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JOEY JORDISON's estate settles lawsuit against SLIPKNOT

26-09-2024

Joey Jordison‘s estate has settled a lawsuit it filed against SLIPKNOT.

Attorneys for Steamroller, LLC, the successor in interest of Jordison, filed a notice of unconditional settlement on September 17 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, and a request for dismissal was filed the same day, according to documents obtained by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Terms of the settlement were not released.

Jordison‘s estate filed the lawsuit in June 2023, accusing SLIPKNOT of profiting off his death after “abruptly” kicking the drummer out of the group by e-mail more than a decade ago. Joey‘s estate also claimed that SLIPKNOT had failed to give back over “at least 22 items” belonging to the drummer after “promising to return all of Jordison‘s belongings.”

In the complaint, Steamroller accused SLIPKNOT members Corey Taylor and Michael Shawn “Clown” Crahan and associated companies of failing to return “musical instruments, gear and wardrobe” belonging to JoeySteamroller also alleged that SLIPKNOT included these items “in a travelling SLIPKNOT museum called Knotfest and lined their pockets with profit off of Jordison‘s devoted fanbase.”

“After abruptly kicking Jordison out of SLIPKNOT in 2013, Taylor and Crahan expressly promised in a written agreement to return all of Jordison‘s belongings in exchange for Jordison‘s promise to release certain claims against” them, the complaint read. “The agreement contained a non-exclusive list of broad categories of items that (Taylor and Crahan) represented were in their possession and that they would return to Jordison. (Taylor and Crahan) purported to comply with the agreement by returning certain items to Jordison but, unbeknownst to Jordison, they had executed the agreement with no intention of performing their obligations thereunder, and knowingly concealed from Jordison that they possessed numerous other items belonging to Jordison that they never returned to him.”

According to the lawsuit, Jordison, along with Crahan and Paul Gray, formed SLIPKNOT in 1995. In 1999, SLIPKNOT bandmembers CrahanGrayTaylor and Jordison entered into a partnership agreement and formed the Slipknot Partnership. In 2010, Jordison began experiencing symptoms that were later diagnosed as acute transverse myelitis. The neurological disease progressed to the point that Jordison lost the use of his left leg. In 2013, as Jordison‘s medical condition progressed, Crahan and Taylor “abruptly kicked Jordison out of SLIPKNOT by e-mail,” the lawsuit claims. “The callousness of Jordison‘s firing and other mistreatment at the hands of Crahan and Taylor have been widely reported and criticized by fans of the band. Since the 1990s, Jordison had dedicated his life to making SLIPKNOT a metal sensation, from which Crahan and Taylor handsomely profited. It made no sense why Crahan and Taylor would treat Jordison with such disdain, especially in light of Jordison‘s declining health.”

In 2015, Jordison, on the one hand, and the Slipknot PartnershipSlipknot, Inc.Crahan and Taylor, on the other hand, entered into a release agreement to buy out Jordison‘s interest in the Slipknot Partnership. The release agreement required Crahan and Taylor to “promptly following the full execution of the Release Agreement” return to Jordison “any property, including musical gear or equipment, belonging to” Jordison, “that is now in the possession of” Crahan and Taylor.

The lawsuit went on to blast Taylor and Crahan for the way they acted in the months following Jordison‘s tragic passing in July 2021 away at the age of 46.

“While family, friends, and fans mourned the loss of the legendary drummer, neither bandmate expressed condolences to Jordison‘s family after his passing,” the complaint reads. “Instead, Taylor and Crahan heartlessly sought to profit off of Jordison‘s death. SLIPKNOT released a new album in 2022 titled ‘The End, So Far’. Fan reviews of the album rarely miss the opportunity to lament Jordison‘s absence. Taylor and Crahan callously used Jordison‘s death as marketing for their new album. Taylor publicly dedicated ‘The End, So Far’ to Jordison, claiming that the realization of Jordison‘s passing ‘crept in’ while making the album. Taylor even acknowledged that he and Crahan had mistreated Jordison in an interview, telling fans that they ‘were hoping to mend fences with him, and it’s one of those things that tells you: whatever you need to do, do it now, because you never know when you’re gonna lose somebody.’ Perhaps worst of all, Crahan and Taylor publicly lied to fans that they had contacted Jordison‘s family to check on them and express their condolences and love for Jordison in the wake of his passing. This was utterly false, and deeply upsetting for Jordison‘s family to read such a blatant lie on the internet. It is clear that Taylor and Crahan did not actually care about Jordison or his family; they cared only about drumming up publicity and sales of the new album.”

According to the complaint, Taylor and Crahan “continued to profit off Jordison‘s death and his grieving fanbase to this day, by displaying Jordison‘s belongings at a traveling SLIPKNOT museum called Knotfest. The museum has made numerous tour stops over the course of several years and (Taylor and Crahan) have profited handsomely from Jordison‘s fans’ willingness to pay admission fees to view Jordison‘s iconic belongings in person.”

