Well, the plot thickens on the Joey Jordison story that broke on Friday. Pulse of Radio reports Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor spoke about Slipknot’s shocking split with their drummer in a new interview on Friday (Dec 13th) with Minneapolis radio station 93X. Asked about parting with one of the band’s founding members and key songwriters, Taylor said, “Honestly, I can’t really talk about it right now. It’s still so fresh and there’s a lot of things going on behind the scenes that people don’t know about. So, legally and respectfully, I can’t say a lot about it . . . we’re trying to protect him, trying to protect us, just making sure that we do everything right, because that’s what we would expect from ourselves and that’s what we would expect from the fans.” Taylor admitted fans will want to know what happened with Jordison, saying, “It sucks for them and it sucks for us, because, I mean, we have always really prided ourselves on being able to come out and be honest with everybody. But there’s really nothing we can say right now.” Taylor added he and Stone Sour/Slipknot guitarist Jim Root are both writing music for Slipknot’s first album since 2008, saying, “The guys are actually together right now jamming and putting stuff together. It’s sounding really, really good. In light of yesterday’s news, I know it’s weird, but if anything positive can come out of this, it’s just that I hope the fans know that we’re really working towards putting out an album next year. So we’re deep in it right now.” Asked about making the first Slipknot album without two of the group’s key writers, Gray and Jordison, Taylor said, “Everybody’s kind of stepping up . . . without getting too much into the Joey situation, it really felt like everybody in the band was on the same page when it came to everything that was going on.” So now the question on the table is, “What the hell did he do to get fired?” In the past, Joey had some substance issues, to which he addressed. He also had a health issue, which attributed to his weight gain. When I saw him earlier this year as he came to the studio to talk about Scar The Martyr, his new band, he seems in great spirits and was a completely different Joey than the one I recall over the years-gaunt, aloof, and dark. Look, bands are like marriages. Sometimes it doesn’t work out. But it is truly sad to see this one go to pieces….This is also from Pulse of Radio. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich told BBC Radio One he’s nervous about letting fans select the band’s set list for each night on its European tour next summer. Ulrich, who usually writes the set list, explained, “It certainly gives me butterflies in the stomach in a good way and I think it should be a lot of fun for the fans. This at least puts a stop to the whining about the set list because it’s basically the fans that are picking it.” That’s funny coming from him since, if I’m not wrong, he selects the songs the bands usually plays each night. Our European readers will have to let us know if they are playing the requests!….Staind frontman Aaron Lewis has announced a new winter/spring 2014 leg of his current solo acoustic tour, which will find him playing songs from his 2012 country music debut, The Road, as well as other material. Lewis’ latest run of dates will kick off on Jan 18th in Quapaw, OK, with shows running all the way through April 26th in Montpelier, LA. Staind has been on hiatus since the end of last year. (Soundspike) ….Tool has booked some shows in Mexico for next March, with the band playing at Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes on March 18th and the Cumbre Tajin Festival in Papantia, Veracruz, Mexico on March 21st. Rumored gigs on March 16th in Monterey and March 23rd in Guadalajara are not yet confirmed. Meanwhile, Tool singer Maynard James Keenan‘s 50th birthday party, which will include performances from his other acts A Perfect Circle and Puscifer, has expanded into a two-night affair. The May 10th show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles has been joined by a second night on May 11th. (Loudwire)…The always unpredictable Guns N’ Roses have announced their first live date of 2014. The band will headline the Hell & Heaven Metal Festival in Feria De Texcoco, Mexico on Sunday, March 16th, topping a bill that will also include Rob Zombie, Lamb Of God, Kiss, Korn and others. Guns N’ Roses last live performances were a pair of club shows in Montreal and Toronto in July 2013. (HenneMusic)…Happy Birthday to my childhood pal Billy F. Gibbons of ZZ Top who turns 64 today!
