- Active: 1998–present
- Instruments: turntables, keyboard
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot demo (1998) to present
- The band were interested in adding a DJ to their line-up but were reluctant because they didn't know any that they considered good enough. After seeing the band live, Sid Wilson proclaims "I knew I was born to be in this band."[9] Wilson contacted the band to show his interest in joining the band. After attending rehearsals and an incident before a show in which he head-butted all the band members he was considered "Slipknot material" and has remained in the line-up since.[9]
- Joey Jordison (#1)
- Active: 1995–present
- Instruments: drums
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases
- Joey Jordison was a member of the original band formed in 1995.[1]
- Chris Fehn (#3)
- Active: 1998–present
- Instruments: custom percussion, backing vocals
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot (1999) to present
- Following the departure of Greg Welts, Chris Fehn was brought in to fill the position left on percussion and backing vocals.[11] Previously Fehn had asked the band if he could roadie for the band, reportedly Fehn's initiation was said to have resembled the vetting process from the film Fight Club. However after a month of "[seeing] if he would fit into Slipknot", Fehn joined and has remained in the line-up since.[12]
- James Root (#4)
- Active: 1999–present
- Instruments: guitar
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot (1999) to present
- Jim Root joined the band in 1999 towards the end of the recording process of Slipknot. He was brought in as a guitarist following Josh Brainard's departure and is the last member of the band's current line-up to have joined.[13]
- Craig Jones (#5)
- Active: 1996–present
- Instruments: samples, media, guitars, keyboard
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot demo (1998) to present
- Craig Jones was first brought in to the band to fill the spot on guitar after Donnie Steele's departure.[14] It occurred to Joey Jordison that they were incorporating an increasing amount of samples in their recordings and couldn't produce them live, as a result Jones moved to full-time sampler.[3]
- Shawn Crahan (#6)
- Active: 1995–present
- Instruments: custom percussion, backing vocals
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases
- Shawn Crahan was a member of the original band formed in 1995 and was initially the sole drummer for a short period of time.[1]
- Mick Thomson (#7)
- Active: 1996–present
- Instruments: guitar
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot demo (1998) to present
- Shortly after Craig Jones entered the band as a guitarist it was decided that he would move to samples, Thomson was brought in to fill the position on guitar and has remained in the line-up since.[3]
- Corey Taylor (#8)
- Active: 1997–present
- Instruments: lead vocals
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases from Slipknot demo (1998) to present
- Corey Taylor was recruited from fellow local band Stone Sour in 1997; Slipknot's music required more melodic singing which vocalist Anders Colsefni struggled to accomplish. The initial idea was to have the vocalists share duties, however it was decided that Taylor would take over the majority of the vocals and Colsefni was moved to backing vocals.[15]
 Vocalist Corey Taylor |
 Guitarist Mick Thomson |
 Guitarist Jim Root |
 Drummer Joey Jordison |
 Percussionist Shawn Crahan |
 Percussionist Chris Fehn |
 Sampler Craig Jones |
 DJ Sid Wilson |
The members of Slipknot performing on the Mayhem festival in 2008
Former members
- Paul Gray (#2)
- Active: 1995–2010
- Instruments: bass, backing vocals
- Release contributions: all Slipknot releases
- Paul Gray was a member of the original band formed in 1995.[1] He was with the band until his death on May 24, 2010 at the age of 38.
- Donnie Steele
- Active: 1995–1996
- Instruments: guitar
- Release contributions: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. (1996)
- Donnie Steele was a member of the original band formed in 1995.[1] In February 1996, during the mixing process of Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., Steele decided to leave the band. Steele was a "devout Christian" and realized that the band was no longer a project he could be a part of.[14]
- Anders Colsefni
- Active: 1995–1997
- Instruments: lead vocals, custom percussion, backing vocals
- Release contributions: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. (1996)
- Anders Colsefni was a member of the original band formed in 1995.[1] In 1997, Corey Taylor joined the band to share the lead vocalist position. However it was decided that Taylor would replace Colsefni and he was subsequently moved to backing vocals.[15] Colsefni was unhappy with his new role in the group, and left shortly thereafter to revive the band Painface. His last name is often mistakenly spelled with an extra "i" as in "Colsefini", when it is actually "Colsefni".[6]
- Greg Welts
- Active: 1997–1998
- Instruments: custom percussion, backing vocals
- Release contributions: Slipknot demo (1998)
- After the departure of Colsefni, Greg Welts was recruited to fill the spot left on percussion and backing vocals.[16] In 1998, prior to the band signing with Roadrunner Records, Welts was asked to leave the band becoming the only band member to be ultimately fired from the band.[17]
- Josh Brainard (#4)
- Active: 1995–1999
- Instruments: guitar
- Release contributions: Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. (1996) Slipknot demo (1998), Slipknot (1999)
- Josh Brainard was a member of the original band formed in 1995.[1] Brainard left the band during the recording stages of Slipknot in 1999. The reasons for his departure are unclear, it was widely thought to have been because of family constraints however Brainard dispels these rumours, explaining that; "some decisions were made that I wasn't particularly happy with."[13]
Timeline
References
- Arnopp, Jason (2001). Slipknot: Inside the Sickness, Behind the Masks. Ebury. ISBN 0091879337
- McIver, Joel (2003). Slipknot: Unmasked (Again). Omnibus. ISBN 0711997640.
- Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Arnopp 2001, p. 40–42
- ↑ "Allmusic Slipknot biography". Allmusic. http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dxfoxql5ldae~T1. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Arnopp 2001, p. 57
- ↑ Arnopp 2001, p. 70
- ↑ Arnopp 2001, p. 74
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 McIver 2003, p. 44–45
- ↑ Arnopp 2001, pp. 80–81
- ↑ McIver 2003, p. 50
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Arnopp 2001, p. 91–93
- ↑ Goldsmith, Belinda (2010-06-22). "Slipknot Bassist Died of 'Accidental' Overdose". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/news/slipknot-bassist-died-of-accidental-overdose-1004099551.story#/news/slipknot-bassist-died-of-accidental-overdose-1004099551.story. Retrieved 2010-06-22.
- ↑ McIver 2003, p. 57
- ↑ Arnopp 2001, p. 78–79
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 McIver 2003, p. 61–63
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Arnopp 2001, p. 50–51
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 McIver 2003, p. 41–42
- ↑ McIver 2003, p. 47
- ↑ McIver 2003, p. 54
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