Slipknot Announces Departure of Drummer Jay Weinberg: 'Slipknot Is Intent on Evolving'
The heavy metal band shared a statement about their lineup change on Sunday
After a decade together, the heavy metal band Slipknot has parted ways with drummer Jay Weinberg.
The nu metal band announced on Sunday that the drummer, 33, was leaving the group with an official statement on their website.
Weinberg, who is the son of Bruce Springsteen’s longtime E Street Band drummer Max Weinberg, originally joined the group following the late 2013 departure of the late founding member Joey Jordison.
“We would like to thank Jay Weinberg for his dedication and passion over the past 10 years,” the statement read.
“No one can ever replace Joey Jordison’s original sound, style or energy, but Jay honored Joey’s parts and contributed to the last three albums and we, the band, and the fans appreciate it,” continued the statement, which was also shared on Instagram, per Billboard, but has since been deleted.
The heavy rock group also clarified in their message to fans that they plan to continue on as a band, despite the change. “But as ever, Slipknot is intent on evolving,” they shared. “The band has decided to make a creative decision, and to part ways with Jay. We wish Jay all the best and are very excited for what the future holds.”
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During the musician’s time with the "Duality" group, he supported them on a handful of tours and appeared on three albums: 2014’s 5: The Gray Chapter, 2019’s We Are Not Your Kind and, most recently, 2022’s and The End, So Far.
The rocker, nicknamed "Ballbag" by Slipknot, joined the band after the surprise 2013 departure of Jordison, who died at age 46 in 2021. At the time, the Grammy-winning band announced that the founding member was leaving for “personal reasons,” although he later said in a statement on Facebook that he did not quit the group.
In 2016, the Murderdolls guitarist explained that shortly before his dismissal from Slipknot, he was diagnosed with acute transverse myelitis, a neurological condition that limited the use of his legs.
Slipknot and its nine-member lineup has famously undergone several changes over the years since the group was first founded by Jordison, percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray in 1995.
Earlier this year in June, keyboardist Craig Jones left the group after 27 years and seven studio albums together.
Upon the departure of the rocker, 51, the “Wait and Bleed” band shared a statement. "To our fans, Slipknot is announcing that we have parted ways with Craig Jones," the band wrote in a since-deleted social media post, per The Daily Mail. "We wish Jones all the best for the future."
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Not long before Jones exited the metal group, percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan also announced in early June that he wasn’t joining his bandmates on their summer 2023 tour.
At the time, he explained in an Instagram post that he was staying home to look after his wife, who was dealing with health concerns.
“I would like to take a moment to tell everyone that I’m back home supporting my wife through some health issues, and I’ll be back on the road as soon as I can,” he wrote in a statement to Slipknot’s account. “We’ve been through this before, and as always, we appreciate the love and support. See all of you very soon.”
The band fronted by Corey Taylor toured in support of their 2022 album The End, So Far across Europe this past summer. Their next scheduled live appearance is a headlining set at the Las Vegas music festival Sick New World in April 2024.
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