With Slipknot now releasing new material, anticipation is at an all-time high as the metal world waits for the new drummer to be unveiled. Here we go through ten candidates complete with wholly unofficial betting odds.
1. Dave Lombardo (20⁄1)
A metal legend, former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo is one of the few drummers both skilled and aggressive enough to fill Joey Jordison’s shoes. While he doesn’t have Jordison’s song-writing ability, he does have fast enough hands to more than handle his percussion parts. Given Lombardo’s Slayer days appear to have come to an end once more, he’s certainly available.
2. Mike Portnoy (10⁄1)
The former Dream Theater man is another drummer with the technical ability to seamlessly replace Jordison. Possibly has the edge on Lombardo in that he has recently done a stint as a replacement drummer for a big-touring band when he replaced Avenged Sevenfold’s The Rev. More crucially, he already knows Slipknot singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root having filled in behind the kit for their other band Stone Sour.
3. Roy Mayorga (30⁄1)
Talking of which… the drummer Portnoy filled in for is Stone Sour’s Roy Mayorga, who would certainly slot into the Slipknot ranks as a close friend of the band. Knowing Taylor and Root well, he would be an easy addition to the ranks but perhaps doesn’t have the drumming chops to fully replace Jordison.
4. Jay Weinberg (10⁄1)
The son of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, Jay has been a Slipknot fan since the age of nine. Has formerly played with punk band Against Me! and the hardcore band Madball and is, according to widespread internet rumour, the man in prime position to replace Jordison. Then again… that’s according to internet rumour…
5. Clown (100⁄1)
Slipknot’s original drummer, and the band’s beating heart and most vocal mouthpiece, Clown would be the purist’s choice to resume duties on the drum seat. It would mean losing him from both percussion and performance duties, though, which would be to the detriment of Slipknot’s live act. His drum work on side-project Dirty Little Rabbits and To My Surprise doesn’t suggest he is quite up to Jordison’s standards, though.
6. Gene Hoglan (20⁄1)
Widely regarded as the best session drummer in metal, he is known as The Human Drum Machine. Renowned for working with Fear Factory, Dark Angel, Death, Strapping Young Lad, Dethklok, Testament and many others, he is highly experienced but may just be too busy to embark on the sort of touring Slipknot will undertake. Could he also be that little bit too polished?
7. Tim Yeung (15⁄1)
One of the fastest, most unrelenting drummers in the world, Tim Yeung could certainly match Jordison in the speed stakes. Much in demand as a death and tech metal session drummer, Yeung would be a powerful addition to the Slipknot lineup. Once said of bands that, “if it has a good drummer then it’s good music” so is, presumably, already a Slipknot fan.
8. Jordan Mancino (50⁄1)
Jordan Mancino is a powerhouse but finds himself in the awkward position of being the sole current member of As I Lay Dying given that his singer, Tim Lambesis, is currently serving a six year jail sentence for attempting to have his wife killed. Slipknot might want to offer Mancino a lifeline, given things have turned a little tricky for him. Although he has joined new outfit Wovenwar.
9. Chris Adler (10⁄1)
The internet is abuzz with rumours that Lamb Of God’s Chris Adler played on the new Slipknot record and, if so, it would stand to reason that he would tour with them too. There could be some truth to it – Lamb Of God’s singer Randy Blythe recently said the band would be going on hiatus, meaning Adler would be free for the gig.
10. Joey Jordison (1000⁄1)
Could it all have been a hoax? Was Joey’s departure actually just a ‘departure’? Given that Slipknot were all unmasked a good few years ago, there would be something delicious about having a mystery drummer again. And who better for that mystery drummer to be than Jordison himself?