After the complaint was filed, SLIPKNOT‘s legal team responded via court documents and asked that the lawsuit be dismissed, stating, “Defendants generally deny each and every allegation and purported claim set forth in Plaintiff’s First Amended Complaint and further deny that Plaintiff is entitled to any relief whatsoever.”

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Jordison and the members of SLIPKNOT had been silent and evasive about the reasons for his dismissal from the band, but Joey finally spoke about it in 2016 while accepting an award at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards in London, England.

in February 2022, Taylor said that Jordison‘s passing broke his heart. “It hit me hard, even though I hadn’t seen him or talked to him in a very long time,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the annual Mad Monster Party fan convention. “And I won’t get into certain things, but I will say that it hit us all really hard. The first person that I called was ClownJoey worked at — like, way back in the day. And he would work the overnights. When I wasn’t working at the porn shop, I would go down. And they were always scheming; they would always sit together scheming. It’s, like, ‘I’ve got this fucking idea. All right? We’re gonna set our faces on fire.’ And I was, like, ‘No. You’re really not gonna do that.'”

He continued: “All that history and all the memories came back then. And his health was obviously part of that. And it was sad because this man was probably one of the most gifted people I’ve ever seen in my life… It was far, far too soon. And it broke my heart. Regardless of what had gone down between us, it broke my heart. It was a hard… It’s still hard to think about. I think about it now and it doesn’t seem real. So it hit us just as hard. It’s one of the reasons why we pay homage to him andPaul at the end of each SLIPKNOT show — to make sure that people realize that even though he was gone, he’s still part of the family, and he always will be.”

Corey previously opened up about Joey‘s death during a September 2021 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk”. At the time, he said: “Our first concern was obviously his family, so we reached out immediately to make sure that they were okay, to let them know if they needed anything from us, they could absolutely ask.

“It’s a damn tragedy,” Taylor continued. “He was way too young, and he was way too talented to lose him like this.

“I know a lot of people wonder about the circumstances that led to him not being in the band anymore, and it’s, like, we’re not gonna talk about that, because I’d rather talk about his legacy, which is that he helped create this band that we all have fought to keep out there and keep going.

“Just the fact that he’s not here now, it’s still — I still can’t believe it,” Corey added.

Back in 2014, Taylor told Metal Hammer that firing Jordison after 18 years was “one of the hardest decisions” the group ever made, adding that Joey is “in a place in his life” which is “not where we are.”

Taylor said he could not get into specifics for legal reasons, but admitted, “It’s when a relationship hits that T-section and one person’s going one way and you’re going the other. And try as you might to either get them to go your way or try and go their way, at some point you’ve got to go in the direction that works for you. This is me speaking in the broadest terms, with respect to Joey. I guess to sum it up, it was one of the hardest decisions we ever made.”

Taylor said that the band is “happy right now and we hope that he is . . . he’s just in a place in his life, right now, that’s not where we are.”

Six years ago, Joey revealed that he was working on his first-ever book.

In 2018, Jordison completed a European tour with the international death metal supergroup SINSAENUM.

SLIPKNOT‘s latest album “The End, So Far”, arrived in August 2022. It marked the band’s the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Featured songs:

00:00 (515)
01:38 People=Shit
05:36 Eyeless
10:10 Disasterpiece
17:20 Before I Forget
22:17 Custer
27:55 Psychosocial
32:55 The Devil In I
39:56 The Heretic Anthem
45:24 Unsainted
50:05 Wait And Bleed
53:35 Prosthetics
58:46 Vermilion
1:06:59 Duality
1:11:28 Spit It Out
1:14:46 Surfacing

For the Pappy + Harriet’s gig, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Singer Corey Taylor said onstage mid-performance: “Tonight it doesn’t matter where you came from, it doesn’t matter when you were born. This year is 19-fucking-99. We’re going to play you some songs from beyond that year, but goddamn it, it all started in ’99 and it is starting again here tonight.”

Tickets to the the Pappy + Harriet’s concert sold out in minutes. They were priced just $9, and fans were limited to two tickets each, with no refunds or transfers allowed. All ticket proceeds will go to Joshua Tree No Kill Shelter and Boys & Girls Club Of The Hi Desert.

SLIPKNOT has yet to officially reveal the identity of its new drummer after parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November.

Fans have speculated that Weinberg‘s replacement is Casagrande, who abruptly left that band in early February, just days before the start of the Brazilian/American outfit’s farewell tour.

A month and a half ago, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption “Rehearsal.”

SLIPKNOT‘s latest album “The End, So Far”, arrived in August 2022. It marked the band’s the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

Speaking to NME about what SLIPKNOT has planned for 2024, founding member Shawn “Clown” Crahan said: “I’m ready to move on from what has been and move on to a world that I know needs to be. For instance, normally we’d have about two years on and one and a half years off — we’re not doing that anymore.

