Corey Taylor
Encyclopedia
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American
musician
best known as the lead vocalist
and lyricist of Slipknot
and Stone Sour
. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock
after his grandmother introduced him to it. Taylor first met his father on March 28, 2005, and the two have developed a strong relationship. He currently has a wife, an ex-wife, and two children. On August 3, 2009 and July 29, 2010 he co-hosted the Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian
of Anthrax
and The Damned Things
.
Corey Taylor is a founding member of Stone Sour, and has released three studio album
s with the band. Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997 to replace their original singer Anders Colsefni. He has released four studio albums with the band. Taylor constantly alternates between bands, as seen in 2001, after the release of Iowa
, where he reformed Stone Sour immediately after touring. He has worked with several bands, including Junk Beer Kidnap Band
, Apocalyptica
, Anthrax
, Aaron Lewis
of Staind
, and Soulfly
. Taylor writes and sings in styles that vary by genre. Taylor was ranked number 86 in Hit Parader
's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
on December 8, 1973, the first of three children. He lived in Orlando briefly with his uncle, George Robson though Taylor was mostly raised by his mother in Waterloo, Iowa
, a place described by Taylor as a "hole in the ground with buildings around it."
In 1979, Taylor and his mother saw the science fiction
series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
. Before the series, there was a trailer for the 1978 horror film
Halloween
. Taylor said this "developed some sense of Slipknot in [himself]." While Halloween introduced Taylor to masks and horror themes, Taylor's grandmother
introduced him to rock music
, showing him a collection of Elvis Presley
records
from the mid-fifties to late seventies. He especially found some songs like "Teddy Bear
", "In the Ghetto
", and "Suspicious Minds
", to appeal to his interests the most, describing them as "good times." Taylor also began listening to Black Sabbath
at a young age, beginning with their early work.
Taylor, along with his mother and sister, lived in an "old dilapidated farmhouse," which on days in late autumn would "look like Black Sabbath album cover
s." By age fifteen, Taylor had developed a drug addiction and had overdosed
on cocaine
twice. By this time, Taylor was living in Waterloo, Iowa, but later set out on his own and ended up at his grandmother's trailer
in Ohio
. She took legal custody of him and helped him buy musical equipment. When Taylor was eighteen, he left his grandmother's trailer and went to various places, Des Moines being a place he commonly went back to.
Taylor and his father first met when Taylor was an adult, and now have a strong relationship. On September 17, 2002, Corey's then-fiancée, Scarlett Stone, gave birth to their son Griffin Parker. Taylor also has a daughter named Angie, born on October 29, 1992 from an earlier relationship. Taylor and Stone married on March 11, 2004, and divorced three years later. On November 13, 2009, he married Stephanie Luby.
Taylor has also had alcohol abuse
problems, which his ex-wife, Scarlett, helped him through as well as keeping him from committing suicide
. In 2006, Taylor told MTV that he had attempted to jump off a balcony of the eighth floor of the Hyatt on Sunset Boulevard in 2003, but "somehow [Scarlett] stopped me". Scarlett then told him that either he would have to get sober or she would annul their marriage. Before Stone Sour
started recording Come What(ever) May
in January 2006, Taylor was sober. On August 3, 2009, he co-hosted the 2009 Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian
of Anthrax
.
The following year, they both once again co-hosted The Kerrang Awards, where Corey collected the K! Services to Metal award on behalf of Paul Gray who died after an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, and had also shown signs of "significant heart disease". In early September, 2010, Taylor announced that his book, Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good and was released on July 12, 2011 through Da Capo Press
.
, Shawn Crahan, and Mick Thomson approached him asking him to join Slipknot. He agreeably went to one of their practices, and ended up singing in front of them. They asked him to join the band because of his melodic
vocals. While Taylor was positioned as lead vocalist for the band, their previous vocalist, Anders Colsefni, was moved to backing vocals and percussion
. Unhappy with the position, Colsefni later left the band. Feeling he could expand more in Slipknot than in Stone Sour, Taylor temporarily quit Stone Sour, even though they were recording an album with Sean McMahon. Taylor's first gig with Slipknot was on August 22, 1997, which according to band members did not go well. During his first gig, Taylor did not perform wearing a mask; however, for his second show nearly a month later, Corey wore a mask that resembles his debut album
mask. Taylor's current mask was described by MTV
's Chris Harris as looking "as though it were made of dried, human flesh—like Leatherface
, if only he used moisturizer." One of the old dreadlocked masks is now in the possession of Dom Howard of British rock band Muse, after the two bands both played MetalFest. He was apparently subjected to Taylor's "sit the fuck down!" routine face-to-face during Slipknot's set and can be seen reliving the experience (wearing the mask) on Muse's Hullabaloo . Despite rumours that Howard had stolen the mask, he in fact received it from a fan afterwards.
