Yes, it is extremely lucky to be doing what I'm doing, and I wouldn't change any of it for the world.
I was awkward in school. I didn't really fit in with any kind of crowd in school. I didn't have a lot of friends. But the friends I had were very close friends.
As a person, I think you're always kind of searching for something or going through a hardship, whether it's your parents splitting up or anything like that. I mean, my parents stuck together, for whatever reason, until I was about 23, and then they decided to call it quits.
For Slipknot, I'd say drumming is only 50 or 60 percent of the job. The rest of it is who you are and what your personality is.
I don't consciously think of any certain direction when I'm writing. I only try not to be repetitive or redundant.
I'm constantly writing, maybe a little more than other guys in the band. I find it a very therapeutic thing to do on the road, where you're estranged from your hobbies.
We're a unique band, so why have a generic producer lumping you in a box with other bands that sound the same?
I don't like to try to put, like, 'Let's do this type of record,' 'cause it never turns out that way anyways.
There's always something to rage about, right?
When we recorded 'Iowa,' we jammed, we went through the songs, we played as a band and we recorded as a band.
It's hard to chase a vibe and catch a vibe.
That's why I don't necessarily enjoy it when bands cover other songs. You'll never recreate what has been done, especially if it's something that's legendary and classic.
It became apparent to me near the end of the album cycle for 'House Of Gold & Bones' that it had basically run its course. But the band kept pushing for more dates, and I was just, like, 'It's time to stop!'
There is a solo on 'Spiders,' albeit a kind of a non-traditional solo, but that's what I love.
I was spreading myself too thin. That was making me unhappy and that, in turn, was making the rest of Stone Sour unhappy.
You can't evaluate your situation when you're in a band, not really.
I can't be on tour constantly if I really want to be creative.
It's the best thing, me leaving Stone Sour.
I like to improvise so much live because I get bored playing the same thing over again. It's like the kid at school that already knows all the answers so doodles all over the paper. I do that a lot live.
So many bands play to tracks - what's the point in coming to see them live if they're playing to a CD?
All my racks are the same between Slipknot and Stone Sour. The only thing I'll do is switch out pedals in the GCX system. But it's the same heads, same wireless, same GCX.
I don't seek out knowledge when it comes to guitar playing; I like to let it happen naturally.
My approach in 1999 was basically to play what I had, that was all I could do. At the time I was broke. I think I only had one guitar, a flametop green Jackson and I had these DC-10 Mesa Boogie heads. I think I had a cheap Shure wireless.
Every time we go into the studio and use a different engineer or producer I try to look, listen and learn their approach. That has helped with the gear I look for to use live and in the studio.
Every experience you have in life can be applied to different things.
As you're touring there are so many layers to a live show, it has always been important for me to have a guitar that I can use live and in the studio.
I don't like to really dive too deep into politics.
We're just kind of dark as humans, generally.
One of the downfalls of not being in Stone Sour was I sat at home for two and a half years, and I hadn't ever done that since we started touring in 1999. I was really nervous and freaked out.
You spend 20 years doing something and when you're not doing it, it's hard to figure out what it is you're made of. Am I the guitarist in Slipknot and that is it, or do I have more dimensions than that?
The future of Slipknot is always in doubt. I always prepare for each album as if it's gonna be the last.
With all the different guys in the band and all the different ideas of what's what, it's hard to get everybody on the same page sometimes. We are a very tight brotherhood, but we never know what we're going to do.
We're still evolving as a band. I think that's really important for a band to do, especially after being around for so many years.
Sometimes I can be a little bit I don't know, stubborn or something. Maybe to a fault.
A&E eggnog, there's nothing like it anywhere on Earth. It's the best liquid ever made.
There's a lot for us to achieve and a lot more music to explore. I'm not saying we want to start doing experimental prog or something, where it turns into elevator music after a few records, but I don't think we've even scratched the surface.
We do things the way we do them and we do them unashamedly. It's our art. If you don't like it, that's fine. You don't have to.
In my opinion, I would still like to go into a studio - because I love the environment of being in a studio - and record a great album beginning to end, but then maybe not release it as an album. Maybe put singles out there, put songs out there - either give some away or release some the traditional way.
The thing that scares me about the way the music industry has changed so much is that I'm afraid that the record, the album, will disappear, and it'll go back to the way it was in the '50s where everything is single-based.
I use Pro Tools version 9 LE at home and I take that on the road with me.
For one reason or another, a lot of guys wind up with a guitar that isn't really right for them.
Finding the right amp can be a process, especially when you're young and just starting out. When I was a kid, I had to rely on whatever I got for Christmas. Then my mom got me a Peavey VTM 120. I used that for a few years.
I'll admit that I don't have a lot of discipline when it comes to practicing. I'm not the type of guy who sits at home with a metronome and runs through scales and stuff like that. But I do go through phases when I'll be more diligent, and I notice that warming up and working on some patterns will make my playing cleaner.
It's easy to get a good amp that might not be the right amp for you. When you go to a music store, really turn the amps on and turn 'em up - hopefully they'll let you - and work through the sounds. This is an important decision, so take your time and be methodical.
I'm my own worst critic.
We considered all sorts of names - everything from Tarantula Bomb to Superego to Section 8. Some of them were already taken, and some of them were kind of campy sounding. So we just decided to stick with Stone Sour. After all, what's in a name?
When you've got a mask on, you're kind of invincible. It's almost like nobody can see you, and you can do what you want to do without consequences.