Corey Taylor has told of his admiration for what he calls the metal community’s in-built support system.
The Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman insists no other genre can match metal when it comes to a sense of community and togetherness and he says that when one metal act makes it big, it’s a win for the whole movement.
He tells the Guardian: “What I love the most about the metal community is the sense of community that comes along with it. Unlike other genres there’s a support system and common sense of appreciation for what we are all striving to achieve.
“It feels like when one of us crosses over and wins, we all win. We are, collectively, kind of treated like bastard stepchildren by the rest of the music world, so any time we get to fly the flag in their faces, to me that means that more people are hearing what I consider real music.
“You get used to being a bastard stepchild, it goes hand in hand with the attitude, and the reactionary vibe of the music itself – which makes you feel something whether you want it to or not.”
Despite his warm feeling towards the metal community, Taylor admits the Phil Anselmo “white power” incident has highlighted a problem.
He says: “I know there is a problem in metal, and it all comes down to, at least in America, where you grow up and what that culture is passed on from – parents, family members, friends, adults.
“It’s a generational thing. I thought we were close to phasing it out, but unfortunately I was proven wrong. So I just dedicate myself to fighting it. It’s across the board in music, though – it’s not a specifically metal thing. But it has come up in the metal community. It’s risen its ugly head because of the incident we’re talking about.
“It will take very little to eradicate racism from metal because the majority of it isn’t racist.”
Taylor also reveals he’s working on a book that will “piss off a lot of people” in America.
He adds: “The tentative title of the book is America 51, kind of a nod towards Area 51 – basically about how wonderfully fucked and irresponsibly abnormal my country is.
“It’s going to deal with everything from politics to social commentary – it’s going to piss off a lot of people in my country, but everyone else will love it.”
