Slipknot Confirm Plans for New Album Following U.S. Tour

In late August, Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan announced that the band would tour the U.S. in 2012, but the entire band has been noncommittal about whether or not they’ll ever release another studio album – until now.

In a new interview with British magazine Kerrang!, Crahan confirms that Slipknot will, indeed, record a follow-up to 2008’s ‘All Hope Is Gone,’ but he added that it won’t happen right away.

“There's plans [to make another record] but that's a way off,” Crahan said. “No one will push it, because it's going to be a big one. It'll be closer to 'Iowa', but it'll be sadder and crazier and really thought provoking, it could even be conceptual.”

Understandably, Crahan added, Slipknot are going to take their time with the project because they’re still dealing with the loss of bassist Paul Gray, who died May 24, 2010, in a hotel in Urbandale, Iowa.

“We're still taking some time to reflect on our brother [Gray],” Crahan says. “Everybody needs to be collecting thoughts so they can get it out and no-one has really had time to collect thoughts yet. But we're the f---ing 'Knot. And when we come out, you'll know your band is done.”

The U.S. Slipknot tour will launch in June 2012, Crahan tweeted in August. The band recently toured Europe, with original guitarist Donnie Steele filling in for Gray, and performed at the Rock in Rio Festival a few weeks ago. It is still unknown whether or not Steele will also play the U.S. dates.

Slipknot will release a 10th anniversary edition of 2001’s ‘Iowa’ on Nov. 1.