SLIPKNOT percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan recently told Radio Iowa that the music industry has changed so bands now make their money from concerts rather than albums.

Crahan said. "I'll just be honest. I've never made a dollar on a record. We make our money on the road."

Crahan's band plays a lot of shows in Europe where the festival scene appears to be much more vibrant. "I think America needs to look toward Europe and see what they're doing because over there they all get crazy and they need to have festivals and they just go and they take, like, weeks off and everybody — it doesn't matter if it's your boss or your mom or whatever — it's festival time," Crahan said. "I've played these festivals and they're more than just music. It's cultural. It's have a drink. Have food. Let's take a break from our job and let's really figure out life and then you come to America and it's all, like, selling buttons and this and that and, you know, it's really difficult."

Hungarian webzine HitKit recently conducted an interview with drummer Roy Mayorga (STONE SOUR, AMEBIX, ex-SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, MEDICATION).

HK: As for Stone Sour....what the status of the band now? Seems that Slipknot is gettin active, it means you are on a small lay-off?

RM: Yeah SS is on a Break until end of 2009…until then I’ll be doing drum clinics/sessions and touring with AMEBIX in December January tentivly. Also Black Presidents on Warped tour August 2008. I’ll also have time to develop my self and work on new ideas with drumming/composing and what not. Very excited about that.

HK: “Hell & Consequences” is a very special song, i’m heavily into it… what are your personal feelings about it?

RM: Very special song for me…..I really love to play that song live. Its just a solid pounding song. It was the first song I tracked on the record so it has a very special place in my heart. I feel the same for most first song first takes on past recordings i’ve done…..one most memorable to me other than Hell is “Eye for an Eye” off the first Soulfly record.

HK: “Sillyworld” and “Through Glass” are a bit more melodic ones… hows your relationship with them?

RM: I really love to play those especially because its so different to what I’m use to playing. It allows me to get in more on the dynamic side of drumming which is something i never got to do with past bands….so thats pretty special.

HK: The special edition contains six bonus tracks…you recorded that ones during the album recording sessions or whats the story behind them?

RM: Those are songs all from the same session as the album. Basically the songs didn’t make it on the album originally. But We thought they were great songs just that at the end of the day you have to pic which ones stand out the best to put on an album that hold you
know 13-14 songs. So now that the special addition was in the works We had not only the idea for the Russian concert (Ramp Video Awards) to be included We thought why not put the rest of the songs we recorded too. Would be a shame not to get to share that with
everyone. So it all worked out in the end.

HK: I think Stone Sour is still heavy, but in a different, not the “classic” way. Hows your fanbase mainly looks like? More straight metalheads or just fans of rock music etc.?

RM: We have a very mixed crowd of people from the age of 10-45. All walks of life…punks/metal kids…..parents…you name it. I think the reason is We have a pretty well rounded sound to the band. Theres a song on the record for everyone. The unity of all people and all cultures is a very important thing to me….always has been. Music is the one thing left in the world that has that power to do so. Everyone leaves their bullshit at the
door and comes together and has a great time. I’ve experience that recently in the biggest way possible at the DESSERT ROCK Dubai festival 2007. Not only did you have all of Middle East on the field, you had Australia/India/Asia/Africa/Europe/Russia/….let me just say the whole world rocking out hard and smiling. It was a beautiful thing to see and I’ll never forget it.

HK: As a drummer, how much you feel connected with the lyrical contents of the album (for example by the title track of “Come What(ever) May” -with its political edge)?

RM: Well lets just say I can’t wait until election day. Lets hope the next person We have representing our country will be more worried about taking care of the people not only in the States but sincerly helping others around the world and not worry about how much
money they can make in capitalizing on Oil. Yes I’m a Left wing liberal.

HK: What are your next future plans?

RM: I’m gonna start to get involved in perfoming in Drum clinincs around the world such as DRUMMER LIVE in UK coming this June and after that i have a couple one off tours with Black President and AMEBIX……after all that I’ll be working on writing songs to contribute for the next Stone Sour album and some solo drum arrangement. More on a world, tribal beat sense like i mention earlier.

Europe... your time has come.

After spending the summer tearing up North America on the Mayhem tour, we will finally bring our chaos to you. Joining us on this journey this time around will be Machine Head and Children of Bodom. It's been a long time coming... we know the European fans have been waiting for this. We are breathlessly waiting as well. We cannot wait to throw down with you.

Remember, if it doesn't come from us, the choice is yours on whether or not to believe it. See you soon.

Hard rock enigma SlipKnoT has posted the 7th teaser photograph from a recent photo shoot on the splash page of its web site. Check out this teaser picture here:

According to the French concert information/ticketing web site InfoConcert.com, SLIPKNOT, MACHINE HEAD and CHILDREN OF BODOM will perform at the Zenith de Paris venue in Paris, France on November 21, 2008. This may or may not be the first leaked date of a massive European tour this fall.

SLIPKNOT will co-headline this summer's Rockstar Energy Mayhem tour with DISTURBED, beginning on July 9 in Seattle.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor told Billboard.com on Tuesday (May 13) that the band's new album, tentatively due out on August 12, will "rip your face off," adding, "I don't think the world will be ready for this album." The group's yet-to-be-titled fourth effort will follow up 2004's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)", with Taylor calling it a "very dark" cross between that and its 2001 sophomore CD, "Iowa". Taylor described the new record as having "so much power in it and yet there are so many great spots for melody...It's a controlled chaos that hits you right out of the gate."

As many of you are already aware, Slipknot will be retourning to the UK, Austria and Germany this August.

The band will be appearing at this year's Reading and Leeds Festivals alongside none other than Tenacious D and Metallica! Dates are as follows:

August 22 - Leeds Festival
August 24 - Reading Festival

It doesn't end there...

Slipknot will also be appearing on the Two Days A Week Festival in Wiesen, Austria on August 29th, followed by an appearance at the Area 4 Festival in Ludinghausen, Germany on August 31st.

Other tour announcements to follow very shortly...

ARTISTdirect editor Rick Florino has posted an in-depth review of CAMP FREDDY's performance last Thursday night (May 15) at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. Corey Taylor of STONE SOUR and SLIPKNOT played three songs with the all-star jam band, which included members of ALICE IN CHAINS and JANE'S ADDICTION. The highlight came during ALICE IN CHAINS' "Them Bones" when Taylor channeled late AIC frontman Layne Staley to the fullest. Other guests that brought the house down included DEF LEPPARD's Vivian Campbell, and the biggest surprise, Chad Smith of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.

Check out the photos from this show in our M-L Gallery!

Update: Corey joins Camp Freddy on-stage for Van Halen's "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love":

Corey Taylor performing JUDAS PRIEST's "You've Got Another Thing Coming" with the '80s metal/hard rock tribute band STEEL PANTHER: