Joey Jordison reveals he still doesn't know why Slipknot kicked him out

January 15, 2017

In 2013, it was announced Joey Jordison was leaving Slipknot for personal reasons. Since then, Jordison has said the band acted cowardly when the news broke that he was out of the band, stating he found out in an email.

In a recent interview with AXS, Jordison opened up about his departure from the band he was in for 18 years.

Jordison is candid in the interview about the events leading up to his departing, stating it was a very scary time for him.

“During the end of a Slipknot tour, I was getting really ill, and I didn't know what it was,” Jordison said. “My legs were starting to fail on me as I was playing, and it was scary, sitting up on stage with thousands and thousands of people right in front of me looking at me. And everyone thought I might be under the influence of something, and that was absolutely not the case whatsoever. And I'm sitting there and I'm trying to play my parts that come like second nature to me, that I have been doing for years and years and years with no problem. And it was freaking me out. And I was getting carried offstage, and all of a sudden I had to be carried onstage, all this stuff. My legs completely just dropped off pretty much the bottom of my body. And the scary thing was I had no clue what the condition is.”

Once he was diagnosed with Acute Transverse Myelitis and in the hospital, Jordison says he was visited by only one member of Slipknot. After that, he found out he was out of the band.

“The thing is, I got visited in the hospital by one member of the band when they all knew I was in there. . . . and next thing you know, I got exited from the band. And I don't know why. I don't understand what the deal was. There's been a bunch of rumors and stuff like, you know, why it was, and it is absolutely untrue,” he explains. “I didn't quit Slipknot. I would never have quit Slipknot, ever. I just want the fans to know that. It's important for everyone to know that.”

In November 2015, Slipknot's Corey Taylor said the following about Jordison's exit: “When we parted ways with Joe, it was honestly because of necessity; he was going one way and we were going another, and we just couldn't go that way anymore. And honestly, that's all I can really say about it. But I can tell you that starting to move on without him was one of the most difficult things we've ever done.” (Read his full statement here.)

Jordison is currently working with his new band, VIMIC—they have released three songs and planning to release an album soon.

You can listen to his full interview with AXS below: