Over time, Slipknot has experienced a gradual shift from their original 1999 lineup due to various reasons, including the tragic deaths of drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray, as well as the departures of keyboardist Craig “133” Jones and percussionist Chris Fehn in recent years.

The question arises: What would be the breaking point for Slipknot? According to Corey Taylor, it all boils down to whether everyone still has the desire to continue. In an interview with Rock Antenne, Taylor expressed his willingness to help find a replacement for himself if he ever wanted to retire and if the rest of the band wanted to carry on. He emphasized that Slipknot exists as a collective entity and would continue with new members if they are all fully committed.

“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. And it was hard moving on without Paul. It was hard moving on when we had to part ways with [Joey]. 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.

“I’ve said it since day one — if I didn’t want to do Slipknot, I wouldn’t do it. And I think I’ve proved that. The reason I stick around is because I want to do 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.”

Regarding future touring plans, Taylor believes his days with Slipknot are numbered, which aligns with recent comments made by founding percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan.

“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. 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.”