Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg recently opened up about his unexpected dismissal from the band nearly two and a half years ago. He revealed he was given no explanation for the decision in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Weinberg described the shocking phone call that ended his tenure with the metal band. He detailed how he learned of his firing and the confusion that followed.
“I woke up the morning after traveling home from our last show together, and I received a phone call from the band’s manager in which he informed me that the band had made a decision to not renew my contract at the end of the year,” Weinberg said. “I was shocked and full of questions. I was like, ‘Why? What happened?'”
The drummer explained that the dismissal came after a particularly difficult period for the band. He remained an outsider to the internal dynamics.
“It took place, to be quite honest, at the end of a year that was a very difficult year within the band,” he continued. “That might relate to some of those preexisting tensions before I arrived at the band, sort of coming back. But I’m left with no explanation, just that ‘It’s a creative decision and you’re no longer the drummer in Slipknot.’ And what he said from there was, ‘We would like to release a joint statement with you tomorrow. Take the rest of the day to think about it. I’ll be available to you for the rest of the day if you want to talk.'”
Weinberg described the emotional impact of the sudden news and how the band handled the announcement.
“My world just kind of bottomed out from under me,” he said. “This thing that I have been dedicated to with complete focus and drive and attention and love and holding on to a dream, despite the difficulties, despite all the things that happen with entering a volatile environment like that and a dark environment at that, to having nothing but questions. So I went on a walk with my wife to clear my head and process what had just happened. And then 20 minutes later, they posted their own statement online.”
The drummer expressed his ongoing confusion about the circumstances surrounding his departure.
“I mean, how would anybody feel about that? It perfectly encapsulates the confusion of that,” Weinberg concluded. “And like I said, it came after an extraordinarily tense year for the band, things that I could only see as an outsider in relationships that are 25 years deep. It came without an explanation, with no reason. It was confusing then. If I’m perfectly honest, it remains confusing.”
Weinberg’s dismissal from Slipknot represents the end of a significant chapter in both his career and the band’s history. It marks another major lineup change for the Iowa metal giants.
Blabbermouth reported that the split happened just two days after Weinberg played his final show with Slipknot on November 3, 2023, at the Hell & Heaven festival in Toluca, Mexico. The band announced his departure on November 5, 2023, through their official social media channels. They thanked him for his “dedication and passion over the past ten years” while emphasizing their intent to evolve as a group.
Weinberg had served as Slipknot’s drummer for over a decade. He joined the band in 2013 as a replacement for original drummer Joey Jordison. Modern Drummer noted that the band’s official statement acknowledged Weinberg “honored Joey’s parts and contributed to the last three albums,” recognizing his significant role in the band’s recent musical output.
In response to his dismissal, Weinberg posted his own statement on Instagram on November 11, 2023. He expressed his feelings about the sudden end to his tenure with the band. Lambgoat reported that he described himself as “heartbroken and blindsided” by the band’s decision, reflecting on his decade-long journey with the group.
In his recent interview, Weinberg also speculated about his role in the band’s internal conflicts, stating, “Maybe I became a scapegoat for certain things.” This comment suggests that his dismissal may have been connected to broader tensions within the band that predated his arrival. It highlights the complex dynamics that can exist within long-established musical groups.
