Slipknot are facing backlash over their 2027 stadium tour lineup. Guitarist Jim Root has responded in an Instagram post. The band recently announced the tour with Marilyn Manson, Lorna Shore, Hatebreed and others. Root shared a studio video confirming that Slipknot are working on a new album.
Root’s caption explained what he’ll be doing in the studio for the rest of the year.
“Closer. This is where I’ll spend the rest of the year,” Root wrote. “With these amps and a few various guitars that I’ll put up later. This will also set a course for the new rack/rig that Brad Clifford will be subjected to! Because as you know by now… We’re about to get real busy.”
Some fans criticized the decision to tour with Manson. One commented: “Would’ve loved to see this but there’s literally nothing you could do to get my cash in Manson’s pockets.”
Another fan wrote to Root about the band’s creative process and the touring lineup. The fan said: “I feel like y’all have always done what you wanted to do, with the exception of TESF, because y’all have talked ad nauseum about that process. I’m just excited for you guys to do what YOU WANT to do again, without the label and corporate pressure. I think that’s the only way to appropriately compare the early records to now…you guys writing the music for yourselves and where you’re at in life. That said, Ngl, bummed about KKTX and Manson being anywhere near y’all, but understand it might not just be up to y’all. Thanks for your candor Jim, in your interactions and conversations with us as fans. Happy recording!”
Root first addressed the band’s relationship with its label and the making of “The End, So Far” (TESF).
“We’ve never had a A&R guy over our shoulders suggesting this or that,” Root said. “I did meet the head of Warner on a tour of the offices in NYC once. He brought up ‘bringing in outside writers’ and I just said… ‘No. That’s not what we do’ and that was the end of it. TESF was disjointed and a mess. Some good stuff came from it.”
He then described the challenges of making that album and his role in the band’s touring decisions.
“But overall Covid and the state of the world made that a very hard process for us. Among other circumstances,” Root continued. “I stay out of the logistics of touring and all that. I concentrate on writing and being a guitarist… so forgive my ignorance about who we do shows with.”
Root added that others handle those decisions. He also said he avoids current music trends.
“There are other people with much bigger brains than I that coordinate all that and I honestly don’t keep up with new bands or new music etc,” he said. “I’m stuck listening to the same music my parents listened to when I was forming myself as a little human. And I purposely don’t listen to or pay attention to what’s ‘trending’ or what’s happening at them moment as to not get influenced by anything.”
He ended his response by addressing the band’s fans.
“If one is a part of the family they will come along for the journey that started 26+ years ago… even before I was a part of the story,” Root said. “If not. Cya and with that said… I’m late for the studio. TTYL.”
Root’s comments came shortly after Slipknot announced the 2027 tour. The scale of that run and the reaction to its lineup help explain why his remarks drew so much attention.
The “(sic)est Stadium Tour” is the biggest run of Slipknot’s career. It opens July 3, 2027, at London’s Wembley Stadium. Marilyn Manson, Lorna Shore and Hatebreed will support the band on that date.
The tour then moves to North America with 13 dates. Stops include Citi Field in Queens on July 18, Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal on July 21, Rogers Stadium in Toronto on July 23 and Soldier Field in Chicago on July 25. The run closes Sept. 16 in Bogotá, Colombia. Manson and Hatebreed rejoin the bill for the South American shows.
Root’s studio update suggests the new album is still in an early phase. The band is focused on developing ideas rather than finishing a record. The album has no confirmed producer, label or release date yet.
Manson’s place on the bill has split fans. Thousands responded to the lineup announcement, and many called the booking “disappointing.” Some said they would skip the shows in protest over the sexual abuse allegations against Manson. Others defended the pairing and pointed to the crossover between the two fan bases.
One supporter described the two acts as having a “huge fanbase overlap.” Another called Manson a “perfect support act.”
