Slipknot Masks are Here to Stay

As we’ve noted in the past, you guys love stories about Slipknot masks like Clown loves nonsensical statements. And I think a lot of people assumed that one day, Slipknot would make their Lick it Up and ditch the costumes, which, given your passion for their concealment, would be a real tragedy.

So I’m sure you’ll be relieved to learn that, according to guitarist Jim Root, the band will never not have their masks:

“Well, for one thing, Kiss has already done that. And two, that’s something you do when maybe the career’s in the pot. The masks, for us, are more of a way to present ourselves live, you know? It’s always been about the live show for us… We’re having Halloween onstage every night … I’m definitely a lot more reserved without the mask on. And with the mask on, all those inhibitions kinda go out the window. I can act like Keith Richards, I guess!”

All of which makes perfect sense and is totally reasonable. I do not now, nor have I ever, begrudged the band their theatricality; I just don’t see how it’s any different from Alice Cooper’s make-up or black metal bands’ corpse paint or whatever.

Still, I hope the band someday changes their minds, if only for this reason: to disprove the detractors who claim no one would care about the band if they didn’t have the gimmick. That gimmick obviously helped them to their current lofty position in the metal world, but wouldn’t it be cool to see them validated by maintaining that position even without the gimmick?

[via Metal Injection]

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