As Slipknot celebrate 25 years since their groundbreaking debut, Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan has been reflecting on how the band has evolved, admitting that the band is “different” these days.
In a recent chat with Metal Hammer, Crahan didn’t shy away from addressing the changes within Slipknot and the impact they’ve had on him.
“Brother, the band will never be like that again,” Crahan told journalist Paul Brannigan when reflecting on 1999, the year Slipknot released their debut album.
“I can’t tell you how close we were then: we’re not that close anymore. People are gone. Craig’s out. Chris is out, Joey’s out, Paul’s out. The band is different. But, back then, there was nine guys that wanted to be in the same place, and we made it work. And we wound up here, and here is wonderful.”.
Crahan also reflected on the absence of late Slipknot members Paul Gray and Joey Jordison as they marked the band’s debut anniversary.
“I’m doing these 25-year anniversary interviews, and not a lot of human beings are asking me about them,” he says. “You can’t talk about any of this without talking about them.”
He adds, “They’re greatly missed, and every day that I go through this 25-year anniversary, I miss them more, but also appreciate, love, and just acknowledge who they were to all this. It’s very important for me to say that, because these are two gentlemen that should be talking to you, and they can’t.”
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This evolution has been even more poignant for Crahan given his personal struggles. In 2019, he also endured the devastating loss of his daughter Gabrielle, who passed away at just 22.
Speaking about the impact of this tragedy, Crahan shared with Mosh Talks (via Ultimate Guitar), “When you have a loss like that, you can’t imagine the steps backward you take.”
“There’s nothing anybody in the world could ever teach me that would make that acceptable, ever!” he said. “You take a lot of steps backward and notice, ‘Wow, I’ve really lost something here.’”
Despite his personal and professional challenges, Crahan is looking forward. Earlier this year, he hinted at a return to the basics for Slipknot, celebrating their anniversary by focusing on their roots. “I’m ready to move on from what has been, and move onto a world that I know needs to be,” he told NME.
“We’re not sticking to our old two-year on, one-and-a-half-year off routine. We’re embracing a new way of being.”
