Slipknot Guitarist Reveals What Fans Should and Should Not Expect From Their New Album: ‘It’s Gonna Hurt Some Feelings’ - VICE

Slipknot has a brand new album on the way, and it’s apparently “gonna hurt some feelings.” This, according to guitarist Jim Root, who offered fans some insight into what they should and shouldn’t expect from the record.

In September 2026, the band dropped their first new single in three years, “Arsenal”. While no official announcement has been made, past reports suggest the band has been working on more new music. They also have a new tour planned for 2027.

Now, Root has dropped some hints as to how the new stuff is coming along and what it sounds like. He shared the details in comments on an Instagram post that he made about his new giutar/amp rig. “Closer. This is where I’ll spend the rest of the year,” he captioned the post. “Because as you know by now… We’re about to get real busy.”

In the comments, Root got messages from fans about the new music. “Please don’t make another The End, So Far. We need this to be heavy and not Stone Sour,” one person urged. Root replied: “Agreed”.

“The vibe feels honest and true to me,” he elaborated. “It’s uneasy and reminds me of recording in the earlier days. I’m not saying that means it will translate to the type of music we’re creating or the sound/production of it. The early records had the vibe. You can’t miss that with Ross [Robison].”

He also noted that the new album will not be overproduced, but also won’t be as raw as their earliest material. He quipped that, in the past, he used the “most pissed off sounding” amp at the expense of finding the “best” sound. This time, he’s focused on quality and “the most exciting sounding… liveliest” dynamic.

“We did track on the floor live with [new drummer] Eloy [Casagrande],” Root went on to say. “We hadn’t done that in a long time for various reasons. Everything is analogue and played. All the pieces that need to be there are there.”

The guitarist also stressed, “[One] very important thing for us at this time is to not ‘repeat’ ourselves.” Next, he warned, “It’s gonna hurt some feelings. We’re really experimenting with different approaches. Don’t expect another Iowa or Slipknot record. We’ve been there.”