Slipknot’s Touring Playbook is Getting a Shake-Up, Says Corey Taylor

Slipknot’s endless cycle of tours has always begged the question: how do they breathe between the chaos? For Corey Taylor, who’s juggling Slipknot, solo projects, and Stone Sour, the answer is becoming increasingly clear—he doesn’t. Or at least, he didn’t, until his body and mind had enough. Taylor’s recent revelation about needing to overhaul his hectic schedule offers a rare glimpse into the toll of life in the fast lane.

Earlier this year, Taylor hit a wall so hard it sidelined his solo tour entirely. In an interview with Alternative Press, he called it “a real dark point” that forced him to re-evaluate his priorities. Say what you will about Taylor’s theatrics, but his brutal honesty about mental health is refreshing in an industry that thrives on pushing its stars to burnout.

His self-diagnosis? Too much time chasing the spotlight, not nearly enough time living. The man who once seemed unstoppable now admits the constant grind almost took him out. “I found that my pursuit of work and all things ego was killing me. And nearly killed me,” he confessed during the interview.

Making the Change: Corey isn’t just talking the talk here—he’s actively pulling back. He plans to limit his time away from home to no more than two-and-a-half weeks at a stretch. Slipknot’s tours, once an unstoppable juggernaut, will now run on a more human schedule. For Taylor, the shift isn’t just a career adjustment; it’s about reclaiming his life.

“I’ve reinvested my life to the point where I’m only going to work so much,” he said. “I’m putting importance back on the things I really value. That is the greatest gift I could give myself and my family.”

But don’t mistake this as a clean break. Taylor candidly admitted to struggling with boundaries, ego, and a “very, very real, very near relapse.” His own words paint the picture: “I kinda don’t recognize myself. So, again, I wanted to address this and just tell people that I needed time to reset. I need time to start working on my heart and mind and get straight.”

The Band’s Future: Slipknot’s immediate plans don’t include full retirement, though. They’re set to play Rocklahoma during Labor Day weekend, followed by a smattering of shows in September. After that, the band takes a well-deserved breather until late October.

Let’s hope they make good use of the downtime—because while fans might want them on stage 24/7, nobody needs another casualty to the music industry’s relentless machine. Corey’s new approach might just save him—and possibly Slipknot itself—from the abyss.

If nothing else, it’s a wake-up call: even the loudest voices need silence sometimes.

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