Taylor has recorded with Slipknot since the release of their second demo album, a self-titled demo used to promote the band to prospective labels and producers. As permanent vocalist, he recorded with Slipknot at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California and released Slipknot
, the band's debut album that peaked number one on the Top Heatseekers chart
, went 2× Platinum in the United States, and was included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
. Taylor was accused of copyright infringement
, regarding the lyrics of the song "Purity". Taylor began recording for their second studio album, Iowa
, in 2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
. It was released August 28, 2001 and peaked number one on the UK Albums Chart
, as well as number three on the Billboard 200. While writing Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
, Taylor decided to write lyrics that would not warrant an explicit label. It peaked number two on the Billboard 200. All Hope Is Gone was the first Slipknot album to peak number one on the Billboard 200.
band Stone Sour
. After forming the band with drummer
Joel Ekman, Shawn Economaki joined filling in the bass
position, leaving the electric guitar
position to be filled by Josh Rand. Stone Sour recorded a demo album
in 1992, and another in 1994. In 1997, Taylor was approached by the metal band, Slipknot, resulting in him abandoning Stone Sour while they were recording a demo album with Sean McMahon at SR studios. Taylor did not return until five years later to record their debut album, Stone Sour
in 2002. Both Taylor and guitarist
Josh Rand contacted Jim Root
, Slipknot's guitarist, and Shawn Economaki, Stone Sour's original bassist
, to begin writing songs for their debut album. Drummer Joel Ekman came back on board as well. This "reformation" later resulted in Stone Sour recording at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa
.
Their self-titled debut album was released August 27, 2002, and it debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200
. Their second album, Come What(ever) May
debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. It was released August 1, 2006, and charted on several different charts. Live in Moscow is currently their only album specifically released only for music download
. During the recording of the album, drummer
Joel Ekman left the band for personal reasons. As a result, drummer Roy Mayorga
was recruited, taking his place. The group released their third studio album, Audio Secrecy
, on September 7, 2010. Corey Taylor announced he will do a Concept Double album with Stone Sour
. It's going to be the first Stone Sour
to be back to back with an album.
, Apocalyptica
and Damageplan
. At one point, he was heavily involved in the recording of thrash metal
band Anthrax
's album, Worship Music
, but the sessions remain unreleased. He also contributed to the Roadrunner United
all-star album in 2005, providing vocals for the song "Rich Man". Taylor has also made a brief appearance in Steel Panther
's singles
"Death to All but Metal", "Eyes of a Panther", and "Asian Hooker". In 2006, Taylor founded the record company Great Big Mouth Records
. Taylor has produced two albums: Face Cage's self-titled album and Walls of Jericho's Redemption. Taylor provided guest narration on the track "Repentance" for Dream Theater
's 2007 album Systematic Chaos
. In an interview with Billboard magazine
, Taylor confirmed that on January 13, 2009, he was planning on making a solo album
, as well as returning to his side project Stone Sour
after Slipknot
's All Hope Is Gone World Tour
. Taylor has stated that he is currently been writing songs that states "don't fit either of his main bands." He describes them as a cross between Foo Fighters
, Johnny Cash
, and Social Distortion
, saying that there's "a country background that comes built-in with living in Iowa".
On the March 30, 2009, it was confirmed that Taylor and the Junk Beer Kidnap Band
would be performing at Rockfest
in 2009. The group performed on April 24, 2009 at People's Court in Des Moines, Iowa
, marking Taylor's first official solo show. Taylor constantly performs with his band the Dum Fux, who make covers for 1970s punk rock
and 1980s hair metal. Taylor also performs with Audacious P, a band that is primarily a Tenacious D
covers band. Rapper Tech N9ne
confirmed that Taylor was to perform on his album K.O.D.
, but was removed because Taylor did not submit his vocals in time. Taylor recently admitted that he tried out for the vacant singer spot in the band Velvet Revolver
, but said that it just did not work out. However, according to a recent Billboard article, it seems likely that he may in fact become the vocalist for Velvet Revolver, though no official confirmation has been made. Duff McKagan
added that they can neither "confirm or deny" Taylor's membership in the band but believes that Taylor is the "real deal". Slash
has since ruled Corey out as the possible new vocalist explaining that "[it] just wasn't right" although he does love him. He however, has recorded 10 new songs with the band, drummer Matt Sorum
stated it's unlikely it will ever be released. Taylor explained to Mark Hoppus
on Hoppus on Music that McKagan and him were writing new music for a possible new supergroup.
July of 2011 Taylor collaborated with Aaron Lewis
while promoting Lewis' solo album, Town Line
for a one night only acoustic duet show covering songs such as, Pearl Jam
's "Black", Pink Floyd
's Comfortably Numb
, and Alice In Chains
' Down In A Hole
, videos from this show with Taylor and Lewis can be found on YouTube
.
As a solo artist he recently recorded a new song, "X-M@$", for The Teenage Cancer Trust. The video itself is dedicated to those who hate Christmas. The single was made available to digital retailers on December 12, 2010. It debuted at number thirty-seven in the UK
.
