Slipknot performed their new single, The Chapeltown Rag, for the very first time during their Knotfest Los Angeles show on November 5.
Released early that same day on streaming services, the first taster of what will be Slipknot's as-yet-untitled seventh album is described by Shawn Crahan as "a punisher" and is named for the Leeds suburb where The Yorkshire Ripper aka serial killer Peter Sutcliffe committed some of his 13 murders between 1975 and 1980.
Corey Taylor introduced the song at the Banc Of California Stadium as song eight in The Nine’s headlining set with the following words: “Some of you might know this, some of you might not. But last night, we gave you motherfuckers a new song. Has anybody here heard that new fucking song? Brothers and sisters, friends and family, I’m here to tell you, tonight is going to be the very first time we play it live for fucking anybody, and you’re here with us...”
Watch fan-shot footage of the performance below:
"It’s classic Slipknot," Corey told the Knotfest website. "It’s frenetic. But lyrically, it’s coming from a point of talking about the various manipulations that can happen when social media meets media itself. And the different ways that these manipulations can try to pull us in different directions. We’re all becoming addicts to it, which is very, very dangerous."
Slipknot recently completed work on their seventh album with producer Joe Baresi (Kyuss, The Bronx). Shawn Crahan has described the album as “a cobra in a basket.”
“But you’re gonna open the basket,” he said. “You’re going to play, you’re going to charm and be charmed.”
The band have yet to confirm any UK tour dates.