Corey Taylor Says Slipknot Management and Roadrunner Records Wouldn’t Allow Him to Join Anthrax

Anthrax vocalist drama — which Axl and I covered religiously in the very early days of MetalSucks — is now a thing of the distant past, with Joey Belladonna firmly entrenched in the singer’s spot and two albums under his belt. The only Bush making headlines these days is the one to whom Trump bragged about his pussy-grabbing technique, and the words “Dan Nelson” would probably inspire little more than a quizzical stare if uttered this side of Nassau County. As for that time Belladonna re-joined the band only to be let go, after which they begged him to come back again… welp, that awkwardness is for him and the other bandmembers to deal with amongst themselves.

There was a moment in 2007 when it seemed Slipknot’s Corey Taylor might fill Anthrax’s vacant vocalist role, although that idea was squashed in a hurry when Roadrunner Records — Slipknot’s label — put the kibosh on it. Now, in a new interview with Scott Ian himself for the latter SiriusXM show Never Meet Your Heroes, Taylor explains in a bit further details about how it all went down. Via Blabbermouth:

I remember Charlie [Benante, Anthrax drummer] getting super stoked and sending me stuff. And I was starting to write lyrics. And then it all went to hell.

I was literally getting ready to fly to Chicago to meet up with you guys. And here comes [Slipknot manager Cory] Brennan, here comes some people from Roadrunner, and it was, ‘You can’t do this.’ And I’m, like, ‘What do you mean I can’t do this? I mean, we’ve got half an album.’ I was so pissed, dude. I was, like, ‘What are you talking about?’ And, basically, they strong-armed me, because they wanted the new Slipknot album, which, at the time, I was about the only person who could really kind of rein everybody in, to get them going; it was a very strange time. But they weren’t gonna let me do it; they just straight-up weren’t gonna let me do it. And I just remember… even before I called you guys, just sitting in my kitchen and just being so downtrodden, just crestfallen, because I had looked so forward to everything. And the whole thing that I just kept saying was, ‘I’ve let you guys down.’ I thought Charlie was mad at me for the longest time.

I mean, I get it: Slipknot’s managers and label have priorities, and those priorities revolve around one of their biggest clients putting out an album and all the activity that follows. Both have serious time and money investments and couldn’t be expected to wait around. With a band as big as Anthrax, it wouldn’t have been possible for Corey to give his all to Slipknot AND Anthrax… and that doesn’t even take into account Stone Sour.

But on the other hand… man! How cool would Taylor + Anthrax have been? And for Taylor to be denied an opportunity to sing for one of the bands he grew up listening to, ouch, that had to hurt.

Now, if that entire album of music Corey Taylor recorded with Velvet Revolver will ever see the light of day…