In 2011, Taylor collaborated with Blink-182
drummer Travis Barker
on Barker's solo album Give The Drummer Some on the song "On My Own".
and Iowa
, both contain gratuitous explicit content
, and many critics claimed Taylor relied on the profanity, which is why Slipknot's third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
is profanity free and did not warrant the explicit label. Unlike the previous vocalist for Slipknot, Ander Colsefini, Taylor has a vocal style that was characterized by drummer
Joey Jordison
as "really good melodic singing". Taylor's vocal style, which contains at times melodic singing, growling, screaming, shouting, and rapping, led him to getting placed at number 86 on the Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Taylor is currently involved in two major projects which have moods and genres considered to be different. Slipknot is considered to be heavy metal
, nu metal
and alternative metal
, and express moods such as hostility
, anger
, and rebellion
. Stone Sour is considered to be hard rock
, alternative metal, heavy metal, and post-grunge
, and express moods such as bleakness, somberness, and anger. Taylor cites Mötley Crüe
, Iron Maiden
, Metallica
, Nine Inch Nails
, Dokken
, Misfits, Black Flag
, Slayer
, Def Leppard
, Sex Pistols
, The Damned, The Cramps
, Journey
and Bob Dylan
as influences.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
best known as the lead vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and lyricist of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
after his grandmother introduced him to it. Taylor first met his father on March 28, 2005, and the two have developed a strong relationship. He currently has a wife, an ex-wife, and two children. On August 3, 2009 and July 29, 2010 he co-hosted the Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
of Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
and The Damned Things
The Damned Things
The Damned Things are a heavy metal supergroup consisting of Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy, Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax, Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die and Josh Newton formally of Every Time I Die The band's name is inspired by the lyrics in Ram Jam's '70s version of...
.
Corey Taylor is a founding member of Stone Sour, and has released three studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s with the band. Taylor joined Slipknot in 1997 to replace their original singer Anders Colsefni. He has released four studio albums with the band. Taylor constantly alternates between bands, as seen in 2001, after the release of Iowa
Iowa (album)
Iowa is the second album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their biggest sources of inspiration...
, where he reformed Stone Sour immediately after touring. He has worked with several bands, including Junk Beer Kidnap Band
Junk Beer Kidnap Band
The Junk Beer Kidnap Band is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 2009. They are a side-project of Corey Taylor, frontman of the heavy metal band Slipknot and rock band Stone Sour. Since their formation, JBKB have currently solely been a touring band for lead singer and guitarist...
, Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
, Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis, , is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the rock group Staind, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He has since ventured into country music with his debut solo album, Town Line...
of Staind
Staind
Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...
, and Soulfly
Soulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
. Taylor writes and sings in styles that vary by genre. Taylor was ranked number 86 in Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
's Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Personal life
Corey Taylor was born in Des Moines, IowaDes Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
on December 8, 1973, the first of three children. He lived in Orlando briefly with his uncle, George Robson though Taylor was mostly raised by his mother in Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census the population decreased by 0.5% to 68,406. Waterloo is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the more populous of the two...
, a place described by Taylor as a "hole in the ground with buildings around it."
In 1979, Taylor and his mother saw the science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV series)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century is an American science fiction adventure television series produced by Universal Studios. The series ran for two seasons between 1979–1981, and the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released as a theatrical film several months before the series aired....
. Before the series, there was a trailer for the 1978 horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
Halloween
Halloween (1978 film)
Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film directed, produced, and scored by John Carpenter, co-written with Debra Hill, and starring Donald Pleasence and Jamie Lee Curtis in her film debut and the first installment in the Halloween franchise. The film is set in the fictional midwestern...
. Taylor said this "developed some sense of Slipknot in [himself]." While Halloween introduced Taylor to masks and horror themes, Taylor's grandmother
Grandparent
Grandparents are the parents of a person's own parent, whether that be a father or a mother. Every sexually-reproducing creature who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic grandparents, eight genetic great-grandparents, sixteen genetic great-great-grandparents, etc...
introduced him to rock music
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, showing him a collection of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
from the mid-fifties to late seventies. He especially found some songs like "Teddy Bear
Teddy Bear (song)
" Teddy Bear" is a popular song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music. It was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe and published in 1957 by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company...
", "In the Ghetto
In the Ghetto
"In the Ghetto" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1969. It was written by Mac Davis and made famous by Elvis Presley who had a major comeback hit with the song in 1969. It was released in 1969 as a 45 rpm single with "Any Day Now" as the flip side...
", and "Suspicious Minds
Suspicious Minds
"Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James that, after the failure of his own recording, was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman becoming one of his most notable hits and a number one in 1969, "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned...
", to appeal to his interests the most, describing them as "good times." Taylor also began listening to Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
at a young age, beginning with their early work.
Taylor, along with his mother and sister, lived in an "old dilapidated farmhouse," which on days in late autumn would "look like Black Sabbath album cover
Album cover
An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing...
s." By age fifteen, Taylor had developed a drug addiction and had overdosed
Drug overdose
The term drug overdose describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced...
on cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
twice. By this time, Taylor was living in Waterloo, Iowa, but later set out on his own and ended up at his grandmother's trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....
in Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. She took legal custody of him and helped him buy musical equipment. When Taylor was eighteen, he left his grandmother's trailer and went to various places, Des Moines being a place he commonly went back to.
Taylor and his father first met when Taylor was an adult, and now have a strong relationship. On September 17, 2002, Corey's then-fiancée, Scarlett Stone, gave birth to their son Griffin Parker. Taylor also has a daughter named Angie, born on October 29, 1992 from an earlier relationship. Taylor and Stone married on March 11, 2004, and divorced three years later. On November 13, 2009, he married Stephanie Luby.
