Clown: Slipknot Working on "God Music" and "Having a Blast" in L.A. | Revolver

Clown: Slipknot Working on "God Music" and "Having a Blast" in L.A.

Percussionist gives update on Iowa juggernaut's next album
Slipknot Clown 2020 Live Getty , Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images
Shawn "Clown" Crahan
photograph by Francesco Prandoni/Getty Images

Shawn "Clown" Crahan might be smoking on some of his new cannabis line, because the Slipknot percussionist was positively giddy while chatting about the Iowa band's new music. Speaking with Download Festival host, Kylie Olsson, in a brand new interview, Slipknot's #6 man offered up a wave of gushing praise for the "God music" he and his bandmates are currently working on in L.A.

"I'm not gonna talk about how many songs, because, honestly, I can't," Clown told Download. "But I can just tell you that I'm really happy, and the guys are really happy. [Corey] Taylor is on some level of singing that I've never heard from him, which makes me really emotional, because here we are, here we are twenty years into it and it's life, you know?"

He continued, "So, great music has been written, and because of that, my favorite singer on the planet has sang the songs. And this is the first time we can go into a studio with completed lyrics. When I say 'completed,' I mean written, recorded, but he's still gonna have his time in the studio to project what he wants to for each individual song. So they're as done as they can be until he comes in."

"So, we're in L.A.," he added. "That's about all I can say, and we're making God music, and we're having a blast. And it's just great to be around everybody, and everybody is in the best mood I've ever seen. And the last thing I'll say about it, is I feel like we've come full circle. I feel like I have all these memories of when we started. I feel like a kid again. It's a lot of fun right now." 

Later in the interview, Olsson asked if the new material they're working on is "slightly different sounding" than their last album, 2019's We Are Not Your Kind. "The music's always different," Clown replied. "I wanna make different paintings. I don't wanna create the same painting. Familiarity is good, but recreating the same thing is not, in our opinion. . .I think we're mastering it on this one." 

He continued, "So, is it different? They're all different. But they're Slipknot. . .We search our souls, so we believe that you're gonna love it, because we love it, I guess. So, it's different. But I'll tell you: I've never heard Corey Taylor like this right now — I just never heard him like this. I feel full circle."

Lastly, he concluded by reiterating how much fun he and his bandmates are having, and how it feels like he's rediscovering the simple thrills of making art. "I almost feel like we're giving homage to everything we grew up loving," he said. "I can hear so much of what I grew up, but it's my favorite singer singing."

He continued, "I feel like I'm a kid sneaking a beer at a KISS concert or something. I'm 14, 18, whatever. Let's not say sneaking. Let's say 21, and I go into a KISS concert at 21, and I'm having a beer. And I really feel like that right now. I'm having so much fun with the guys just creating. We're so chill and relaxed because we've learned so much."

Check out the full video below via YouTube.