Slipknot will release their new album We Are Not Your Kind on August 9. Frontman Corey Taylor recently spoke to Zane Lowe of Apple Music's Beats 1 about the record and the band's history, and gives a pretty interesting take on Slipknot's discography. According to Taylor, We Are Not Your Kind is his favorite record since Vol. 3. Taylor says 2008's All Hope Is Gone and 2014's .5: The Gray Chapter were just struggles to get through for various reasons, of course including the passing of bassist Paul Gray in 2010 and the departure of drummer Joey Jordison in 2013.
Taylor said he doesn't outright dislike either of those records, and adds they definitely have some good songs on them.
It's one of those things where I was really, really proud of what we'd done. It'd been a long time since I'd felt that way. You know, like-Probably Volume Three, you know? I mean, All Hope Is Gone, we were just glad that we got the thing done, just because of all the turmoil that was going on with the band and stuff. Point Five it was like … It was kind of soul searching. It was bittersweet. It was like, okay, I guess this is … We can do it. Now let's see if that love and passion is still there. You know? With this album, we checked all the boxes. We were all hitting. I had a lot to say, and obviously you and I know.
You were one of the first people I talked to when I was kind of going through the issues that were going on in my life. It was so good to let that out and just to stop holding it back and really unleash. That's why it sounds so alive, basically. When we listened to it top to bottom, I was blown away. I was like, oh god. People aren't ready for this, man. It's really, really good. I mean, don't get me wrong. Those [last few] albums have great songs on them. But as far as a whole, it just didn't have that same vitality that the earlier stuff did. I feel like this one really captures what we've tried to do. This album musically, I could put between Volume Three and Iowa easily. But yet it can stand on its own. You know? It's another step in the chapter that we're trying to create, basically.
Taylor also addresses new percussionist Tortilla Man, named because his mask looks like he's wearing a tortilla on his face. Nobody knows the identity of tortilla man. Tortilla Man is an eternal, taco-related mystery.
You've got to wear the Tortilla on your face first of all, and the audience has to figure out who you are. Tortilla face. He's doing great. He's a great dude and is killing it, man. It's kind of cool. It's brought this whole new energy to everybody as well. So it's a lot of fun to watch him.
