Slipknot’s Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan recently revealed how Lacuna Coil vocalist Cristina Scabbia’s romantic relationship with guitarist Jim Root led to her collaboration on the band’s new album, as reported by Rolling Stone.
Crahan explained the behind-the-scenes story of how Scabbia came to sing on two tracks from Slipknot’s ‘Look Outside Your Window’ album. He credited her relationship with Root, which lasted from 2004 to 2017.
“Jim and she were dating. She’s a talented artist, and she was up in the house,” Crahan said. “I had to go to Jim, like, ‘Hey, what do you think about getting Cristina on?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely.'”
The producer described his unique approach to working with Scabbia during the recording process.
“The first thing I did was make her write a poem, a letter of intent in Italian,” he continued. “I told her to make it about batteries that are dying that cannot be recharged. And she’s like, ‘OK.’ I have the piece of paper in Italian, and she did her best to read it to me, but I’ve never read it since then or memorized it. I just like to hear it the way it is. Jim and I were producing her, really making her get conviction. By the end, you could just feel it.”
Crahan also revealed how Scabbia surprised lead vocalist Corey Taylor during the recording session.
“Corey had already sung on the song. So he thinks she’s just doing the poem, but then she busts into that vocal, singing, going for it,” he said. “I just remember Corey going back a little bit and he goes, ‘OK.’ He loved it, but it really surprised him in a good way.”
The collaboration between Scabbia and Slipknot represents a unique intersection of two major metal acts. The recording sessions took place during a significant period in both artists’ careers.
Mabumbe reported that Scabbia appears on two specific tracks from the album: “The Chapel” and “Medicine for the Dead.” The ‘Look Outside Your Window’ project itself has an interesting history. The recording sessions began in the early 2000s but were delayed for nearly two decades due to the experimental nature of the material.
The relationship between Scabbia and Root was notably private throughout its duration. Metal Awards noted that Scabbia later reflected that she kept their 13-year romance private because she was afraid it would overshadow Lacuna Coil’s musical achievements. She expressed concerns that “the situation was becoming uncontrollable” and didn’t want her band’s work to be diminished by media focus on her personal life.
The couple’s relationship ended in 2017, the same year Scabbia faced additional personal challenges. Loudwire revealed that both of Scabbia’s parents passed away in 2017, making it a particularly difficult year for the Italian vocalist. Despite these personal hardships, she continued to maintain her professional commitments and musical career.
The timing of the ‘Look Outside Your Window’ release adds another layer to this story. The album finally saw the light of day decades after the initial recording sessions. The project showcases a different side of Slipknot’s creativity, with Scabbia’s contributions representing one of the most notable guest appearances on the experimental album.
