Shawn 'Clown' Crahan says he "could care less" about the bands Slipknot have influenced – as his focus is on where The Nine go next

Slipknot perform during a concert of 25 Anniversary Tour at Calle 2 on November 1, 2024 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
(Image credit: Medios y Media/Getty Images)

Shawn 'Clown' Crahan says that while he's honoured Slipknot have been an influence on many great acts, he's much more interested in where his own band goes next.

As they wrap up a tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, Slipknot don't appear to have any plans to slow down.

Clown recently said they have several albums in them and now, as he reflects on all that has happened in the 25 years since the release of the debut, he is focused on their next move.

He tells Kerrang: “Nothing was a certainty back then, nothing was a guarantee.

"There was no gold at the end of the rainbow. It was just us against everyone else. In our hearts, it still is. Our legacy is that we’re still here.

"We’re not having an interview where it’s all done and we’re talking about a band from the past. I’m proudest that we’re still in it. We’re still doing this. We still write. We still perform. We still thrive. We’re still together.

"And we’re going to keep going until this is done."

As for their influence on other atists, he adds: "There has never been anything like Slipknot. Not before. Certainly not after.

"And as much as I see all the doors that we’ve opened up for other artists, and what an honour that is, I could care less.

"After all these years, it’s still my band against your band. That’s just the way it is. And we’re only getting more and more dangerous.

"This is to the death. This is to the end. At this point, this is just who we are."

Slipknot released their latest album, The End, So Far, in 2022.

Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.