Corey Taylor Would Help Slipknot Find Replacement if He Retired

The question for every performer that emerges later in life is how much longer can one keep performing, or at least at the same level that's been delivered in the past? Slipknot's Corey Taylor forecasted how many more years he thinks he has left in the tank of "physically touring like this" and even said that if he wanted to retire and the band wanted to go on that he'd help them find his replacement.

We've all seen musicians defy their age, maintaining high caliber performances well beyond the expectations of so many fans. But time will come for everyone in the end, which is what makes the time onstage and still being able to cut it so precious and valuable, a notion that is not lost on Taylor in a new interview with Rock Antenne.

Corey Taylor Forecasts How Many Years He Can Still Tour at This Level

"As long as I can physically do it, and as long as there are people there to see it, man, I'll continue to do it. Now, if the quality starts to fail, then I'll know it's time to hand it in," the frontman, who will release his second solo album CMF2 later this year, says. It's something Taylor has repeatedly expressed over the years, and the more that time goes by, the more he stays rooted in his convictions.

The singer continues, "And I've already thought about it — I've already thought about, maybe I've got another five years left of physically touring like this. I try to take care of myself. I work out when I can. The travel out here [in Europe] is exhausting; the food is horrible; so it makes it hard to do that. But as long as I can keep at it, that's at least what I wanna do. So, yeah, it is what it is."

It doesn't come across as a hard end date, as if he's got five years and that's it no matter what. Taylor is just being realistic in accepting that as he approaches his mid-50s at the projected timeline, his body may not have as much to give as he'd like in order to endure the grind of the road as well as intense headlining performances with Slipknot.

Corey Taylor on a Hypothetical Retirement From Slipknot

In 2019, Taylor floated the idea that he could indeed be replaced if he "just couldn't do it anymore." It felt like a shock to hear at the time, but after the recent departure of Craig Jones, which pares the classic nine-member group down to just five remaining from that early era (Taylor, Shawn "Clown" Crahan, Jim Root, Mick Thomson and Sid Wilson), we've all seen how members come and go in Slipknot, new ones readily accepted by fans.

Still, Taylor is one of the most notable frontmen in metal's history, so the idea of replacing him is still just as much of a challenge. But the singer will help the band tackle that challenge if it comes down to it.

"If they wanted to continue and I wanted to retire, I would help them find somebody, to be honest. This band has always been bigger than the sum of its own parts," Taylor explains, continuing, "And it was hard moving on without Paul [Gray]. It was hard moving on when we had to part ways with Joey [Jordison]. It's always been hard when the original nine ceases to be the original nine, but at the same time, the ones who are here are here because we love it, and we've always gotten something out of it."

The singer reiterates that he still does Slipknot because he wants to keep doing it.

"There's still something in my heart and my soul that needs it. I don't know if that's good or bad. Obviously, psychotherapy will help me out with that shit. But at the same time, it's… it's once in a lifetime, man," he acknowledged, fully aware of just how rare it is to achieve the things Slipknot have.

Watch the full interview with Rock Antenne below.