Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor has broken his silence on the band’s surprise new track “Arsenal,” addressing fan reactions to the song. The track marks the band’s first new music in over three years and has sparked mixed reactions from fans since its release.
Taylor described the intense, high-energy nature of the track, comparing its shifting dynamics to a relentless assault on the listener.
“It pummels. I mean, it is absolutely a pummeling experience,” Corey Taylor said. “Like, it’s got these great moments of hyperactivity and then complete flex. Like, we’ve got everyone by the hair and we’re just going, Go! Go! You know?”
He went on to explain how the song fits into Slipknot’s broader musical identity while also pushing into new territory.
“We’re definitely exploring the realm that we’ve kind of been in for a long time and bringing in elements that we have never done before,” he continued.
Taylor also addressed the polarized fan response directly, predicting that listeners would initially doubt the track’s authenticity before coming around to it.
“People, when they hear it, they’re gonna be like, ‘There’s no way that’s Slipknot. There is no actual way that that is Slipknot,'” he said. “I’m here to tell you 100%, you damn right it is. Get ready for this.”
“Arsenal” arrives loaded with symbolic weight for the band, marking several firsts that add context to why fans have been so vocal about its unfamiliar sound.
The song is the first Slipknot release to feature drummer Eloy Casagrande, who joined the band in 2024 and makes an immediate impression behind the kit. It’s also the debut release under (sic)est Records, a new label imprint the band launched alongside the single. The release signals a shift toward greater creative independence after the band fulfilled their contractual obligations to their longtime label.
“Arsenal” lands as Slipknot’s first true new song since their 2022 album “The End, So Far.” It also marks the first release since the band parted ways with three longtime members: Craig Jones, Jay Weinberg, and Sid Wilson. The band unveiled a new eight-man publicity photo alongside the track, suggesting they may not be looking to replace Wilson’s position within the lineup.
The single arrived with an official music video directed by percussionist and co-founder M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan, starring actor Jackson White. No album title or release date has been announced. The band continues tracking material for what would be their eighth studio album.
For now, “Arsenal” stands alone as the clearest signal yet of where Slipknot is headed next, and Taylor’s comments suggest the band is fully aware of just how much this new chapter is dividing longtime listeners.
