A lawsuit has been filed by the estate of former Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison – claiming they band used his death for their own financial gain.
The company which handles Jordison's estate, Steamroller LLC, is also suing the band over their use of the late drummer's belongings in their travelling Knotfest museum.
Court papers obtained by Page Six name Slipknot members Corey Taylor and Shawn 'Clown' Crahan and allege they used Jordison’s 2021 death to boost sales of their 2022 album The End, So Far.
The lawsuit reads: “While family, friends and fans mourned the loss of the legendary drummer, neither bandmate expressed condolences to Jordison’s family after his passing. Instead, Taylor and Crahan heartlessly sought to profit off of Jordison’s death.
"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.'"
Steamroller LLC also claims that the band did not return the drummer's equipment and have used some of the items in the Knotfest museum.
The lawsuit continues: "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.
“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."
Slipknot’s legal team filed a response with the court and asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, saying: "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."
Jordison died in his sleep at the age of 46. His career with Slipknot included playing on the band's infamous demo CD and unofficial debut album Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. in 1996, and on four studio albums: 1999's Slipknot, the classic Iowa (2001), Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) in 2004 and All Hope Is Gone four years later.
He founded Murderdolls in 2002 with frontman Wednesday 13. He played guitar on the band's two albums, Beyond the Valley of the Murderdolls and Women and Children Last, while other extra-curricular activity included stints on tour with Korn, Ministry, Satyricon and, memorably, Metallica, with whom he performed at 2004's Download Festival after Lars Ulrich was hospitalised.