For over two decades, Corey Taylor has staked a solid claim to the title of The Angriest Man In Metal. But that’s all changed, Slipknot’s frontman insists in the new issue of Metal Hammer.
Following a turbulent few years in which he has divorced and re-married, and taken verbal potshots at everyone from the Kardashians to “inferior” bands, the 46-year-old singer says that he has finally reached a happy place in his life.
“My whole mindset has changed,” he tells Metal Hammer. “Before I was so full of piss and vinegar and angry about shit, I would crack off about everything. I really started to go, ‘Who gives a shit? Does it really matter?’ I’ve let go of the energy it takes me to be angry about it. To me, at the end of the day, if someone’s happy, then good. There’s way too many things that we should be fighting and trying to make better, and way too many things that are trying to tear us apart. If there’s a handful of things that make you happy, then who am I to fucking question it.”
“Because I’ve let go of a lot of that negative bullshit, it’s made me happy too.”
In a wide-ranging, open-hearted interview, Taylor addresses his painful divorce from from his second wife, Stephanie Luby (“my prior relationship was really dark, really toxic), his past addiction to social media (“It was, for the longest time, my only source of solace”) and the joy found in his new relationship with Alicia Dove, who he married in October 2019 (“When you have someone who is that excited about life, it’s infectious”).
“I‘ve re-evaluated my focus on my priorities,” he says. “Going through what I did, makes me appreciate what I have. It’s almost like a new lease of life.”
You can read the full interview with Taylor, plus exclusive stories on Deftones, Black Sabbath, Svalbard, Power Trip and more, in the new issue of Metal Hammer, which is on sale now.
Taylor will perform songs from Slipknot, Stone Sour and his debut solo album, CMFT, at a special gig being livestreamed from The Forum in Los Angeles on October 2. Described as “a wild and exhilarating roadmap through Taylor’s musical psyche”, CMFT, is set for release on October 2 via Roadrunner. The singer has released three songs from the album, HWY 666, Black Eyes Blue and CMFT Must Be Stopped (Feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie.
