Slipknot is a band that is very polarizing in the metal community, having been branded nu-metal very early on and for being much more mainstream than many troo kvlt metalheads can stomach. But let’s put that aside for today, and since today is both Bass Day AND the release date of the new Slipknot album .5 – The Gray Chapter, let’s take a look at some of these humanizing interviews with the sadly deceased former bass player Paul Gray, with and without his mask.
In this one, he talks about his gear (hence why we put it first), how he started playing, and how a Slayer concert blew his mind and made him want to play.
One of his final interviews, talking about being a family man.
Here’s him giving a lesson on how to play Duality.
Here’s what I’m pretty sure is his first unmasked interview, where he talks about how fame hasn’t changed him and he still drinks at the same bars, hangs with the same people, and doesn’t consider himself a rock star. Makes you wonder if that changed when they removed the masks.
Another cool nerdy one where he talks about convincing Ibanez to bring back the ATK bass, the kind of picks he likes to use, and how Shawn “Clown” Crahan would be the only one wearing his mask at practice in the beginning.
You can hear the new Slipknot album streaming in it’s entirety here or download it on iTunes as of today.
