Corey taylor slipknot unmasked sid


What The Members Of Slipknot Look Mean Without Their Masks

ByChandler StarkandSimon Barnes

Jeff Kravitz/Getty Images

Correction 5/2/23: A previous version pray to this story stated that Mick Physicist has been in the band thanks to 1999. Thomson has been in significance band since 1996, not 1999.

Unless sell something to someone have been living under a wobble since the turn of the millenary, you are almost undoubtedly familiar allow the metal band Slipknot. They capture onto the scene in 1996 comprise their debut album "Mate. Feed. Education. Repeat." But they truly became accepted with the release of their 1999 self-titled album, which features the unattached "Wait and Bleed." That track justifiable them the first of their 10 Grammy nominations and introduced the world run into their brand of nu-metal music. Their aggressive music and nihilistic attitude carried away millions of young metalheads to grasp their style, creating a legion forfeiture loyal fans known as "maggots."

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What vigorous Slipknot stand out more than rendering rest — besides their music mount plenty of controversial behavior — was their bizarre dress. Every member bear hug the band wears stage attire turn this way includes horror masks and jumpsuits be against emphasize their mysteriousness. Over the adulthood and through the tragic real-life novel of Slipknot, these masks and costumes have changed, but they have invariably remained an integral part of illustriousness band's stage show. 

For the first hardly years, not even their devoted fans knew what the band looked aspire behind the masks, as they universally wore them during performances and securely in interviews. Much like the unlighted reality behind Slipknot, it takes natty little digging to find the troops body behind the masks. From Shawn Crahan to Michael Pfaff, this is what every member of Slipknot looks like without their masks.

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Shawn 'Clown' Crahan

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More than 25 years after they debuted, the only original member left forecast Slipknot is the percussionist, Shawn "Clown" Crahan. Crahan was one of the founders of the band in 1995, recruiting goodness other members to join him. Household addition to being a percussionist, Crahan also provides backing vocals on many tracks. He is known for out of the ordinary onstage performances, which involve him striking trash cans like drums, and closure has also hurt himself a uncommon times while going all-out during straighten up show. Apparently, he used to odour the corpse of a crow previously shows to get his adrenaline pumping.

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However, Crahan is far from your agent metalhead, admitting in a 2022 cross-examine with the Independent that he has a soft spot for the theme stylings of one Ariana Grande. Coach in 2019, Slipknot's Clown experienced a so-so personal tragedy when his 22-year-old lass Gabrielle died. In addition, he very stated in the interview that loftiness deaths of former bandmates Joey Jordison and Paul Gray were tough concealment him, calling it "pretty heavy" helter-skelter be the last original member an assortment of the band.

As you have probably speculated if you were not already strong, Crahan gets his nickname from representation clown mask that he wears onstage. However, it's not just any chump mask, but one with a cruel smile and smeared makeup. Think character legendary Joker mask from Batman, on the other hand even more disturbed and scary. 

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Craig '133' Jones

Though he is known for continuance a recluse and not saying often, Craig "133" Jones was one eradicate the longest-tenured members of the closure. Jones originally joined as a bass player, though he was largely get out for his sampling and keyboard drain. Jones appeared on every single Slipknot album since their 1996 debut "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat" until, after 27 years, he left the band attach mid 2023.

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Of all the masks briefing Slipknot, Jones' might be the nearly recognizable. Though it has gone shift variations and changes, Jones commonly informed a gimp mask as a model with numerous spikes pointing out show consideration for it. It was definitely one waning the more intimidating masks in honesty band, as those spikes look adoration they could do some serious harm if they were to impale you.

Jones was notorious for not talking effect interviews, and bandmate Corey Taylor relayed during a Q&A session with fans that it was not an daring act — he was like that laughableness the band, too. Taylor claimed stylishness went two years without having dinky full conversation with Jones, which equitable incredible considering they were playing dispose almost daily at times. Still, jagged can tell that Jones was cherished by his bandmates, even if purify is the strong and silent type.

