Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg has spoken about all of his new musical projects, and said that he is now able to pursue them after a period of not having the “legal ability” to work with other artists.
The drummer parted ways with the iconic metal band back in 2023, after they made a “creative decision” to go in a different direction. He joined in 2013, and said he was “heartbroken and blindsided” by the move at the time. He then revealed earlier this year that he thinks the decision “remains confusing”.
Since then, he has been a part of multiple other music projects, including joining Suicidal Tenencies, recording with Fuming Mouth, and joining forces with Canadian group Softcult for a new song ‘Drown Fountain’.
Weinberg has also launched his own new band Portraits of an Apparition, and started work on some solo material.
According to a new interview, however, much of this new music has been quietly in the works for years now, but only just getting released due to legal restrictions.
Speaking to Loyal to the Craft, he said the idea for his song with Softcult is something he had been “kicking around since 2013” and most of the other material is “stuff that I’ve been honing for years”.
Asked why it had taken so long for things to come together, the drummer alluded to restrictions he faced regarding working with other artists. “Without giving too much attention to any kind of one situation, not having the legal ability to play music with other people was definitely difficult because I look at music, at least the creation and sharing of it, it’s that twofold thing,” he said.
He didn’t clarify where the legal restrictions were coming from in the interview, but did say that while he knew he could collaborate “in private”, he was not legally allowed to release any of the music.
Of the emotional toll the move put on him, he shared: “Although I was super intensely focused on one aspect of my creative life and happy to do so, like a little part of my creative self, it was dying for sure because this is stuff that means a lot to me.”
“These are songs that, still even 13 years later after initially coming up with a song, I feel passionate to put the effort into getting it across the finish line and it is emotionally gratifying for me to put out there.
“I’ve always considered that a healthy thing, to be able to play and create with people of all sorts of disciplines, all sorts of backgrounds and that’s certainly what I’m leaning into.”
As for work on his debut solo album, last November, Weinberg shared the single ‘Sandstone’ featuring Deafheaven’s George Clarke. More recently, he released the song ‘Drone Operator’ featuring NOWHERE2RUN – a group featuring members of Code Orange.
Slipknot’s current drummer, Eloy Casagrande, revealed last autumn that the band were working on new music. “We are cooking,” he said. “Since I joined the band, we have been working on some new ideas. We keep exchanging guitar riffs, drum beats, so we are always doing something. We had also some jam sessions.”
The metal band have seemingly had another line-up change too, parting ways with keyboardist and DJ Sid Wilson earlier this month after nearly three decades together.
Despite Wilson recently introducing himself as a current member, the band officially confirmed news of the line-up change on Friday (August 14) following weeks of speculation about his status in the group. Their statement read: “Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Wilson was known as No. 0 and served as their keyboardist and turntablist, joining them in 1998, just before the Iowa-founded group had their mainstream breakthrough with their self-titled debut.
Other line-up changes include the band sharing in 2019 that they were parting ways with Chris Fehn – amid the longtime percussionist’s lawsuit against the band, after he alleged that he had not been properly paid for over 20 years of recording with them.
Craig Jones, who had joined them in 1996, also left the band in 2023.
