Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has spoken about the iconic Slipknot masks, explaining whether band members have ever regretted wearing them on two-hour shows, as well as revealing the origin of the idea.
During his recent chat on The Bertcast, a great singer and lyricist Corey Taylor spoke about the famous mask concept of the Iowa-based heavy metal band Slipknot. He remembered when he joined the band and said that the masks were already in place.
Taylor revealed the fact that it all came from the band’s co-founder, Clown, as he showed up one day to practice on his mask. Soon after, ex-drummer Joey Jordison got his white mask and then everyone started getting their own thing.
When the host asked if this band tradition had ever bothered any of the members, Corey admitted that it surely did, and they will probably all regret wearing a mask every night. Although they feel wearing a mask is a great idea when trying to put on makeup, they end up regretting it after two hours of pain on stage, Taylor said.
Here’s what Corey Taylor said when explaining the origin of the mask idea:
“When I joined the band, the masks were already in place. The mask idea came from Clown wearing his mask at practice. And this is all legend because this was obviously before I was in the band.
It all came from him showing up to practice one day, and just caveman the fuck out like on his drums and shit in his mask. And it just took him to this crazy place that he was feeling.
So then, according to legend – according to lore anyway – Joey got his white mask and started wearing that. And then, as time went on, everybody just started kind of getting their own thing.”
He continued:
“And it just happened organically, it wasn’t something that was really thought out, it was just something that people felt. And the masks changed over the years so much. Certain people’s masks changed dramatically even before we got signed. It was cool, it’s almost like trying to find yourself in that kind of state.
For me, the mask has always been a representation of the person inside me who needs this music. That’s the face of the guy inside me who wants to sing this shit, who wants to feel this shit, who’s got something to say. So it’s always been that physical representation.”
Taylor also revealed if they regret their masks as:
“I’m sure we all do, every night. We always do it – we were sitting down, some of us are putting makeup on underneath it, we just look at each other and we just go, ‘Let’s wear masks! It’s a great fucking idea! What the hell?!’
Every night you can set your watch to it, dude! We’re all sitting there getting ready and there’s that moment where you’re just like… *sighs* when you put it on. Because it’s two hours of just pain, it’s crazy.”