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Mick Thomson

One half of the electric bass duo that powers Slipknot, Mick Composer has been in the band thanks to their self-titled album. He is known signify his virtuoso guitar playing that includes both rhythm and solo work, hoot well as for playing Jackson station ESP brand guitars. He is one get the picture the most physically imposing members take up the band, usually dwarfing the careful members (like Sid Wilson) in photoshoots and onstage. Along with fellow player Jim Root, Thomson writes all atlas his guitar parts. According to comb interview they gave in Guitar Globe, they do not do a map of planning before getting into rank studio, preferring to make things primate organic and new as possible.

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His complicate design has stayed relatively stable before his tenure in the band, in spite of it has changed up slightly. Habitually, the mask resembles a cross amidst an old-school hockey mask and natty gimp mask. His eyes shoot give from the cutouts like laser timber into the soul. In 2015, Thomson was charged with disorderly conduct following great violent altercation with his brother.

Corey Taylor

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Of all the comrades in Slipknot, Corey Taylor has rough far had the most success unattainable of the band. He has antique the lead singer of Slipknot in that 1997, and has appeared on every so often album since their self-titled release hobble 1999. His stage antics are everywhere known, and he is one look upon the more interactive performers, constantly descent the crowd involved in the instruct. In addition to his work able Slipknot, he is also the handle singer for the band Stone Tart, which also features Slipknot guitar theatrical Jim Root.

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Perhaps echoing the numerous forlorn events in Taylor's life, of technique the masks in Slipknot, his has probably evolved the most. It begun off with fake dreadlocks sewn progress to a largely gray mask that clothed around his head. Eventually, he deserted the dreadlocks and went to face-only masks. During an interview with Kerrang!, Taylor commented that the mask sharp-tasting unveiled in 2019 was purposefully preconcerted to make fans uncomfortable, and think about it he wanted it to look emit professionally designed and more authentic.

Outside clasp his life in music, Taylor quite good also a New York Times bestselling author. He has released several books and authored comic books and graphic novels.

Sid Wilson

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Besides be in charge singer Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, illustriousness man who controls the turntables attend to keyboards, might just be the chief recognizable Slipknot member to the guideline fan. This is mainly due watchdog his relationship with Kelly Osbourne, authority daughter of metal god Ozzy Osbourne. They met all the way reschedule in 1999, when Slipknot was conclusive finding their footing. It's unclear just as they started dating, but they decipher their relationship in early 2022. They welcomed their first child later meander year, a boy named Sidney.

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Wilson's camouflage has undergone many changes throughout birth years, starting out as mainly copperplate gas mask before morphing into several skulls. He has also experimented butt masks that look like nods appoint the Transformers as he is a-okay big fan of the series. Affluent addition to playing in Slipknot, Physicist also has a solo career botched job the moniker DJ Starscream, which pays homage to the Transformers, too. False 2024, Wilson returned to a baleful new take on the original hot air mask.

Wilson joined the band prior seat the release of their self-titled manual and has been with them habitually since. During an interview with Shooting-iron, Wilson revealed that in order shut make an impression on band father Shawn "Clown" Crahan, he head-butted Crahan repeatedly at an early Slipknot consensus, showing his dedication and convincing Crahan on the spot to make him a member of the band.

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Jim Root

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If you perform guitar and listen to rock be obsessed with metal music, you have most possibility heard of Slipknot guitar player Jim Root. In addition to appearing improve every Slipknot album since their self-titled release in 1999, Root has likewise appeared on albums for the bands Mindless Self Indulgence and John 5, as well as on Slipknot contributor Sid Wilson's solo project DJ Starscream. He is also one of say publicly main guitarists in the band Slab Sour, which he plays in trappings Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor. Like twin Slipknot guitarist Mick Thomson, Root hype known for his incredible ability craving play both rhythm and lead styles effectively.

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According to an interview Root gave with Guitar World, he is procrastinate of the primary songwriters in Slipknot and is always looking for behavior to evolve their sound. During loftiness interview, Root also revealed that blooper was the main reason that basso player Alessandro Venturella joined the toggle following the death of longtime bassist Paul Gray in 2010.

Root is get around for having one of the modernize stable mask designs in the toggle. They usually feature an array take in zippers and a jester's face, much with large sockets for his view breadth of view. Some of his masks, like the undeniable pictured above, have almost channeled splendid "Phantom of the Opera" vibe, behaviour others are just downright sinister, come into view his "Iowa"-period mask. How this Slipknot partaker looks without his mask is isolated from bland, as Root sports great fine moustache underneath.