Taylor has also had alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse
Alcohol abuse, as described in the DSM-IV, is a psychiatric diagnosis describing the recurring use of alcoholic beverages despite negative consequences. Alcohol abuse eventually progresses to alcoholism, a condition in which an individual becomes dependent on alcoholic beverages in order to avoid...
problems, which his ex-wife, Scarlett, helped him through as well as keeping him from committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. In 2006, Taylor told MTV that he had attempted to jump off a balcony of the eighth floor of the Hyatt on Sunset Boulevard in 2003, but "somehow [Scarlett] stopped me". Scarlett then told him that either he would have to get sober or she would annul their marriage. Before Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
started recording Come What(ever) May
Come What(ever) May
Come What May is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, California, and was released on August 1, 2006, through Roadrunner Records...
in January 2006, Taylor was sober. On August 3, 2009, he co-hosted the 2009 Kerrang! Awards alongside Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
of Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
.
The following year, they both once again co-hosted The Kerrang Awards, where Corey collected the K! Services to Metal award on behalf of Paul Gray who died after an accidental overdose of morphine and fentanyl, and had also shown signs of "significant heart disease". In early September, 2010, Taylor announced that his book, Seven Deadly Sins: Settling The Argument Between Born Bad And Damaged Good and was released on July 12, 2011 through Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press
Da Capo Press, is an American publishing company with headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1964 as a publisher of music books, as a division of Plenum Publishers. it had additional offices in offices in New York City, Philadelphia and Emeryville, California...
.
Slipknot
In Des Moines, Iowa, Joey JordisonJoey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
, Shawn Crahan, and Mick Thomson approached him asking him to join Slipknot. He agreeably went to one of their practices, and ended up singing in front of them. They asked him to join the band because of his melodic
Melody
A melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
vocals. While Taylor was positioned as lead vocalist for the band, their previous vocalist, Anders Colsefni, was moved to backing vocals and percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
. Unhappy with the position, Colsefni later left the band. Feeling he could expand more in Slipknot than in Stone Sour, Taylor temporarily quit Stone Sour, even though they were recording an album with Sean McMahon. Taylor's first gig with Slipknot was on August 22, 1997, which according to band members did not go well. During his first gig, Taylor did not perform wearing a mask; however, for his second show nearly a month later, Corey wore a mask that resembles his debut album
Slipknot (album)
Slipknot is the debut album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999 through Roadrunner Records, after a demo containing a few of the songs had been released in 1998, and was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly altered track listing and mastering, as a result of...
mask. Taylor's current mask was described by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's Chris Harris as looking "as though it were made of dried, human flesh—like Leatherface
Leatherface
Leatherface is the main antagonist in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre horror-film series and its spin-offs. He wears masks made of human skin and engages in murder and cannibalism alongside his inbred family. He is considered by many to be one of the first major slasher film villains alongside Michael...
, if only he used moisturizer." One of the old dreadlocked masks is now in the possession of Dom Howard of British rock band Muse, after the two bands both played MetalFest. He was apparently subjected to Taylor's "sit the fuck down!" routine face-to-face during Slipknot's set and can be seen reliving the experience (wearing the mask) on Muse's Hullabaloo . Despite rumours that Howard had stolen the mask, he in fact received it from a fan afterwards.
Taylor has recorded with Slipknot since the release of their second demo album, a self-titled demo used to promote the band to prospective labels and producers. As permanent vocalist, he recorded with Slipknot at Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California and released Slipknot
Slipknot (album)
Slipknot is the debut album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999 through Roadrunner Records, after a demo containing a few of the songs had been released in 1998, and was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly altered track listing and mastering, as a result of...
, the band's debut album that peaked number one on the Top Heatseekers chart
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
, went 2× Platinum in the United States, and was included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die
1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is a musical reference book edited by Robert Dimery, first published in 2005. The most recent edition consists of a list of albums released between 1955 and 2010, part of a series from Quintessence Editions Ltd...
. Taylor was accused of copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, regarding the lyrics of the song "Purity". Taylor began recording for their second studio album, Iowa
Iowa (album)
Iowa is the second album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their biggest sources of inspiration...
, in 2001 at Sound City and Sound Image in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It was released August 28, 2001 and peaked number one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, as well as number three on the Billboard 200. While writing Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The album was released on May 25, 2004, through Roadrunner Records, and a special edition, containing a bonus disc, was released on April 12, 2005. It is the band’s only album produced by Rick Rubin and also the only one not...
, Taylor decided to write lyrics that would not warrant an explicit label. It peaked number two on the Billboard 200. All Hope Is Gone was the first Slipknot album to peak number one on the Billboard 200.
Stone Sour
Taylor is a founding member of the American hard rockHard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
band Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
. After forming the band with drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Joel Ekman, Shawn Economaki joined filling in the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
position, leaving the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
position to be filled by Josh Rand. Stone Sour recorded a demo album
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
in 1992, and another in 1994. In 1997, Taylor was approached by the metal band, Slipknot, resulting in him abandoning Stone Sour while they were recording a demo album with Sean McMahon at SR studios. Taylor did not return until five years later to record their debut album, Stone Sour
Stone Sour (album)
Stone Sour is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Tom Tatman at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and was released on August 27, 2002, through Roadrunner Records...
in 2002. Both Taylor and guitarist
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
Josh Rand contacted Jim Root
Jim Root
James Donald "Jim" Root , also known by his number #4, is an American musician known for being the rhythm/lead guitarist of the heavy metal band, Slipknot, and the lead guitarist for rock band, Stone Sour...
