Slipknot Lineup Changes: A Complete Guide

Slipknot’s 2019 single “All Out Life” could easily be a motto for the attitude behind the nine-man energy bomb through most of the years since they formed in 1995.

The story features decades of extreme music and dramatic stage shows, with each incarnation seemingly more ferocious than the one before it. The band has released five albums and reached platinum sales with its second, 2001’s Iowa.

With all that energy there's bound to be accidents -- like frontman Corey Taylor’s broken neck, percussionist Shawn "Crown" Crahan’s split-open head, ex-drummer Joey Jordison’s broken ankle, guitarist Mick Thomson’s sliced hand and DJ Sid Wilson’s broken heels ... all sustained during live performances.

And with all that attitude there's bound to be personal clashes leading to lineup changes. Slipknot have had their share, including the acrimonious departure of percussionist Chris Fehn in 2019. Seeing that the lineup has included nine people for the majority of the band’s career, the total number of changes doesn’t seem that unreasonable.

After the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010, Taylor outlined his feelings toward replacing members. “It’s always gonna be different and nothing's ever gonna be the same," he said. "But all we can do is what we do. The way I've had to look at it is that not every great football team stays together and not every great band can keep doing it with the same people.”

He noted that he has to "look at it as, 'One of our most important pieces is gone — how do we make up for that?' So it's basically us pooling our talents to fill in this vacuum that has been left.”