There’s a moment when a band finds a creative spark and suddenly everything starts flowing. Slipknot appear to be right in the middle of that. You know the masks, the chaos and their intensity. It’s still there and guitarist Jim Root says the band’s current writing process feels different: more organic, more unpredictable, and filled with possibilities.
Speaking with Ben Giese on the Ride Bynd podcast, Root revealed Slipknot is working on new material with producer Matt Wallace, the acclaimed studio veteran known for his work with bands including Faith No More, Deftones and The Replacements.
“We’re working with Matt Wallace right now to write this stuff – and there’s times where we just kind of sit back, and we’re listening to what I just worked on, and I’m just like, ‘Wow, this is wild’,” Root said.
While he didn’t reveal exactly what the new music sounds like, Root suggested it’s pushing Slipknot into unexpected territory while still feeling connected to the band’s identity.
“It sounds like nothing I’ve ever heard before, yet there’s a familiarity to it that feels like I’ve been listening to it my whole life.”
He described the songs as “so organic,” adding, “It’s just Slipknot music.”
That creative process has already produced a massive amount of material. Root said the band currently has around 50 arrangements in various stages of development, created through jamming, recording ideas and slowly shaping them into complete songs.
“We have so, so, so, so much material – probably at least 50 arrangements. I’m not saying they’re all full songs, and they all need work.”
Root explained that Slipknot are approaching the writing process in a similar way to their 2019 album We Are Not Your Kind, where ideas are developed, set aside, revisited and allowed to evolve over time.
“We’re trying to leapfrog, go sort of back to the We Are Not Your Kind process where we start working on something, getting it to a level, shelving it, working on something else, coming back to it, going, ‘OK, now let’s take this to another level’.”
He compared the approach to filmmaking, where different pieces slowly come together until they reach a point where they feel complete.
Part of that renewed energy comes from new drummer Eloy Casagrande, who joined Slipknot in 2024. Root praised the drummer’s impact and said having him in the room has changed the way the band creates.
“It’s Slipknot, so we’re gonna have a sound, but at the same time, having Eloy in the band… Man, it’s such an honour to be able to jam with that guy.”
Instead of building songs alone on a computer, Root said the band has returned to a more traditional approach — setting up in a room and letting ideas happen naturally.
“The way we’re approaching this, which is similar to the way it was being approached in the beginning as, like, a garage band sort of vibe. Now we’re going to a church, we’re setting up Eloy, I’m setting up a guitar rig, and we’re just jamming for like two hours.”
During those sessions, Shawn “Clown” Crahan listens for moments that stand out, helping identify the pieces that could become intros, choruses, verses or bridges.
Slipknot have not released a new studio album since 2022’s The End, So Far, although the band has continued to hint that new music is coming. Clown previously said the current lineup has “something happening” creatively and that Slipknot could have “several albums” worth of ideas.
With Jim Root describing a process built on experimentation and dozens of ideas already in motion, Slipknot’s next chapter is starting to take shape.
Could Slipknot’s new era with Eloy Casagrande lead to one of the band’s most ambitious albums yet?
