Joey Jordison: Scar The Martyr, Slipknot, Heroes And Humming Into Phones
Wednesday, 09 October 2013
Written by Alec Chillingworth
Slipknot. You say that word almost anywhere, and people will instantly know what you're talking about. Whether it evokes a reaction of scorn, delight, or confusion, the band are on everybody's radar. They are a cultural phenomenon.
Given that it's been five years since any new Slipknot material has been released, the chaps have been keeping themselves busy. Drummer/metal deity Joey Jordison has recently cranked the gears of his new band, Scar The Martyr, into motion with the release of their self-titled debut and we were lucky enough to catch up with the man himself to pick his brains on his latest move, Slipknot’s status and why it’s cool to make records with your heroes.
'Scar The Martyr' didn't feel as immediate as a Slipknot or Murderdolls album, it felt more like a journey. Was this a conscious decision?
Basically, I wanted to do something different. If I was gonna do another project, I wanted to expand on my songwriting and go into areas that I haven't really experimented with before. I still wanted it to be heavy overall. As you said though, it's a journey. The whole album. The way all the songs go in between each other, the overall sound of the record isn't supposed to be easily digestible upon the first listen. That's what's great about the record; every time you listen to it, you're gonna get something new out of it.
I still listen to it, even though I know the songs inside and out! I still get new things out of it, like these tiny little nuances and shit like that. The overall recording process of this album was really very open. There were no restrictions and there was no formula I was following and I wasn't trying to fit into any scene. I just wanted to put together this amalgamation of music I had going on in my head, and with the guys I got to play on the record, I couldn't be happier with it, man.
Guys from Darkest Hour, Marilyn Manson and Strapping Young Lad all played for you and vocalist Henry Derek has a unique voice - how did you know he was the right man for the job?
Basically just from the demos I sent him. I sent him Dark Ages, My Retribution, Never Forgive Never Forget and Last Night On Earth, and what I liked about him was his drive. He demoed those songs, wrote the lyrics, recorded it all in a few days. That blew me away, y'know, just that work ethic alone is something to love. And when I listened to the songs I was just like, “this is absolutely fucking perfect! How has nobody found this guy yet?” We just started talking and we really got along. I sent him a couple more demos and that was it. We were just like, “fuck it man, let's make a record.” That's when I started seeking out other players.
You recently finished a tour supporting Danzig. Y'know... Glenn Danzig. How did the audiences for that react?
They were definitely...different from what I'm used to! From Slipknot, to the solo Scar The Martyr shows where everyone's way more aggressive. But by the end of our shows, they were totally into it. They were very receptive. It just took 'em a second to figure out what we were doing. I mean, it's just so fucking heavy, and the stuff live is just so fucking crushing. For a Danzig crowd, they were all sorta taken aback. But that's good, that's what we liked about it!
Scar The Martyr is a side project. You're renowned for being busy, whether it's recording new material or filling in for other bands. What is it that drives you to keep busy when Slipknot are dormant?
My love of music, man. That's really it. It's a passion of mine, and y'know, I've just been sitting here in the back lounge humming riffs to new songs. My phone is filled with riffs. Y'know, I listen to all this stuff and go back to it. I sound like a moron, just listening to myself humming all these riffs, but it's just so I don't forget 'em! Then I sit there and I translate them onto guitar. I've got so much material, like it feels as if every day I'm coming up with so many riffs. And even if it doesn't end up working, I can still use it for something else or save it for something else. I'm constantly writing music and keeping myself busy somehow.
As mentioned before, you've been involved with loads of different musical projects. What is the favourite album you've been a part of and why?
Y'know what? The Roadrunner United record was really fun to do because I got to work with a bunch of musicians that I grew up listening to. That was really fucking awesome, and since I was writing the songs myself, having all these legends come and sing on my songs was just fuckingrad. Y'know, I had Glenn Benton, the late Peter Steele, Keith Caputo... and musicians like Kyle from Exhorder, people like that. It was just a really fun project and I worked with a load of really cool people. It was a special thing.
When you were playing with Slipknot at Download Festival earlier this year, Corey [vocals] alluded to us seeing the band back our shores sooner than expected. What can you tell us about that?
What I can say is that there is Slipknot material. We're writing right now, and we're all in talks. I got Scar The Martyr going on now and I'm making sure it's gonna get the attention it deserves, but at the same time, I'm always ready for Slipknot too. I've got so much Slipknot material, I started writing this a long time ago. Y'know, when the time is right. Everyone works at their own pace and I can't speak for anyone else, but for me, I just kinda put myself in the mindset where I'm writing for a certain project. I kinda just take myself to that place, get in that mindset. When the time is right. I think he [Corey] was referring to that old saying: time flies. If you don't stop and look around then you're gonna miss it.
Fri December 13th 2013 - WOLVERHAMPTON Slade Rooms
Sat December 14th 2013 - MANCHESTER Club Academy
Mon December 16th 2013 - GLASGOW Cathouse
Tue December 17th 2013 - NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
Wed December 18th 2013 - LONDON Underworld
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