Slipknot have announced that drummer, Jay Weinberg has left the band. The announcement was made via a collective statement posted to Slipknot's social media channels, with no word on who will be taking over one of the most coveted drum stools in metal.
The short statement reads, "We would like to thank Jay Weinberg for his dedication and passion over the past ten years. 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.
"But as ever, slipknot is intent on evolving. The band has decided to part ways with Jay. We wish Jay all the best and are very excited for what the future holds."
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Jay Weinberg — himself a fan of Slipknot since childhood — joined Slipknot in 2014, following Joey Jordison’s departure from the band. He has gone on to record three studio albums, as well as a live album as Slipknot’s drummer.
As with Slipknot’s original secrecy, Weinberg and bassist Alex ‘V-Man’ Venturella’s (who replaced late bassist Paul Gray in 2014) identities were kept under wraps, until Weinberg’s was revealed following a tour itinerary leak.
After the release of Slipknot's The Gray Chapter (Weinberg's first album with Slipknot), Weinberg told us,
“Having a massive respect for the band’s music, having a massive respect for Joey Jordison as a person and as a player, I understood my role in needing to deliver what this band needs, and understanding what Joey brought to the table, and having this band’s legacy continue in the way that the Maggots, the fans of the band, respect, and the nine of us feeling proud of the music we’re creating.
"Of course the history of the band feeds into what I think of the band, but when it came time to come up with new material, new songs, I didn’t think about Joey Jordison one bit. And I feel it would be disrespectful to do that, and the band wanted me to be completely myself. Because why would I want to be Joey Jordison, why would I try to mimic what he’s done?
"Joey’s one of the greatest drummers we’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing. So as a fan of the band and someone who respects the people and the music, I didn’t want to come in and try to be a copycat.
"That’s not interesting to me, that’s not interesting to the band and it would be insulting to everyone involved, including the fans.”
Weinberg is, of course, the son of Bruce Springsteen drummer, Max Weinberg, and prior to joining Slipknot he had put in a stint with The Boss, covering for his dad, before going on to perform with NY hardcore heroes, Madball and Floridian punk band, Against Me!
Weinberg’s departure from Slipknot makes him the second member to leave the band this year, with samplist/keyboard player Craig Jones exiting Slipknot in June.
At the time of writing, Jay Weinberg is yet to comment on leaving Slipknot. On Nov 3, he took to Instagram to post a triumphant shot of himself stood behind his drums with both hands in the air forming devil horns, accompanied by the caption, “What a year 2023 has been. Great way to cap off an amazing year of memorable shows.”
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