UPDATE: Without explanation, Slipknot have deleted their social posts announcing their split with Craig Jones. You can see a screenshot of the original post below. This is a developing story.
ORIGINAL STORY: Slipknot have parted ways with Craig Jones. The band's longtime sampler and keyboardist (the Nine's designated No. 5, and also known as 133) had been with the nu-metal titans since 1996, but in a very brief statement shared on their social media pages, the 'Knot revealed that they've split with Jones.
"To our fans, Slipknot have announced that we have parted ways with Craig Jones," the band wrote. "We wish Jones all the best for the future." See the full post below.
Instantly recognizable for his spiky, Pinhead-indebted mask, Jones had been a fixture in Slipknot for almost their entire career. He joined the band in 1996 initially as a guitarist, shortly after the 'Knot had recorded their scrappy demo album, Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat., with original vocalist Anders Colsefni.
From there, Jones — who earned the nickname "The Quiet One" for his near-total silence and reluctance to speak with the media — played on every single Slipknot release from their 1999 debut up through 2022's The End, So Far. At shows, he was always stationed menacingly behind his decks, nodding along intensely while his bandmates caused physical mayhem.
Other than founding percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan, Jones was the second-longest-running member of Slipknot, beating out guitarist Mick Thomson by just a few months. Thomson also joined in 1996, filling Jones' position on guitar so he could move over to sampling and keyboards.
Unsurprisingly, the notoriously private Jones hasn't commented on his departure, and Slipknot haven't revealed who, if anyone, will be taking his place in the band. However, Slipknot are still slated to perform tonight in Nickelsdorf, Austria, so we'll know soon enough how they chose to proceed onstage.
Notably, Clown is currently on an indefinite leave of absence from Slipknot's live shows while he's home supporting his wife through her illness. So two of the Nine's usual suspects won't be performing with them tonight.
