Corey Taylor Reveals Big Change to How Slipknot Will Tour

It was January 2024 when Corey Taylor called off his solo tour and the reasons behind doing so have led to a healthier approach in his touring - one that will also impact Slipknot - moving forward.

In a new interview with Alternative Press, Taylor reveals that he had hit "a real dark point" earlier this year and that he knew some changes needed to be made. At the time of his tour cancelation, Taylor issued a statement that read in part, "For the past several months my mental and physical health have been breaking down, and I reached a place that was unhealthy for my family and I."

"I know this decision will come as a shock to some and may be regarded as unpopular by others, but after taking a hard look at where I am and where I was going, I need to pull myself back and be home with my family."

A New Approach

Now, in Taylor's AP chat, the singer briefly reflects on where things were at earlier in the year and what he's doing to address that.

“I found that my pursuit of work and all things ego was killing me. And nearly killed me," says Taylor. "So I’ve reinvested my life to the point [where] I’m only going to work so much. I’ll never be gone from home for more than two-and-a-half weeks. I’m putting importance back on the things I really value. That is the greatest gift I could give myself and my family.”

It's a move similar to what Metallica started doing back in 2017. At the time, James Hetfield noted on The Nerdist podcast, ""My body has told me to tell these guys that 50 shows a year is kind of what we can do, so make the best of those. And I think we all kind of agree in that."

"Body, mind and spirit all need to kind of revitalize themselves at home and days off for voices — things like that," noted the singer.

Drummer Lars Ulrich also revealed on the Club Random podcast in 2023 that the breaks in scheduling also helped with his custody case and allowed him the time to be there more for his children as they were growing up.

The band has largely adhered to a schedule of playing two weeks at a time, then taking some time off since around 2017.

Corey Taylor's Mental + Physical Health

Not long after Corey Taylor called off his early 2024 solo tour, the singer posted a video addressing what was going on with him at the time.

"I, over the last year, have had a complete and utter breakdown of boundaries, mental health, ego, entitlement — the whole nine yards culminating in a very, very real, very near relapse," said Taylor. "I kinda don't recognize myself. So, again, I wanted to address this and just tell people that I needed time to reset. I need time to start working on my heart and mind and get straight."

A few months prior to Taylor's solo tour cancelation, the singer had stated in an interview with Rock Antenne, "I've already thought about, maybe I've got another five years left of physically touring like this. I try to take care of myself. I work out when I can. The travel out here [in Europe] is exhausting; the food is horrible; so it makes it hard to do that. But as long as I can keep at it, that's at least what I wanna do. So, yeah, it is what it is."

READ MORE: What Songs Were on Slipknot's Setlist in 1999?

Chatting with Rock Feed a few months later, "I have a lot of fucking miles on me — it's hard for me. People don't realize this but when I walk, I'm almost in constant pain." He added, ""It's the knees, it's my feet. I have a broken toe on this foot. I have gout across my feet. It gets up into my joints and shit. … It's tough. I'm not as nimble as I used to be. I'm not 35 anymore. It's hard. But there are ways to do shows that don't require being that crazy now."

Add in the fact that on top of the rigors and physicality of a Slipknot show, Taylor has also kept up a steady schedule of Stone Sour and more recently solo tours over the last few decades that have taken their toll.

Slipknot on Tour

With some time out of the spotlight, Taylor is back with Slipknot as they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled album. The tour kicked off in early August. The band has been strictly performing material from 1999 and prior, putting the focus on their breakout album.

After playing Rocklahoma on Sept. 1, the band plays dates through Sept. 18 in Dallas. The band then have some time off, though three festival appearances come during a period before they start up their next batch of shows in South America in late October.

See all the band's scheduled touring and get ticketing info through the Slipknot website.