When life was loud

Nottingham Evening Post Friday 11th June 2004   The Slipknot boys were in a helpful mood. Not only did pint-sized drummer Joey Jordison help a desperate Metallica out by filing in for the hospitalised Lars Ulrich during part of their headline set, but he, along with 'Knot frontman Corey Taylor, were seen chatting to fans and signing autographs after their show-stealing Download debut.   Taylor was easy to spot without his mask, thanks to his freshly-dyed blue and red locks, as was Jordison, who looks exactly like the ghoulish Kabuki mask that he sports onstage.   But two other 'Knot boys, who have yet to be photographed without their masks, also milled around with their band buddies. They were chain-smoking "custom-percussionist" Chris Fehn and mental DJ Sid Wilson.   It was their tattoos that gave them away.... Link to original article (subscription required to view)

FontarGoth №8 August 2010 (Translated from Ukranian) The return of the Murderdolls in 2010 seemed risky even before the first listen. Over the course of seven years, the scene had shifted, the novelty of horror-punk had worn off, and the project itself had long existed more as a myth from the early 2000s than as a relevant band. "Women & Children Last" is an attempt to see whether that myth still holds up, without needing to account for the passage of time. The album sounds significantly heavier and tighter than "Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls". There is less of that loose, glam-punk abandon, and more direct, almost metal-like pressure. This is primarily to the credit of Joey Jordison: the drums here don’t just keep the rhythm—they form the aggressive framework of the record. The tempo is often mid-range or heavy—lacking the hurried pace typical of punk—with a strong emphasis on groove. The guitars sound dry and sharp—free of unnecessary grime, yet without...

Peterborough Evening Telegraph Friday, April 13th 2001 "I went over to Cambridge Corn Exchange on Tuesday night to play balloons with Muse, who played an absolutely blinding gig, although it did start rather spookily to resemble an episode of The Prisoner towards the end.   They played all their hits - yes surprisingly there are quite a few for a band who haven't really been around that long and some new tracks from their eagerly awaited forthcoming album, which is going to be a real treat of these were anything to go by." Note "The Prisoner" reference is interesting, as it would inspire 2002's Hullaballoo   Link to original article (subscription required to view)

Koox Magazine (Croatia) June 17th 2003 NOTE ABOUT THE INTERVIEW This (very) old interview with Joey Jordison (Murderdolls, Slipknot) and Wednesday 13 was originally intended for publication in 2003, in the third issue of KooX magazine. Since that publication has since ceased to exist, the interview remained unpublished until today.  With the passage of time, the conversation takes on added weight and documentary value, especially in light of the fact that Joey Jordison, the legendary Slipknot drummer, passed away on July 26, 2021.  The interview took place on June 17, 2003, at the stadium in Velika Gorica, ahead of a performance by the Murderdolls, who were then serving as the opening act for Iron Maiden on their *Give Me Ed... 'Til I'm Dead* tour. THE ARTICLE The Iron Maiden concert in Velika Gorica was, without a doubt, the heavy metal event of the decade in our country. The honor of opening the evening went to a fresh act from the American scene, the modern shock-rockers, M...

Lollapalooza/Q101.1 August 2007  Interviewer is Ryan Manno (Please note, there is a lot of background noise) RYAN: I am thrilled to be joined by Matt from Muse. Hello Matthew, how are you?  MATTHEW: Very good, yeah. A little bit jetlagged. You know, been on the road for a long time. Came from, uh...we just did a gig in uh Europe. Then we went to Japan, then we went to Korea, and then we went to Canada, in the last week or so... RYAN: You're kidding!? MATTHEW: That's why. Yeah.  RYAN: In one week?  MATTHEW: Yeah, so I got a kind of new, dimension of jetlag, which is pretty swimming, actually. It's like being on mushrooms or something, everything's a little bit like...you get trace images. I'm actually going with it and enjoying it. RYAN ( laughs ): That's funny. Now, this is a notion I don't think I've ever talked about with anyone, but that week sounds like it's a perfect conversation to lead in to this conversation. Do you believe that humans, or pe...

Yorkshire Post & Leeds Intelligencer  Friday 11th February 2000 Muse have a big moody sound, heavy swelling chords and the burden of being yet another band compared with Radiohead. But this lot are no tribute band and with the strength of songs so far, and particularly with their new single, Sunburn , should surpass all comparisons.  Leeds Duchess of York, Tuesday.  Link to original article (subscription required to view)

1st January 2022 WHEN SLIPKNOT came hurtling out of the cornfields of Iowa in the late 90s, spitting and snarling and huffing dead crows. nobody knew what the hell to make of them, mainly because there'd been nothing like them before. There was the blitzkrieg of noise they made, the lunatic-asylum-escapees image, the psychopathic live show that took sonic and physical violence to new levels, the ever growing following of "maggots" they drew in along the way.   Twenty-years on, and Slipknot have become the greatest metal band of the modern age. Their landmark debut album, released in the feverish summer of 1999, ushered in the new millennium six months early. Each subsequent release only strengthened their position at the top of the metal heap.   The volatility for which they became famous wasn't a pose - albums have been punctuated by bust ups and meltdowns. The death in 2010 of founding bassist Paul Gray was the kind of tragedy that no band should have to endure. Thr...