Clown (Slipknot) reveals more about “Look Outside Your Window”

The long-delayed Slipknot album “Look Outside Your Window” is now a reality after more than ten years of missed release dates and conjecture, as per theprp. Although it is being published under the “Look Outside Your Window” alias and is not an official part of the Slipknot canon, there is no denying its connection to the Iowan masked metallers. This 10-song album served as a creative outlet for Slipknot‘s vocalist Corey Taylor, guitarist Jim Root, percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan, and DJ Sid Wilson. It was recorded in a separate makeshift studio during the sessions for the band’s 2008 album “All Hope Is Gone.” Fans have already received copies of the vinyl release, despite it being formally planned for release this Saturday, April 18th, as part of a Record Store Day promotion.

Although there hasn’t been any official confirmation yet, preliminary speculations suggest that the album will be available in additional formats in June. However, it’s evident that this experimental record traverses experimental and frequently melodic rock soundscapes, greatly deviating from what one may anticipate from a Slipknot song. In a recent interview, Crahan detailed the record’s history. Over the years, the album has become almost legendary among the band’s followers. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Crahan was initially questioned about the origin of the band/album name.

One night, we were sitting in the studio, and we looked out and saw some eyeshine on the tree in front of the window. It was pretty high up in the air, probably most definitely a raccoon looking in at us. But we started imagining cryptic mothmen, and Jim called the second song ‘Moth.’ By the end of it, Jim was walking away, and he said, ‘Always look outside your window.’ It just meant so much, and I just kept saying it over and over again. It just really solidifies who we were, what we were doing, the conversations we were having between writing and having to go down and contemplate [Slipknot], which is huge

Crahan was also questioned about what inspired the “vibe” of the songs they composed for the album.

Well, Jim and I love particular music that’s not heavy. The alternative movement started when I was 19 or 20 years old, around college. So I was growing up with the greatest albums, like [Soundgarden’s] ‘Louder Than Love‘ or [The Smashing Pumpkins’] ‘Gish‘ or Pearl Jam’s first album, anything from Sub Pop. But then I’m an old punk rocker, too. I like Big Black/Steve Albini stuff. I like real aggressive stuff like Scratch Acid and Killdozer. And with Jim, we both love Radiohead. All this different stuff fed my moods. So the mood you hear is Jim and I constantly wanting to make this music we love that makes us happy to hear. That music is a lot artier.

Crahan responded as follows when Rolling Stone noted that the album has a lot of melancholy.

Yeah. The album doesn’t make me cry, but it hurts. There are a lot of things that make me stop and look at myself and my life. Some of our brothers are gone. So that album ended up being a real good timestamp on other emotions … because [in Slipknot] we’re just nine human beings deciding to share our time together.

Crahan said that there are a few more tracks from those sessions, but they aren’t finished, when asked if there is any more material.

I could probably get another five songs [out of the sessions] but they wouldn’t be so complete as these. And Corey would have to sing all of them. There is one song that didn’t make it, but it was heavier, more like a Neurosis thing. I don’t know why it didn’t mix in; it felt a little out of place and intentional. Eventually, it’ll come out.

Crahan responded as follows regarding the ongoing delays and whether or not he believes the release of this album marks the end of a chapter for him.

Yes, it is definitely closing a chapter in that maybe it should have come out a long time ago, but Slipknot always stopped the forward motion of it because we’d be in an album cycle and releasing it would have disrupted both things. So I finally put my foot down, and everybody’s like, ‘It’s about time.’ I love this album so much. I know people are going to love it and I’ve accepted that it’s going to get confused [with Slipknot]. But it’ll also open up the next generation of ‘Look Outside Your Window‘.

When asked if he thought the band would ever play this material live, Crahan said he was open to the notion.

We as a unit of four people, at least some of us, had always said that there would be no reason we couldn’t play this live. Someone would have to play bass if we were playing live; Jim’s not going to play bass and guitar at the same time. So what will be fun for me is getting a real intricate band together to give it to people if they ever actually request it. It could very well be one, two, three special shows. I’m going to wait until someone calls me and goes, ‘Today’s the day, we have a demand.’

“Look Outside Your Window,” a product of its era, has two cameos by Cristina Scabbia, a singer with Lacuna Coil who was dating Root at the time of the sessions.