, Slipknot's guitarist, and Shawn Economaki, Stone Sour's original bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, to begin writing songs for their debut album. Drummer Joel Ekman came back on board as well. This "reformation" later resulted in Stone Sour recording at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Cedar Falls is a city in Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States, and it is home to one of Iowa's three public universities, the University of Northern Iowa. The population was 39,260 in the 2010 census, an increase from the 36,145 population in the 2000 census...
.
Their self-titled debut album was released August 27, 2002, and it debuted at number 46 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Their second album, Come What(ever) May
Come What(ever) May
Come What May is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, California, and was released on August 1, 2006, through Roadrunner Records...
debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. It was released August 1, 2006, and charted on several different charts. Live in Moscow is currently their only album specifically released only for music download
Music download
A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment...
. During the recording of the album, drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Joel Ekman left the band for personal reasons. As a result, drummer Roy Mayorga
Roy Mayorga
Roy Maurice Mayorga is the drummer for the hard rock band Stone Sour. He is of Ecuadorian and Cuban descent.-Musical history:...
was recruited, taking his place. The group released their third studio album, Audio Secrecy
Audio Secrecy
Audio Secrecy is the third studio album by American rock band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. On June 10, the band released a free download of "Mission Statement", which was later released as a single on iTunes....
, on September 7, 2010. Corey Taylor announced he will do a Concept Double album with Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
. It's going to be the first Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
to be back to back with an album.
Other work
Taylor has appeared as a guest musician on albums by SoulflySoulfly
Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max...
, Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
and Damageplan
Damageplan
Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
. At one point, he was heavily involved in the recording of thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
band Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
's album, Worship Music
Worship Music
Worship Music is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. It is their first album of original material since 2003's We've Come for You All and the first to feature original singer Joey Belladonna since 1990's Persistence of Time...
, but the sessions remain unreleased. He also contributed to the Roadrunner United
Roadrunner United
Roadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions...
all-star album in 2005, providing vocals for the song "Rich Man". Taylor has also made a brief appearance in Steel Panther
Steel Panther
Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas...
's singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Death to All but Metal", "Eyes of a Panther", and "Asian Hooker". In 2006, Taylor founded the record company Great Big Mouth Records
Great Big Mouth Records
Great Big Mouth Records is a record label based in Des Moines, Iowa, which was founded by Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor and Denny Harvey...
. Taylor has produced two albums: Face Cage's self-titled album and Walls of Jericho's Redemption. Taylor provided guest narration on the track "Repentance" for Dream Theater
Dream Theater
Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
's 2007 album Systematic Chaos
Systematic Chaos
Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label...
. In an interview with Billboard magazine
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, Taylor confirmed that on January 13, 2009, he was planning on making a solo album
Solo album
A solo album, in popular music, is an album headlined by a current or former member of a band. A solo album may feature simply one person performing all instruments, but typically features the work of other collaborators; rather, it may be made with different collaborators than the artist is...
, as well as returning to his side project Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
after Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
's All Hope Is Gone World Tour
All Hope Is Gone World Tour
The All Hope Is Gone World Tour was a concert tour by Slipknot that took place in 2008 and 2009 in support of the group's fourth studio album All Hope Is Gone. The tour consisted of nine legs and took place in the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe...
. Taylor has stated that he is currently been writing songs that states "don't fit either of his main bands." He describes them as a cross between Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
, and Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, saying that there's "a country background that comes built-in with living in Iowa".
On the March 30, 2009, it was confirmed that Taylor and the Junk Beer Kidnap Band
Junk Beer Kidnap Band
The Junk Beer Kidnap Band is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa, formed in 2009. They are a side-project of Corey Taylor, frontman of the heavy metal band Slipknot and rock band Stone Sour. Since their formation, JBKB have currently solely been a touring band for lead singer and guitarist...
would be performing at Rockfest
Rockfest
Rockfest is an outdoor, hard rock music festival held annually by Kansas City radio station KQRC-FM 98.9 the Rock since 1992 . As of 2010, it was considered to be North America's largest one-day music festival. Major bands such as Godsmack, Staind, Seether, Stone Temple Pilots and Korn have all...
in 2009. The group performed on April 24, 2009 at People's Court in Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, marking Taylor's first official solo show. Taylor constantly performs with his band the Dum Fux, who make covers for 1970s punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and 1980s hair metal. Taylor also performs with Audacious P, a band that is primarily a Tenacious D
Tenacious D
Tenacious D is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1994. Composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Black and lead guitarist and vocalist Kyle Gass, the band has released two albums – Tenacious D and The Pick of Destiny...
covers band. Rapper Tech N9ne
Tech N9ne
Aaron Dontez Yates , better known by his stage name Tech N9ne , is an American rapper from Kansas City, Missouri. In 1999, Yates and Travis O'Guin founded the record label Strange Music. Throughout his career, Yates has sold over one million albums and has had his music featured in film,...
confirmed that Taylor was to perform on his album K.O.D.
