It was announced last week that former Slipknot drummer, Joey Jordison (real name Nathan Jonas "Joey" Jordison), passed away at the age of 46. Former Senior Vice President of A&R for Roadrunner Records, Monte Connor, who signed Slipknot to the label, has paid tribute to Jordison in a piece published by Variety. An excerpt is available below.

Monte Connor: "Slipknot cofounder and drummer Joey Jordison was one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Fans know him for his explosive, no-holds-barred drumming style, but most don’t realize he was also a gifted songwriter, arranger and guitarist who understood the art of crafting huge choruses and hooks. Along with the band’s bassist, Paul Gray (who died in 2010), Joey wrote the majority of the band’s music, with vocalist Corey Taylor adding the unforgettable lyrics that would resonate with and speak to the 'Maggots', as the band called their fans. Tying it all together was percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan, Slipknot’s creative leader and the one behind the band’s concept and image. Those songs impacted music far the beyond the metal world; they reached the masses and will live on as anthems for the ages.

In early 1998, I received the demo for 'Spit It Out' — and heard what I’d needed to hear. It was the first track they’d written that contained all the elements that ultimately would define Slipknot and put them on the map: It was raw, seething, emotional, explosive, creative, guttural and beautiful all at the same time, and completely untethered from tradition. It did not fit any genre of metal, but seemed to take the best elements from the entire metal palette and combine them all into an utterly unique, multi-dimensional beast. And it was all driven by the foundation of Joey’s over-the-top, manic drumming style. Everything had coalesced and it felt like all the planets had finally aligned — I saw the band’s true potential and knew I had to sign them.

I flew out to a showcase gig they’d set up for me and one other label, in Chicago at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s McCormick Auditorium, on April 4, 1998, opening for alt-pop singer Sister Soleil. What an odd and sterile place, not to mention a strange pairing, to be seeing Slipknot for the very first time. (This was long before the advent of YouTube and I don’t recall being sent a live video, although I had seen photos of the band.)

That night, it was actually their music that spoke to me, even more than the spectacle I was seeing. I saw what they could become, and how truly huge they could be if given the means to take their songs and their show to a wider level. 

I went backstage to hang with the band, and after a few minutes, Joey immediately pulled me aside. He not only had a vast knowledge of extreme and underground heavy metal, but he was an encyclopedia on all things Roadrunner Records. He wanted to talk about Deicide, Obituary, Suffocation, Sepultura and all his favorite bands on the label, and hear some insider stories. He knew as much about Roadrunner’s roster and history as I did, if not more — and I’d been with the label since 1987. I could also tell that as much as he genuinely wanted to talk about those bands, he was also trying to impress me… and he certainly did. In all of my A&R travels I had never experienced a musician who was so plugged into and knowledgeable about the label and even my career. He and his bandmates were about to change not just my life, but the entire trajectory of Roadrunner Records and the music world.

Joey was a truly groundbreaking character who will be sorely missed by metal fans worldwide. I feel incredibly lucky to have been a part of his all-too-short but seismic journey."

Read the complete tribute here.

Slipknot have since released the video below, along with the following message:

"Our hearts go out to Joey’s family and loved ones at this time of tremendous loss. Joey Jordison’s art, talent, and spirit could not be contained or be held back. Joey’s impact on Slipknot, on our lives, and on the music that he loved, is incalculable. Without him there would be no us. We mourn his loss with the entire Slipknot family. We love you, Joey."

Photo courtesy of Monte Connor