Slipknot guitarist is "surprised" fans haven't identified their new member yet

The mystery over just who the new Slipknot member is continues, with the band themselves saying they’re baffled that it’s taking fans so long to crack the case.

Earlier this year, Slipknot found themselves going through a little bit of turmoil after it was revealed that longtime percussionist Chris Fehn was suing the band. Before long, they had issued a statement to acknowledge that Fehn was no longer part of the group, though this was disputed by lawyers.

Speculation soon turned to who would be taking Fehn’s place in the group, with original vocalist Anders Colsefini noting that he would not in fact be returning to the band.

However, while the band have since debuted their new member (who fans have taken to calling “Tortilla Man” on account of his new mask), followers of the nine have been furiously trying to pin down the identity of the new masked muso

While some dedicated fans over on Reddit thought they might have uncovered a picture of the new addition without his trademark mask, it seems that the ongoing mystery has come to the attention of Slipknot guitarist Jim Root, who says he’s “surprised” that the identity of Tortilla Man is yet to be revealed.

Check out Slipknot’s ‘Unsainted’:

Speaking to Rock Sound recently, Jim Root spoke at length about the new Slipknot record, before turning his attention to the band’s newest member, and the ongoing mystery that surrounds him.

“I’m actually surprised that nobody has sussed out who it is yet, but nobody has,” Root explained. “And in this day and age of social media, with phones and cameras everywhere, that’s kinda interesting.

“I’ve seen the Tortilla Guy hashtag when I’m going through my IG and all of that and I think it’s pretty funny. It’s weird because I’ve met this guy before, I know who he is, but he’s really kind of elusive, even around our camp.

“I’ve had some people tell me, ‘Don’t tell us who he is, we’re having fun trying to figure it out!’ So I’m gonna keep my mouth shut about all of that and see what happens.

“Eventually someday someone’s going to figure it out…”

While it appears that Jim Root is keeping his mouth shut for the time being, Aussie fans will get a chance to see Tortilla Man hit the skins later this year when Slipknot return to tour the country along with metal icons Metallica. Check out all the details below!