Slipknot’s mystery member spoke for the first time in a new masked interview, alongside bandmates Shawn “Clown” Crahan and new drummer Eloy Casagrande.
While Slipknot confirmed Casagrande’s identity on social media in April, just after their very first live performances with him, they’ve yet to share the name of the mystery member, who replaced Craig Jones in the summer of 2023. Instead, they’ve simply referred to him as “Samples.”
In a new promotional interview for their mask collaboration with the video game Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, fans can hear Mr. Samples speak for the very first time since joining The ‘Knot. In the clip, he’s dubbed “New Guy.”
“I think anybody who’s listened to Slipknot over the years or seen them, there’s an obvious darkness,” he said.
“It’s just strange, you know? When you have this on, it gives you a chance to really be someone — an alter ego. I think it just reflects a great opportunity to be able to release the beast, and it’s a great experience… I feel like it’s an amplified version of me, but perhaps if I was to step out and look at myself, I may notice a different persona.”
Clown and Casagrande also spoke about what Slipknot’s masks mean to them and to their art.
“We have the bad side, we have the demons inside us, we have the gods inside us,” the drummer added. “You just need to keep the balance, and that’s what Slipknot talks about.”
See the full video below.
Slipknot Interview – Clown, New Guy + Eloy Casagrande, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance
Slipknot’s Mystery Member Might Be Named Jeff
Back in April, prior to Slipknot’s first performance of 2024, fans uncovered some potential clues on the website youcantkillme.com. One fan on Reddit opened the source code of a hidden video they found on the site, which listed the names of all of the members.
READ MORE: Therapist Concludes One Thing About Slipknot After Seeing All Their Videos
At the time, Casagrande’s identity hadn’t officially been confirmed by the band yet, but Eloy and Jeff were two of the names found within the code. Thus, fellow Reddit users speculated that Jeff is Jeff Karnowski, who was involved in the project Dirty Little Rabbits with Clown and Michael “Tortilla Man” Pfaff in the 2000s.
Karnowski was also part of another group called The Snacks with Pfaff at one point, as well.
The Snacks Live (featuring Jeff Karnowski and Michael Pfaff)
All 19 Musicians Who’ve Been in Slipknot
Here’s every musician who’s been a member of Slipknot.
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner
