Shawn “Clown” Crahan believes a lack of talent and risk-taking is jeopardizing the future of the genre, but remains confident in up-and-coming bands.
Clown de Slipknot : “The problem is horrible groups”
In a recent interview with NMESlipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan shared his thoughts on the future of Metal and the challenges of establishing new headliners in the genre. According to him, the current music industry suffers as much from a lack of financial risk-taking as from a real talent deficit.
Crahan, who was reacting in particular to the recent appointment of Sleep Token as headliner of the Download Festival 2025qualified his remarks on this group on the rise by pointing to a more global problem: “They have their niche and they do their business well. It's the fans who ultimately decide. There are a lot of terrible bands out there at the moment, but they seem to work hard and have a solid foundation. If they have what it takes to get there, they deserve everything that gets to them.”
Also read: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai on tour: SatchVai announces concerts in France, Belgium and Switzerland
A lack of talent in the new generation
Crahan then deepened his thoughts on the difficulties encountered by new groups in emerging, particularly due to the evolution of the music market: “The problem is there are so many terrible bands that will become our future headliners. The great era of good music is over for now. We are suffering the consequences of technology: everyone can get into music today. But where are the groups that stand on their own without validation?”
For Clown, the rise of groups like Bring Me The Horizon, which he describes as “exceptional group”is an exception which should serve as a model for newcomers: “Talented groups find themselves pushed into these new circumstances. They have no choice, because otherwise we'll just have mediocre bands who won't sell tickets.”
The financial risks of promoters and the future of the genre
Shawn Crahan also commented on the reluctance of promoters to take risks to support new headliners. If initiatives like the Mayhem Festival or the Summer Slaughter Tour have attempted to highlight emerging groups, their success remains mixed in a difficult economic environment.
“Financiers must dare to take risks to push these few good groups in the right direction. Without this, we will find ourselves in a critical situation for festivals and the future of the genre.”
A call for resilience and effort
Finally, Clown recalled the fundamental values which, according to him, are missing in the current scene: “I never needed the Internet or social media to prove my worth. When people told me to work harder, I did. Today, artists must focus on their music and work tirelessly to earn their place.”
