Slipknot Drop Surprise EP Following Craig Jones Controversy

Slipknot has come out with a new EP, titled Adderall, much to the surprise of their fans, following a week filled with controversy. 

Adderall collects three alternate versions of the moody title track of their 2022 album, The End, So Far, along with three previously unreleased songs, Death March, Red or Redder, and Hard to Be Here. 

The band have also shared some new videos – one for ‘Memories (Adderall – Rough Demo)’ and one for ‘Death March’, directed by M. Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan. “Deconstructing to continuously pave the way for evolution,” he said of the releases. “At this point in the program nothing is safe.”

Interestingly, the release arrives at a time when only seven of the members who recorded The End, So Far are touring in support of it.

Shawn 'Clown' Crahan revealed last week that he’s taking some time away from live gigs as he needs to be with his wife, who is dealing with unspecified health issues.

“Hello to all of our fans, it’s the clown. I would like to take a moment to tell everyone that I’m back home supporting my wife through some health issues, and I’ll be back on the road as soon as I can,” Clown wrote on social media earlier today.

“We’ve been through this before, and as always, we appreciate the love and support. See all of you very soon. Thank you. Clown”.

In addition to Crahan's temporary departure, Craig Jones, it seems, has left the band for good after 27 years of service. Slipknot stated his departure in a brief statement on social media, writing in a now-deleted Instagram post, per Metal Hammer:

"To our fans, Slipknot is announcing that we have parted ways with Craig Jones. We wish Jones all the best for the future."

Then, to confuse fans even more, Slipknot posted a photo of a new masked being to Instagram on the same day, insinuating a new member had joined the group. Donning a black mask with a zipper over the mouth and creepy eye sockets, this new figure is a menacing one.

pic.twitter.com/6oShnmaHXc

— Slipknot (@slipknot) June 8, 2023

“Girl what the fuck is this,” one fan asked, while another added, “So you announce the separation and remove it just as quickly and replace it with this? Give Craig justice for having been a part of the band for 27 years.”

Another fan hopes that this whole incident has been a ruse – that Jones hasn’t left the band and instead changed his whole appearance – and wrote, “I’m hoping they made us think Craig left only to have him dramatically switch his mask and still be in”.

That theory pops up a few times in the comments, with another fan writing, “The eyeholes and the way the zipper goes across is an exact resemblance to Craig’s old mask. Maybe it’s a parting to Craig’s mask he’s had the same for years now and starting a new persona.”

It seems to be quite a tumultuous time for Slipknot, but their live shows must go on –  they'll head back to the U.S. this summer for appearances at Rock Fest 2023 in Wisconsin, Inkcarceration Festival in Ohio, and Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Virginia. At the time of writing, there’s been no update as to whether Jones will be replaced for the shows.