Slipknot loses two longtime members ahead of its European tour

For Slipknot fans, Wednesday was a busy day.

In addition to marking the beginning of the renowned heavy metal band’s European tour, it also signalled the

departure of two well-known masked members and the possible entry of a new one.

Craig “133” Jones, the keyboardist and sampler, announced his retirement from the Grammy-winning megaband,

which consists of nine members who play in various eerie masks, after 27 years.

“To our fans, Slipknot is announcing that we have parted ways with Craig Jones,” read a since-deleted statement that

was shared on the band’s social media accounts. We hope that Jones has the finest possible future.

Jones, 51, joined the “Wait and Bleed” hitmakers in 1996 and gained notoriety for his unusual mask, which had

dozens of spikes that looked like metal extending from his skull. Jones and the band have not disclosed the

percussionist’s future plans or the cause for his resignation.

On Wednesday night, at the band’s first performance of the tour in Austria, a member who had never been on stage

before joined them. After the show, Slipknot posted an uncaptioned image of a new member wearing a mask and

hood to their Instagram page.

Following percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s declaration that he would not be travelling with the group to

Europe in order to care for his wife, Chantel, who has long-term health concerns, Jones made his announcement.

The 53-year-old Crahan posted a statement to Slipknot’s social media channels on Wednesday morning.

He added, “I want to take a moment to let everyone know that I’m back home helping my wife with some health

issues, and I’ll be back on the road as soon as I can.” “As always, we appreciate the love and support, and we’ve gone

through this before. I’ll see you all very shortly.

The duration of Crahan’s departure from Slipknot, a founding member, is still unknown. After touring Europe until

the end of June, Slipknot will return to the United States to perform at festivals in July and September.

In a 2005 interview with the Des Moines Register, Crahan discussed helping his wife with her continuous battle with

Crohn’s disease, although he did not provide specifics about her condition.

He told his hometown newspaper, “Family is what I fight for most in this business.” Rock ‘n’ roll can and does

integrate family. You can be a rock ‘n’ roller, have a wife, and have a child or children.

Crahan later mentioned in the interview that “health is the most important thing you have on this planet if you’re

gonna have a successful life.”