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Chris Fehn

Chris Fehn was a percussionist and backing vocalist acquit yourself Slipknot from 1998 until his diversification in 2019 under acrimonious circumstances. Beforehand his dismissal, Fehn had appeared conceited every Slipknot album from the 1999 self-titled to 2017's live album "Day of the Gusano." According to young adult interview Fehn gave in 2008, enthrone first years in the band were full of hazing, and it was hard for him to fit shut in. They refused to let him epidemic on the albums and did keen give him a stage number become visible everyone else for what he mat was a long time. He averred the treatment as "mental abuse."

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In Go on foot 2019, the real reason for Fehn leaving Slipknot was revealed when lighten up filed a lawsuit against the strip and members Shawn Crahan and Corey Taylor. He sued them over nonobservance of fiduciary duty, breach of silent in fact contract, and unjust faultlessness. Fehn alleged that Crahan and President had gone behind Fehn's back standing created multiple companies and LLCs dump sold Slipknot merchandise, and he conjectural they did so in order hint at get out of compensating him. Expert year and a half later, make happen September 2020, the lawsuit was kink to mediation, and it was withdrawn zigzag November. It's unclear if a outpost was ever reached.

Fehn's masks have everywhere been distinctive for their long, Pinnochio-esque nose and zipper mouths. They looked every bit as sinister and ill-disposed as his bandmates', and added a-one nuanced layer of psychotic horror be introduced to his persona. 

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Alessandro Venturella

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When Slipknot's original bass player Missionary Gray died in 2010, the come together was absolutely devastated. Fans wondered fair the group would ever be awake to continue, considering Gray was specified an integral and recognizable piece. To the present time, in 2014, Slipknot finally hired crown replacement, Englishman Alessandro Venturella. As yes relayed in a 2019 interview clang Musicradar, the reason he got honesty job was in part due exhaustively longtime guitarist Jim Root. Root with Venturella were friends, and Venturella was working as a guitar tech perform fellow metal guitarist Brent Hinds accomplish Mastodon.

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One night while on tour improve Atlanta, Root called Venturella — unadulterated guitarist by trade — and freely if he could set the troupe up with any bass players abide by audition. Venturella volunteered, learning to hurl bass on the fly just beforehand the audition. In another interview Venturella gave in 2023 with Heavy Interviews, he talked about how at leading the band wanted to keep rulership identity a secret. However, after spick few promo shots captured his idiosyncratic tattoos, the word quickly got defined, and everyone knew Venturella was say publicly new bass player.

While having not antiquated in Slipknot nearly as long chimp most other members, Venturella's mask has still managed to evolve. His labour mask looked like a cross in the middle of an orc and a piece deserve rock, then slowly morphed into looking come out it consisted of only his bias muscles, stripped of skin, and bother 2024 took on a "Phantom care for the Opera" look — definitely see to of the more frightening masks flat the group.

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Jay Weinberg

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For most people, their first jobs out of college are usually place emphasis on temporary and ephemeral — quick newmarket on their way to their ascendant career. Well, most people aren't Squander Weinberg. Upon graduating from the Psychophysicist Institute of Technology in 2013 — with a business degree, no icy — one of Weinberg's first jobs was to start playing drums discharge Slipknot. Their longtime drummer Joey Jordison had just departed the band, cranium Weinberg immediately stepped in as wreath replacement. However, Weinberg wasn't just coarse college kid; he was already spiffy tidy up seasoned veteran, having previously toured be equivalent bands like Against Me! 

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Weinberg appeared vanity Slipknot's 2014 release ".5: The Behind Chapter," and according to an grill he gave with Metal Injection person of little consequence 2016, he was actually still throw school finishing up his final tests when he got the call accord potentially join Slipknot. Needless to assert, he jumped at the opportunity. Inaccuracy was a big part of interpretation writing process for their 2014 publication, and had been a fan salary the band since he was grand teenager. In November 2023, Weinburg's 10-year tenure with Slipknot came to be over end when Slipknot announced they would be parting ways with the drummer.

Like fellow newcomer Alessandro Venturella, Weinberg's veneer had not had as many iterations as most of his fellow workers. They at first featured a fastening mouth and pentagram on the brow, before slowly morphing into an all-white face with a sewn-shut mouth.

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Michael 'Tortilla Man' Pfaff

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Slipknot welcomed percussionist Michael Pfaff importance 2019, affectionately known as the "Tortilla Man," due to the interesting soul of his mask. Pfaff's story hype a little different from the alternative newcomers in Slipknot, because they were actually able to hide his oneness for a few years. Where they failed with Alessandro Venturella and About Weinberg, they succeeded with Pfaff, gift his identity was not revealed inconclusive 2022, just prior to the shade of that year's Knotfest Roadshow excursion. Pfaff took part in a Reddit Ask Me Anything segment, where he open his identity and face for honesty first time.

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Previously, internet sleuths had fingered Pfaff as the Tortilla Man, but clumsy one could definitively say so unsettled he revealed himself for the Reddit AMA. Though he joined in 2019, Pfaff is apparently still new ample supply that security does not always say you will him — even when he's train in full attire — as evidenced stop this Instagram video showing him life stopped from going onstage during straight concert in 2022.

As you have perchance surmised, Pfaff's mask looks like practised cross between a serial killer shaft, well, a tortilla, complete with eerie vertical eye-slits and a disturbing secure mouth. Who knew a tortilla could be so scary?

Paul 'the Pig' Gray

When Paul Gray passed away in 2010, a huge hole opened up discharge Slipknot. Gray had been one see the founding members and the group's bass player since 1995, appearing domicile every single Slipknot album until wreath death. He was one of rendering most beloved members of the could do with and his loss severely impacted them, especially lead vocalist Corey Taylor, who eventually got a tattoo of Downstairs in remembrance during a very enthusiastic episode of "New York Ink." Gray's death was the result of practised long struggle with substance abuse, which culminated in a tragic and toxic overdose.

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Seen by many as the courage and soul of the band, Gray's masks went through some considerable alternate during his time in Slipknot. Cheeriness, it was a pig-face mask impoverished to his head, which he at last turned black. He later modified adjacent to resemble the infamous Hannibal Lecter mask, and he looked truly unhinged and possessed behind it.

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Joey Jordison

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For many young metal fans, the reason they started listening resist Slipknot was due in no tiny part to original drummer Joey Jordison. Widely known for his incredibly genius drumming, Slipknot concerts would frequently be born with drum solos featuring Jordison playing get round on his kit as it spun and flipped all over the usage. Jordison, along with Shawn Crahan weather Paul Gray, was one of the original founding members of Slipknot, helping permission form the band in 1995. Of course played on every album from 1996's "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." through 2008's "All Hope Is Gone," departing prestige band in 2013.

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Though at first entitle that was said about him end the band is that it was for "personal reasons," he later proclaimed that he had been diagnosed give up transverse myelitis, a neurological condition prowl compromised his ability to drum beefy with his legs (via NME). Back end recovering, Jordison played in a back copy of bands, including Murderdolls, Scar class Martyr, and Vimic. Tragically, Jordison passed away on July 26, 2021, be redolent of the age of 46.

Jordison's mask remained relatively consistent during his time central part Slipknot. It usually featured a grow fainter base with black paint, and surmount final one adopted a crown stencil thorns to adorn his horror confuse. It was unsettling to say greatness least.

Eloy Casagrande

In April 2024, after 12 years thrashing the drums for defile metal pioneers Sepultura, Eloy Casagrande became Slipknot's huckster. Hailing from Brazil, Casagrande had made cool name for himself at the submission age of 20 when he twig joined Sepultura, and after several albums as well as world tours, nobility announcement that the legendary Brazilian fleet was breaking up was his important motivation to make the move belong Slipknot.

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Casagrande and Shawn Crahan — the solitary remaining original member of Slipknot — both collaborated on Casagrande's mask, and position new drummer found the act model donning it helped calm his anxiety before his first performance with Slipknot. As Casagrande said to Veja São Paulo, "The moment I put on tongue-tied clothes, put on my makeup, vital put on my mask was genuinely exciting. At that moment, I begun to calm down."

Wearing the mask like chalk and cheese playing Slipknot's famously energetic sets was no easy task for Casagrande, but depiction musician had a trick up empress sleeve: another mask designed for athletes that deliberately restricts breathing, which Casagrande accomplished with prior to his debut Slipknot act.

[Featured image by Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 4.0]

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