Slipknot’s Jim Root warns new album will 'hurt some feelings' as band push into experimental territory
Jim Root says Slipknot’s next album will be a major departure, warning fans it will “hurt some feelings” as the band experiment with new approaches.
Guitarist Jim Root has told fans to brace themselves for a very different kind of Slipknot record.
The musician has been responding to fans queries about their sound after fans were left divided over their recently released standalone song Arsenal, which Jim insisted was by no means an indicator of what's to come on the follow-up to 2022's The End, So Far.
Posting a video of his pedalboard on Monday (28.09.26), he wrote: “We’re about to get real busy.”
Replying to comments under the clip, Jim made it clear the band are deliberately shifting gears. “
He said: "[One] very important thing for us at this time is to not ‘repeat’ ourselves. It’s gonna hurt some feelings. We’re really experimenting with different approaches.”
He stressed that fans shouldn’t expect a sequel to Slipknot or Iowa.
He wrote: “We’ve been there.
“The vibe feels honest and true to me. It’s uneasy and reminds me of recording in the earlier days. I’m not saying that means it will translate to the type of music we’re creating or the sound/production of it. The early records had the vibe. You can’t miss that with Ross [Robinson].”
Jim also admitted some of Slipknot’s recent output has felt too polished.
He said: “Not necessarily the ‘best’ sounding one. The most exciting sounding… liveliest etc. We did track on the floor live with Eloy. We hadn’t done that in a long time for various reasons. Everything is analogue and played. All the pieces that need to be there are there.”
When one fan begged the band not to repeat The End, So Far, writing “Please don’t make another The End, So Far. We need this to be heavy and not Stone Sour,” he replied: “Agreed.”
He recently addressed the reaction to Arsenal, which split opinion online. He confirmed the track is not the lead single from the upcoming album: “No. This was just one that we could finish ‘sooner’ to get out there.”
Asked about negative comments, he fired back: “It depends on the commenter, really. I mean, what’s their band doing? And Arsenal was a tune we could quickly get out there while we work on the rest of the record. It’s not really representative of the other tunes.”
The band have brought in producer Matt Wallace, known for his work with Faith No More and Maroon 5.
Jim previously revealed they have around 50 arrangements in progress - though not all are complete.
As discussions continue around their next studio effort, Slipknot have just announced the (sic)est Stadium Tour.
With dates spanning the UK, Europe, North America and South America next summer, the trek opens on July 3, with a UK‑exclusive headline show at London’s Wembley Stadium, marking the start of a three‑continent run.
The announcement followed a week of fan speculation after cryptic red posters featuring Slipknot’s ‘S’ logo appeared in cities across the world, sparking rumours of a major reveal. The band confirmed the posters were teasing their biggest tour in years, complete with a new stage design and a career‑spanning setlist.
For the Wembley date, Slipknot will be joined by Marilyn Manson, Lorna Shore and Hatebreed. Manson and Hatebreed will also appear on the South American leg in September, while the North American stadium shows will see Bring Me The Horizon serve as direct support. Additional openers across the run include Acid Bath, Lamb of God, Motionless In White, Kublai Khan TX, Polyphia, Loathe and Vended.
Following the London opener, Slipknot head to the US for a string of stadium dates beginning July 16 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., with stops at Citi Field in New York, Soldier Field in Chicago, Fenway Park in Boston, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The tour then moves to South America for shows in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia.
Ahead of ticket sales, the band hosted special (sic)est Stadium Tour Launch Experiences at Wembley Stadium and SoFi Stadium this week, offering early access to tickets, exclusive merchandise and limited‑edition posters for the first 500 buyers.
Following today's pre-sale (29.09.26), the general on‑sale begins October 2 at 10am. Head to slipknot1.com for more information.
