Former Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg recently revealed details about his audition process with the band. He shared that Joey Jordison’s departure was announced just one day after his first jam session with the group. Weinberg made these comments during an interview on the Garza Podcast.
The drummer described the secretive nature of his initial contact with the band and the timing of Jordison’s exit.
“It was the day after our first jam session together. The next day [Joey’s departure] was announced,” Weinberg said. “I got a phone call that was cryptic in nature, but obviously it was a big change. The stakes around that information [about Joey leaving] are high, so someone in my position receiving an invitation based on that change… there’s a lot of trust with no information.”
Weinberg further explained the mysterious circumstances surrounding his audition process.
“You have to be willing to jump down a rabbit hole where it’s like, ‘We can’t tell you what this is about but can you join us for a thing?’ That’s it: that’s all the information I had,” he continued.
The revelation provides new insight into the secretive nature of Slipknot’s drummer transition and the careful orchestration behind one of metal’s most significant lineup changes.
Metal Injection reported that Weinberg learned he was auditioning for Slipknot only 20 minutes before the session began. The audition took place in a Los Angeles studio in December 2013. He performed approximately 20 of the band’s songs without knowing their identity beforehand.
The timing of Weinberg’s recruitment proved crucial for Slipknot’s future. Kerrang noted that Weinberg officially joined the band in 2014 and made his debut on the single “The Negative One” from their album “.5: The Gray Chapter.” This marked a significant transition period for the band following Jordison’s departure.
Weinberg’s connection to Slipknot actually predates his membership in the band. Loudwire revealed that his ties to the group date back to when he was a young teenager. This connection largely developed through his father Max Weinberg of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. This early exposure to the band would later prove instrumental in his eventual recruitment.
The drummer’s integration into Slipknot represented more than just filling a vacant position. Kerrang documented that Weinberg acknowledged the pressure he faced upon joining the metal titans. He stated he “had a lot to prove to both himself and his new bandmates” during this critical period in the band’s history.