K.O.D.
K.O.D. is the tenth studio album by rapper Tech N9ne, released on October 26, 2009. The album was originally scheduled for an October 27, 2009 release, but the album was shipped out early and the label decided to release it a day early...
, but was removed because Taylor did not submit his vocals in time. Taylor recently admitted that he tried out for the vacant singer spot in the band Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver
Velvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, but said that it just did not work out. However, according to a recent Billboard article, it seems likely that he may in fact become the vocalist for Velvet Revolver, though no official confirmation has been made. Duff McKagan
Duff McKagan
Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
added that they can neither "confirm or deny" Taylor's membership in the band but believes that Taylor is the "real deal". Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
has since ruled Corey out as the possible new vocalist explaining that "[it] just wasn't right" although he does love him. He however, has recorded 10 new songs with the band, drummer Matt Sorum
Matt Sorum
Matthew William Sorum is an American rock drummer and percussionist. Sorum is most famous for his 7-year stint in Guns N' Roses and supergroup Velvet Revolver , which is comprised in part of former Guns N' Roses members Duff McKagan and Slash .-Early career :Matt Sorum was born Matthew William...
stated it's unlikely it will ever be released. Taylor explained to Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
on Hoppus on Music that McKagan and him were writing new music for a possible new supergroup.
July of 2011 Taylor collaborated with Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis
Aaron Lewis, , is the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist, and founding member of the rock group Staind, with whom he has released seven studio albums. He has since ventured into country music with his debut solo album, Town Line...
while promoting Lewis' solo album, Town Line
Town Line
Town Line is the first EP by Staind frontman Aaron Lewis. An extended play consisting of country songs, it was released on March 1, 2011 on Stroudavarious Records. As of the chart dated July 16, 2011, the album has sold 173,544 copies in the US.-Content:...
for a one night only acoustic duet show covering songs such as, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
's "Black", Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's Comfortably Numb
Comfortably Numb
"Comfortably Numb" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, which first appears on the 1979 double album, The Wall. It was also released as a single in the same year with "Hey You" as the B-side. It is one of only three songs on the album for which writing credits are shared between Roger...
, and Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
' Down In A Hole
Down in a Hole
"Down in a Hole" is a single from Alice in Chains' album Dirt . It is the fourth song on most pressings of the album and twelfth on others...
, videos from this show with Taylor and Lewis can be found on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
As a solo artist he recently recorded a new song, "X-M@$", for The Teenage Cancer Trust. The video itself is dedicated to those who hate Christmas. The single was made available to digital retailers on December 12, 2010. It debuted at number thirty-seven in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
In 2011, Taylor collaborated with Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
drummer Travis Barker
Travis Barker
Travis Landon Barker is an American musician, producer and entrepreneur, most noted as the drummer for the American pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the alternative rock band +44, the rap rock band The Transplants, and the alternative rock band Box Car Racer. He was a frequent collaborator with...
on Barker's solo album Give The Drummer Some on the song "On My Own".
Style and influence
The first two Slipknot albums that Taylor performed vocals on, SlipknotSlipknot (album)
Slipknot is the debut album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999 through Roadrunner Records, after a demo containing a few of the songs had been released in 1998, and was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly altered track listing and mastering, as a result of...
and Iowa
Iowa (album)
Iowa is the second album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their biggest sources of inspiration...
, both contain gratuitous explicit content
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
, and many critics claimed Taylor relied on the profanity, which is why Slipknot's third album, Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)
Vol. 3: is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The album was released on May 25, 2004, through Roadrunner Records, and a special edition, containing a bonus disc, was released on April 12, 2005. It is the band’s only album produced by Rick Rubin and also the only one not...
is profanity free and did not warrant the explicit label. Unlike the previous vocalist for Slipknot, Ander Colsefini, Taylor has a vocal style that was characterized by drummer
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
as "really good melodic singing". Taylor's vocal style, which contains at times melodic singing, growling, screaming, shouting, and rapping, led him to getting placed at number 86 on the Hit Parader’s Top 100 Metal Vocalists of All Time.
Taylor is currently involved in two major projects which have moods and genres considered to be different. Slipknot is considered to be heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
and alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, and express moods such as hostility
Hostility
Hostility is a form of angry internal rejection or denial in psychology. It is a part of personal construct psychology, developed by George Kelly...
, anger
Anger
Anger is an automatic response to ill treatment. It is the way a person indicates he or she will not tolerate certain types of behaviour. It is a feedback mechanism in which an unpleasant stimulus is met with an unpleasant response....
, and rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
. Stone Sour is considered to be hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, alternative metal, heavy metal, and post-grunge
Post-grunge
Post-grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged in the mid-1990s as a derivative of grunge, using the sounds and aesthetic of grunge, but with a more commercially acceptable tone...
, and express moods such as bleakness, somberness, and anger. Taylor cites Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, Misfits, Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
, Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, The Damned, The Cramps
The Cramps
The Cramps were an American rock band, formed in 1976 and active until 2009. The band split after the death of lead singer Lux Interior. Their line-up rotated much over their existence, with the husband and wife duo of Interior and lead guitarist Poison Ivy the only permanent members...
, Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
as influences.
Stone Sour
| Year | Name | Ref |
|---|---|---|
Stone Sour (album) Stone Sour is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Tom Tatman at Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and was released on August 27, 2002, through Roadrunner Records... |
||
Come What(ever) May Come What May is the second studio album by American alternative metal band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Studio 606 in Los Angeles, California, and was released on August 1, 2006, through Roadrunner Records... |
||
Audio Secrecy Audio Secrecy is the third studio album by American rock band Stone Sour. It was recorded and produced by the band and Nick Raskulinecz at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, Tennessee. On June 10, the band released a free download of "Mission Statement", which was later released as a single on iTunes.... |
||
Slipknot
| Year | Name | Ref |
|---|---|---|
Slipknot (album) Slipknot is the debut album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999 through Roadrunner Records, after a demo containing a few of the songs had been released in 1998, and was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly altered track listing and mastering, as a result of... |
||
Iowa (album) Iowa is the second album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released by Roadrunner Records on August 28, 2001, it was produced by Ross Robinson and Slipknot. The title derives from the band's home state, Iowa, which members have stated is one of their biggest sources of inspiration... |
||
Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) Vol. 3: is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The album was released on May 25, 2004, through Roadrunner Records, and a special edition, containing a bonus disc, was released on April 12, 2005. It is the band’s only album produced by Rick Rubin and also the only one not... |
||
9.0: Live 9.0: Live is the first live album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. The band recorded the two-disc album during a 2004–2005 world tour that promoted their third studio album Vol. 3: . Released by Roadrunner Records on November 1, 2005, 9.0 Live features tracks from Slipknot's first three... |
||
Other works
| Year | Artist | Album | Track(s) | Position | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Sister Soleil | Soularium | "Liar" | Backing vocals Singing Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... |
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| 1998 | Smakdab | Smakdab (album) | "Shadowed" | Vocals | |
| 2000 | Snot | Strait Up Strait Up Strait Up is the second studio album by Snot. Released on November 7, 2000, the album features appearances by the lead vocalists of a number of major rock groups... |
"Requiem" | Vocals | |
| 2000 | Soulfly Soulfly Soulfly is a heavy metal band formed in 1997 based in Phoenix, Arizona. The original lyrical content revolved around spirituality and religious themes, with later albums encompassing other themes including war, violence, aggression, hatred and anger. Soulfly is led by former Sepultura frontman Max... |
Primitive Primitive (album) -Appearance:The track "Son Song" appears on the Valentine OST, although not included in the film.The track Mulambo appears in the movie The Forsaken .-Personnel:*Max Cavalera – Vocals, Guitar, Berimbau, Bass, Producer*Mike Doling – Guitar... |
"Jumpdafuckup" | Vocals | |
| 2001 | Slitheryn | Slitheryn | "Lost" | Backing Vocals | |
| 2001 | Slitheryn | Slitheryn | "Get Up" | Backing Vocals | |
| 2002 | Black Flag Black Flag (band) Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band... |
Rise Above Rise Above: 24 Black Flag Songs to Benefit the West Memphis Three -Band:*Marcus Blake – bass guitar ; backing vocals *Jason Mackenroth – drums ; backing vocals *Jim Wilson – guitar ; backing vocals -Vocalists:... |
"Room 13" | Vocals | |
| 2003 | Anthrax Anthrax (band) Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene... |
With Full Force Festival in Germany | "Bring the Noise Bring the Noise "Bring the Noise" is a song by the hip hop group Public Enemy. It was included on the soundtrack of the 1987 film Less Than Zero and was also released as a single that year. It later became the first song on the group's 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back... " |
Vocals | |
| 2004 | Damageplan Damageplan Damageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later... |
New Found Power New Found Power - Personnel :Damageplan* Patrick Lachman − vocals* Dimebag Darrell − guitars, bass * Vinnie Paul − drumsGuest musicians* Corey Taylor - 2nd verse, breakdown, and last chorus on "Fuck You"... |
"Fuck You" | Vocals | |
| 2005 | Roadrunner United Roadrunner United Roadrunner United was a project organized by the heavy metal record label Roadrunner Records to celebrate its 25th anniversary. It culminated in an album released worldwide on October 11, 2005, entitled The All-Star Sessions... |
The All-Star Sessions | "The Rich Man" | Vocals | |
| 2006 | Korn Korn Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,... |
Family Values Tour 2006 Family Values Tour 2006 CD The Family Values Tour 2006 CD is a live album released on December 26, 2006 by Firm Music to commemorate the fourth iteration of the Family Values Tour initially started in 1998 by Korn.... |
"Freak on a Leash Freak on a Leash "Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album Follow the Leader. Prior to the album's release, Korn had an instrumental section of the song, described as a "noisy guitar break." The section was taken out of the song after their fans... (Live)" |
Backing vocals | |
| 2006 | FaceCage | III | — | Producer | |
| 2007 | Apocalyptica Apocalyptica Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén... |
Worlds Collide Worlds Collide Worlds Collide is the sixth studio album from Finnish metal band Apocalyptica, released on September 14, 2007. It includes special guests Till Lindemann, Corey Taylor, Adam Gontier, Dave Lombardo, Tomoyasu Hotei, and Cristina Scabbia... |
"I'm Not Jesus I'm Not Jesus "I'm Not Jesus" is a song by the Finnish cello metal band Apocalyptica, featuring Corey Taylor from Slipknot and Stone Sour. The single was released on September 17, 2007 and again on March 4, 2008, off the album Worlds Collide.... " |
