We can officially say that Chris Fehn is no longer a member of Slipknot. One of the band’s two percussion players (the other one being Shawn Crahan) filed a lawsuit against his bandmates last week claiming that the actual proceeds from merchandise and concert ticket sales were allegedly kept secret from him by his bandmates, who have set up several other Slipknot affiliated business entities in different states that appear to be collecting money from the entire band.
Fehn has also said he was looking for a full forensic accounting on Slipknot‘s assets and wants to collect the money he believes he is entitled to being paid.
It comes as no surprise that the reaction to the lawsuit, which was filed on March 14, was Fehn and Slipknot parting ways. The split was announced yesterday. A short statement posted on the band’s official website reads:
“Slipknot’s focus is on making album #6, and our upcoming shows around the world, our best ever. Chris knows why he is no longer a part of Slipknot. We are disappointed that he chose to point fingers and manufacture claims, rather than doing what was necessary to continue to be a part of Slipknot. We would have preferred he not take the path that he has, but evolution in all things is a necessary part of this life. Long Live The Knot.”
It is worth noting that Chris Fehn actually directs his claims against two Slipknot members – singer Corey Taylor and percussionist Shawn Crahan. A response from Taylor (known for his sharp tongue) was delivered very shortly after via Twitter:
“You’re gonna read a lot of bullshit today. This is all I’ll say. JUST YOU WAIT TIL THE TRUTH COMES OUT. Long Live The Knot.”
We all should probably wait for that since we seem to be dealing with a classic case of Fehn’s word agains Taylor’s and Taylor’s against Fehns.
The concert tour Slipknot mentions in the statement kicks off on June 7 in Finland, continues in the US and Canada between July 26 and early September (the bill also features Volbeat, Gojira and Behemoth) to take its final leg to Australia as Metallica’s special guests.
