A masked and mournful tribute by The Riff Report Blog
“You cannot kill what you did not create.” โ Slipknot
๐ฉธ JULY 26, 2021 โ WHEN METAL LOST ITS FASTEST FREAKING DRUMMER
There are drummers…
And then there was Joey Jordison โ Slipknotโs masked demon, blastbeat wizard, and human octopus behind the kit. On July 26, 2021, he passed away in his sleep. Just 46 years old. No noise. No chaos. Justโฆ gone.
A silence heavier than any riff.
Fans, metalheads, and kit-crushers around the globe dropped sticks in disbelief. The man who made drums scream? Now silent. ๐๐ฅ
๐ค WHO WAS JOEY JORDISON?
- Born April 26, 1975, in Des Moines, Iowa
- Found his first drumsticks before he could tie his laces
- Co-founded Slipknot in 1995 โ a band that would become the stuff of nightmares and legends
- Also played with Murderdolls, Rob Zombie, Korn, Ministry, Sinsaenum and more.
- Created blastbeats so fast, they needed seatbelts
He wore mask #1 in the Knot, but he wasnโt hiding.
He was dominating. ๐๐ฅ
๐ฅ THE SLIPKNOT YEARS: PURE CHAOS, PERFECT PRECISION
Joey didnโt just play drums. He punished them.
He flipped upside down on a rotating riser mid-solo. He destroyed kits on national TV. He looked like a horror villain and played like he had four arms and a grudge against the metronome.
๐ฟ Album Highlights:
- Slipknot (1999) โ Wait and Bleed, Surfacing โ raw madness
- Iowa (2001) โ People = Sht*, Disasterpiece โ pain weaponised
- Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (2004) โ Before I Forget โ Grammy-winning fury
- All Hope Is Gone (2008) โ Psychosocial, Sulfur โ destruction polished
Every single beat? Joey. Fing. Jordison.***
A man who made his snare sound like machine gun fire in a thunderstorm. โก
โฐ๏ธ THE SPLIT: A KNOT UNRAVELS
In 2013, Joey left Slipknot under mysterious circumstances.
Rumours flew. Emotions flared. Fans were tamping.
Later, he revealed the truth:
He had transverse myelitis, a neurological condition that robbed him of his ability to play drums. At one point, he couldnโt even walk.
โI didnโt quit Slipknot. I would never quit. I got fired.โ
That interview? ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฅ
He was Slipknot. At least the rhythm. The rage. The roar.
โ๏ธ THE COMEBACK: NEVER COUNT OUT A BERSERKER
Joey didnโt lie down. He came back swinging with:
- Sinsaenum โ blackened death fury
- Guest spots, clinics, and solos that ripped
- A promise to drum until he couldnโt hold the sticks anymore
He lived for rhythm. And rage.
And pain. And purpose.
And he never stopped loving the fans who wore his mask.
๐ฏ๏ธ JULY 26, 2021 โ THE DRUMSTICKS FELL
Joey was found dead at home. No foul play. No drugs.
Just gone. Quietly. At 46.
The world? Crushed.
- Corey Taylor: โIโm at a loss. My heart is broken.โ
- Shawn โClownโ Crahan: โThe man who started it all.โ
- Paul Gray. Joey Jordison. Gone. But not erased.
๐ฅ JOEYโS STYLE: THE FURY OF A THOUSAND DRUMS
- Blastbeats that melted metronomes
- Double kick drums that could cave in chests
- Fills that sounded like car crashes
- Groove underneath the chaos
- That spinning riser solo at 2004 Download? LEGENDARY
He was the drummer drummers were afraid of.
The kind of monster that made you want to practice forever or just give up and cry.
๐ง JOEY ESSENTIAL TRACKS โ LISTEN WITH A NECKBRACE
- Disasterpiece โ Slipknot
- People = Sh*t โ Slipknot
- The Blister Exists โ THAT drum intro, mun!
- Eeyore โ Slipknot hidden track chaos
- Sulfur โ Percussive annihilation
- Custer (Live) โ Watch fans lose their damn minds
- Army of Chaos โ Sinsaenum
- Psychosocial โ That groove never quits
- Heretic Anthem (Live at Download) โ Pure fury
- 742617000027 โ What even is this? But yes.
๐ฃ๏ธ FANS STILL SCREAM HIS NAME
โJoey made me pick up sticks. Then made me cry with how fast he was.โ โ @blastbeast666
โIโm still air-drumming to Disasterpiece at my nanโs house.โ โ @maskedmosher
โSlipknot lost a brother. We lost a legend.โ โ @coreycoreycorey
๐ญ JOEYโS MASK โ A LEGACY IN LEATHER
He wore a white kabuki-style mask at first. Then black.
Then one with zippers, like a horror movie cosplaying your nightmares.
Always expressive. Always terrifying.
Alwaysโฆ Joey.
๐ THE DRUMMER IN THE DARKNESS
Joey Jordison gave everything to the kit.
He bled for the beat.
He screamed through snare hits.
He gave metal a drummer that could challenge its gods.
Gone at 46.
But you still hear him in every kick, every blast, every slammed-down stick in a Slipknot pit.
JOEY JORDISON
April 26, 1975 โ July 26, 2021
The Blastbeat Berserker. The Masked Monster. The Drum God.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
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