S Poddar
The estate of Joey Jordison has settled a lawsuit against Slipknot, a case that raked in worldwide attention due to the concerns over how the band managed the legacy of the late musician.
Released in July 2021, Slipknot’s longtime drummer Joey Jordison is deceased at age 46. Just two months later, his estate has filed a lawsuit on June 30, 2023, that argues that the band has profited off of his name and personal effects by using them in a traveling exhibition referred to as Knotfest. Even after a promise was made in 2013, when Jordison left the band, reportedly quitting for personal reasons, the estate claims his possessions were still being used to earn money, something they say had not been authorized by the family.
Very recent reports show that the Jordison estate has filed for an unconditional settlement regarding the lawsuit, dated September 17, 2024. Information on this settlement is private, but such an event is a huge development after the stormy period experienced by both parties in their relationships.
In the filing of the original lawsuit, the primary contention presented by the estate was how the members of Slipknot reacted to Jordison’s death. They accused some of the band members, among them Shawn “Clown” Crahan and lead vocalist Corey Taylor, of duping fans by saying they reached out to Jordison’s family members for paying their respects. The estate described the claims as “wholly false” and was deeply troubled by what they said was clear dishonesty that only served to forward the commercial and publicity interests of the band.
Jordison is one of the co-founders of Slipknot, formed with late bassist Paul Gray and Crahan in 1995; he powerfully streamlined the sound of the band and also part of their success. He left the group after having encountered severe personal strife for which he admitted he was suffering from a condition called transverse myelitis, which is a serious neurological disorder of the spinal cord. This health fight had been the core of his leaving the group and not widely talked about until he shared it with the world in an interview later on.
It does continue on the musical as well as creative airplanes after Jordison’s demise. Its seventh studio album was released in September 2022, titled The End, So Far, marking the sound for their continuing creative journey, though hardly without a shadow looming over it.
Recently the band also made news around its lineup change. Last November it has been confirmed that drummer Jay Weinberg is leaving the group after having spent 10 years with Slipknot. On his departure, “to evolve and take things in a direction we need to,” was how he generally described it through an official announcement. Post Weinberg, Eloy Casagrande, who formerly pounded skins for Sepultura, would be taking on the responsibilities, apart from that, keyboardist Craig Jones will no longer be in the picture as his role will now be performed by an unspecified member.
It reveals the whole serious endeavor by the band to reinvent itself; however, the question that arises about honoring past members is of particular importance, as influential as Jordison. Fans continue to be deeply invested in the band’s journey-that is a complicated relationship with nostalgia and evolution.
As the legal issues begin to dissipate, Jordison’s legacy resonates throughout the metal community. His positions as both drummer and songwriter form a symbiotic part of Slipknot’s core identity. The case is closed, but the dialogue over respect, legacy, and ethical treatment of a deceased member’s estate will linger in this community as a reminder of the tension between personal relationships and business interests in the music world.
Joey Jordison’s impact on Slipknot and heavier metal at large is vast, and fans will undoubtedly continue to reach out for illumination of how they proceed forward in this legacy while navigating ahead.
