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Craig Jones has left Slipknot

Slipknot have announced that samplist Craig Jones – who has been with the band since 1996 – has departed for good

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Slipknot have announced that Craig Jones, the spikily-masked samplist and keyboard player who has been with the Iowans since 1996, has left the band.

Posting a simple message via their official social media channels, Slipknot state:

“To our fans, Slipknot is announcing that we have parted ways with Craig Jones. We wish Jones all the best for the future.”

No reason for Jones’ departure from the band has been given, and there is no confirmation if Jones will be replaced for Slipknot’s current run of European live dates, which have kicked off tonight in Austria at Nova Rock Festival.

Jones joined the band following the completion of Slipknot’s debut EP, 1996’s Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat. He has appeared on every Slipknot studio album since. The 51 year old is famously press-averse and has rarely done any kind of interviews during his 27 years with the band.

The news of Jones leaving the metal heavyweights comes on the same day that it was revealed Slipknot percussionist and co-founder Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan would be sitting out upcoming dates to look after his wife, who is suffering from unnamed health issues.

In a statement released on social media earlier today, Crahan said:

“Hello to all of our fans, it’s the clown. I would like to take a moment to tell everyone that I’m back home supporting my wife through some health issues, and I’ll be back on the road as soon as I can.

We’ve been through this before and as always, we appreciate the love and support. See all of you very soon.

Thank you.
clown.”

Slipknot headline the Sunday night of this weekend’s historic, four-day Download festival in the UK.

Source: loudersound.com