“We’re going back to basics,” he added. “I’m ready to kick everybody in the face again. I’m ready to do a 100-person venue again. I’m ready to do a 500-person venue.”

SLIPKNOT has revealed tour dates for a massive 2024 European headline run. The band’s thrilling, multi-sensory live shows are legendary, and with SLIPKNOT celebrating 25 years on this upcoming run, these shows will be especially explosive and not to be missed.

SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) states about the upcoming shows: “It has been 25 years since we first played on the continent, and we’ve been back ever since. The memories I have from all those times are life-changing, and we’re ready to make more.

“I’m so excited to bring our 25-year anniversary tour to Europe and the U.K. Be prepared for an energy you’ve never experienced before. It’s happening.”

Europe (with support from BLEED FROM WITHIN)
Dec. 05 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Dec. 06 – Dortmund, Germany – Westfalenhalle
Dec. 08 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
Dec. 09 – Leipzig, Germany – Quarterback Immobilien Arena
Dec. 11 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Dec. 12 – Paris, France – Accorhotel Arena
Dec. 14 – Leeds, UK – First Direct Arena
Dec. 15 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
Dec. 17 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Arena
Dec. 18 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Dec. 20 – London, UK – O2 Arena

Check out a tour trailer below.

The run kicks off at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands on December 5, canvases continental Europe with arena dates in Germany, France and Switzerland, and concludes at the world-famous O2 Arena in London on December 20. This notably marks their first O2 Arena performance since 2020. Presale tickets will go live on December 13 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time, with official Live Nation and venue presales launching on Thursday, December 14 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time, and general on-sale following on December 15 at 9:00 a.m. U.K. time.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

Slipknot released the official video for “Yen” earlier this year. The song is taken off their new album ‘The End So Far’, released on September 30 release on Roadrunner Records.

SLIPKNOT released their debut self-titled studio album on 29th June 1999, and with it, heralded a seismic shift in music, attitude and energy, and have since defined a culture that has only grown around the world. In the quarter century since, SLIPKNOT‘s unwavering dedication to their art, expression, and their fans remains at the core of their mission. The band has remained as creative and unapologetic as ever, both in their music and their live shows.

Slipknot has not released the name or identity of their new drummer, after the ungracious exit of drummer Jay Weinberg, earlier this year. 

“Yen” follows the forthcoming album’s lead single “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” which arrived last month accompanied by an official music video directed by the band’s own M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan. The track garnered widespread acclaim upon its arrival with The Fader declaring “It absolutely rips,” and Rolling Stone praising it as a “punishing new elegy.”

A four-camera video of SLIPKNOT performing its previous single, “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”, live for the first time on July 28 at O2 Arena in Prague, Czech Republic is now available (courtesy of YouTube channel Bahomar).

Watch “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” live and it official video directed by SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan below.

Produced by SLIPKNOT and Joe Barresi“The End, So Far” includes the band’s 2021 surprise single “The Chapeltown Rag” and follows their widely celebrated 2019 album “We Are Not Your Kind”, which marked SLIPKNOT‘s third consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The release made a massive global impact with No. 1 debuts in the official album charts of twelve countries around the world, including the U.K., Australia, Canada and Mexico, with Top 5 debuts in an additional twelve countries including Germany, France and Sweden.

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for “The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor told Kerrang! magazine: “To me, it just seems like it’s all the outrage and none of the punishment. For the last few years it’s been very trendy to be offended and outraged by everything, and yet nothing happens – especially in my country, which is just fucking ridiculous. It’s almost like the tables have turned, and the more angry people get, the more the people who they’re mad at just double-down on the shit. Instead of there being cause and effect, or crime and punishment, now it’s just like, ‘Fuck you, we don’t care.’ I can’t tell if that’s a reaction because of the almost nihilistic isolation of the cultures themselves, where neither side is acknowledging any of the good parts of each other – they’re just really honed in on the shit that they consider inflammatory. And it’s almost like people are ringing the doomsday bell. You’re sitting there going, ‘Well, it’s been fun! Everybody, pick up your trash when you’re leaving, and I’ll see you in Hell!’ That’s kind of what that song is. It’s just like, ‘If we don’t figure it out, I’ll see you when the meteor hits, basically.'”
 
As for SLIPKNOT‘s working relationship with BarresiTaylor said: “He’s one of those dudes who’s got great ideas, but he also allows you to do what is on your mind. If he has an idea, he lets you pursue yours, but then he’ll go, ‘You know, just for me, try this and see if these things can live together.’ He’s very unassuming, which is kind of rare these days. Sometimes you can get a producer who’s trying to enforce their will on it, but Joe just wants what’s best for the album, and what’s best for the song, and what’s best for the performance.”
 

“The End, So Far” track listing:

01. Adderall
02. The Dying Song (Time To Sing)
03. The Chapeltown Rag
04. Yen
05. Hivemind
06. Warranty
07. Medicine For The Dead
08. Acidic
09. Heirloom
10. H377
11. De Sade
12. Finale

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