Ding! ding! ding! Trivium singer-guitarist Matt Heafy has entered the ring. The heavy metal juggernaut has weighed in on the current feud between Machine Gun Kelly and Slipknot.

Earlier this month, Machine Gun Kelly ignited a public beef between Slipknot after calling out the masked mavericks on stage during his set at Riot Fest in Chicago. “You all want to know what I’m happy that I’m not doing? Being 50 years old wearing a fucking weird mask on the fucking stage,” he said.

Inspired by Machine Gun Kelly’s wordplay, the Trivium frontman took a swing at the Tickets to My Downfall singer in a series of tweets, “I’d like to formally diss Machine Gun Kelly for ‘being 31 years old wearing a fucking 16 year old pop punk cosplay identity on a fucking stage,” he wrote.

“Squirt Gun Smelly,” he continued.

Machine Gun Kelly’s ire was initially sparked by a snide remark Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor made in interview with Cutter’s Rockcast back in February. During the interview, Taylor lamented the state of rock music, seemingly taking a stab at MGK’s genre-hopping.

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“I hate all new rock for the most part. Well, the ‘artists’ who failed in one genre and decided to go rock — I think he knows who he is. But that’s another story.”

In the following days, it was revealed that the tension between the two artists stems from a failed collaboration on MGK’s 2020 album, Tickets to My Downfall.

“Corey did a verse for a song on Tickets To My Downfall album, it was fucking terrible, so I didn’t use it,” MGK wrote on Twitter. “He got mad about it, and talked shit to a magazine about the same album he was almost on. Y’alls stories are all off. Just admit he’s bitter.”

Corey Taylor shot down Machine Gun Kelly’s claims that he delivered a “terrible verse” with a definitive KO: screenshots from an email correspondence with album producer Travis Barker. The exchange saw Barker pass along notes from Machine Gun Kelly praising Taylor’s contribution, whilst offering feedback on how he thought Taylor should deliver his performance.

“I don’t like people airing private shit like a child. So this is all I’ll say: I didn’t do the track because I don’t like when people try to ‘write’ for me. I said no to them,” he wrote. “So without further ado…. #receipts. This is all I’m going to say about it.”

Taylor admitted that following MGK’s feedback, he felt like he was not “the right guy for the track,” he said.

“Nothing personal, I just think if this is what MGK is looking for, someone else is the guy to do it. It’s all good and I’m stoked for him — I hope you guys find the right fit for it. Hope you understand and I wish you guys the best with it. If I can help in any way, let me know.”

In a follow-up tweet, Heafy delved deeper into his take on Machine Gun Kelly, labeling him a “clout chaser.”

“I never thought about him till he took a shot at Slipknot — who are a band who’s paved the way for bands like mine. Thousands of bands like mine. Squirt Gun is a clout chaser,” the Trivium rocker wrote. “And even though it’s all a PR stunt, a shot at Slipknot needs an addressing.”

In the following hours, Heafy tweeted a satirical apology, “I’d like to publicly apologize for my tasteless comments about MGK. I just found out he’s been afflicted by the Ligma variant. It’s really getting real out there. Thoughts and prayers homie.”

For those that don’t know, “Ligma” is a fake disease and internet hoax claimed to have killed popular Fortnite video game streamer Ninja. Ligma balls, etc.

Machine Gun Kelly was rumored to have died from that very disease back in 2018, during his feud with Eminem.

Trivium are currently in the midst of the ‘Metal Tour of the Year’ alongside co-headliners Megadeth and Lamb of God and special guest Hatebreed.

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