Slipknot's Shawn 'Clown' Crahan says the band are in a great place and that they probably have multiple albums of new material in the works.
Just a few months after admitting the band weren't as close as they once were, Clown now says the nine members are firing on all cylinders.
And while he still misses the late Joey Jordison and Paul Gray, as well as "other brothers" who are no longer with the band, Crahan adds that new drummer Eloy Casagrande's presence is making the dynamic "very fun."
Clown tells NME: "Eloy is in the band and there’s something happening between the nine of us right now that is very fun. A lot is floating around and we probably have several albums in us right now.
"As for how things feel, I’m being completely honest with you now, it’s like a cloud has left. Whatever that cloud was… everybody participates to the cloud. It’s looking great.
"You’ve gotta realise, we’ve been on tour for a while and we’re slowly winding down from the long runs. We have some shows next year, then it’s back to healing ourselves from all the work we’ve done and drawing up the next material.
"Corey already has ideas and is writing lyrics that he sends over. It doesn’t mean it’s set in stone and it doesn’t mean it’s done by any means.
"We don’t know where any of these directions are headed right now, but I do know that there will be a lot brought to the table at the start of every day.
"It feels reminiscent of how it all started in the first place. It’s better than I could ever want and I think everyone would say it feels like a good time. It’s fun, like how it was when we were younger and writing music for ourselves. It’s all thumbs up."
Slipknot are currently touring in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their debut album, playing it in full and wearing the famous stage attire of the era.
Clown adds: "Being on this tour, I remember when I could taste the dream 25 years ago and had the idea that this little organisation was going to take over the world.
"I’ve noticed that I get in trouble if I work in the past, and I get in a lot of trouble if I get too ahead of myself. That being said, to go on this trip down has been a real honour.
"I’ve had a lot of raw, rough emotions from it, but what is making it work is that the fans are coming out in droves to get a glimpse of what it was like 25 years ago."
Asked about rumours of the band requesting a donkey backstage and whether the backstage antics of today match the alleged carnage of 25 years ago, he says: "Well, if there is a donkey backstage in London then the crew will have done what they need to do, which is not pre-tell me. If you tell me something like that, there’s going to be no donkey.
"I haven’t heard anything about it, but it does remind me of what was happening 25 years ago when promoters would call their friends and make up a story about something we did… but it was always a bigger fish story. ‘They sacrificed this, and then blah, blah, blah, blah’ – it was all bullshit."
So, with no donkeys but definitely new music on the horizon, Crahan says the future of the band is looking "very bright".
"In the past, I’ve been anxious for the future, but now I’m content," he says.
"I’m fine with just letting everything unravel and then winding it up to see where it goes. We got some surprises for people that I can’t talk about now too.
"There are always some things you’re not going to know about, and then, all of a sudden, you wake up and you’re on your way to work: Bang! There’s Slipknot."
Slipknot have three further dates on their anniversary tour – Manchester, Birmingham and London this week.
