It may be “nothing” according to Slipknot, but the metal icons seem to be teasing something called the “Knotverse.”

The band shared an intriguing clip on Twitter and Instagram on Friday, April 8th, with the cryptic caption “probably nothing…” The clip shows the word “Knotfest” slowly glitch out to become “Knotverse.”

It was soundtracked by the sample that featured in Slipknot’s 1999 track ‘742617000027’: “The whole thing, I think it’s sick,” a woman can be heard saying (the sample comes from a 1973 documentary about Charles Manson) as her voice is eerily sped up and altered in pitch.

The social media post might have been dismissed, but on the same day virtual world platform Sandbox shared a strikingly similar clip on their own Twitter account with the same caption.

Does this mean a virtual version of Knotfest could be on the way? As per the official Sandbox website, it’s “a community-driven platform where creators can monetise voxel ASSETS and gaming experiences on the blockchain.”

The Sandbox has previously partnered with Snoop Dogg and Avenged Sevenfold, so Slipknot would be in good company if they do work alongside them.

Judging by the social media comments, fans aren’t that keen on Slipknot entering the metaverse. “Anything metaverse or NFT related is a hard nope,” wrote someone, with their comment being liked over 600 times. Another comment, “Please for the love of god don’t do NFTs,” also received over 400 likes.

On the opposite side, one user said, “Why wouldn’t they enter the NFT space? It’s the now, the next, the future. Imagine saying please don’t switch from cassette tapes to CD’s, or CD’s to MP3’s, or MP3’s to stream… Progress is a good thing. Don’t be afraid of the Blockchain it’s more $ beneficial than you realize.”

Slipknot are currently on their real life Knotfest Roadshow Tour around North America. The first leg of the 38-date tour started in Fargo, ND on Wednesday March 16th, visiting a further 17 cities before concluding in Vancouver, BC this week on Sunday, April 17th.

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