Vocals | |
| 2007 | Dream Theater Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would... |
Systematic Chaos Systematic Chaos Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label... |
"Repentance" | Spoken word contribution Spoken word Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events.... |
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| 2008 | Walls of Jericho | Redemption | "Ember Drive", "My Last Stand", "Addicted" | Backing vocals, producer Record producer A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... |
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| 2009 | Steel Panther Steel Panther Steel Panther is a glam metal band from Los Angeles, California mostly known for their profane and humorous lyrics as well as their exaggerated on-stage personas... |
Feel the Steel Feel the Steel Feel the Steel is the second album by hard rock/glam metal band Steel Panther, and their debut major label release. The tracks "Fat Girl", "Stripper Girl" and "Hell's On Fire" are re-recordings from the 2003 debut album Hole Patrol while "Death to All But Metal" is a re-recording from their 2004... |
"Death to All But Metal", "Asian Hooker", "Eyes of a Panther" | Vocals | |
| 2010 | Corey Taylor | X-M@$ | X-M@$ | Vocals, producer Record producer A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music... |
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| 2010 | Travis Barker, Corey Taylor | Give the Drummer Some | "On My Own" | Vocals | |
| "—" denotes an album that did not feature Corey Taylor performing. | |||||
Solo singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Main. |
US Rock Rock Songs Rock Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the airplay of songs on alternative, mainstream rock and triple A radio stations. The first chart was published in the issue dated June 20, 2009. "Know Your Enemy" by Green Day was the first number-one song. The Rock Songs... |
UK UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
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| 2010 | "X-M@$" | 37 | 49 | 37 | Non-album single |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Character | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Welcome to Our Neighborhood Welcome To Our Neighborhood Welcome to Our Neighborhood is the first video album by American metal band Slipknot. It was released on November 9, 1999 by Roadrunner Records and later reissued in DVD format on November 18, 2003... |
Self | Thomas Mignone Thomas Mignone Thomas Mignone is an American feature film and music video director. Mignone is best known for directing music videos for hard rock and heavy metal artists such as Slipknot, Mudvayne, System Of A Down, Suicide Silence, Avenged Sevenfold, Sepultura, Danzig, Cradle of Filth, Type O Negative,... |
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| 2001 | We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll We Sold Our Souls for Rock 'n Roll is a 2001 documentary by Penelope Spheeris. It was filmed at the 1999 Ozzfest and won an award for "Most Popular Documentary" at the 2001 Melbourne International Film Festival. Legal issues delayed the release. The documentary got mixed... |
Penelope Spheeris Penelope Spheeris Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization... |
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| 2002 | Rollerball Rollerball (2002 film) Rollerball is a 2002 remake of the 1975 science-fiction film of the same name. This updated version stars Chris Klein, LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn and Jean Reno, was directed by John McTiernan and has a much greater concentration on action with more muted social and political overtones... |
John McTiernan John McTiernan John Campbell McTiernan, Jr. is an American film director and producer, best known for his action films and most identifiable with the three films he directed back-to-back: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, along with later movies such as Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a... |
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| 2002 | Disasterpieces Disasterpieces Disasterpieces is the second video album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released on November 22, 2002, a 2-disc case DVD features Slipknot performing a concert at London Dockland Arena, as well all of the band's music videos up until its release including songs from Slipknot and Iowa.The... |
Matthew Amos | |
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| 2003 | Cable TV (Episode four, season two) | Stuart Cable Stuart Cable Stuart Cable was a Welsh rock drummer and broadcaster, best known as the original drummer for the band Stereophonics.- Early life :... |
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| 2005 | Voliminal: Inside the Nine Voliminal: Inside the Nine Voliminal: Inside the Nine is the third video album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Released December 5, 2006 through Roadrunner Records, the 2-disc DVD set features an 84 minute movie created by band member Shawn "Clown" Crahan. The set also includes live performances, music videos from... |
Shawn Crahan | |
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| 2009 | Of the (sic): Your Nightmares, Our Dreams Slipknot (album) Slipknot is the debut album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. It was released on June 29, 1999 through Roadrunner Records, after a demo containing a few of the songs had been released in 1998, and was reissued in December 1999 with a slightly altered track listing and mastering, as a result of... |
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Book
On July 12, 2011 Corey released his first book titled Seven Deadly Sins: Settling the Argument Between Born Bad and Damaged Good. In the book Taylor explains his view on each of the seven deadly sins and shares experiences he has had with them.Equipment
| Instrument | Years used | Ref |
|---|---|---|
| Audio-Technica AEW-T6100#Wireless Handheld Microphone | 2000–present | |
| Shure Wireless system | 2004–2005 | |
| Ibanez Voice Chorus Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce... |
1999–2000 | |
| Gibson Guitars | 2009–present | |
| Ibanez Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce... Custom Artcore Talman Semi-Hollow Body |
|2003–2005 |