Jim Root on 25 Years Since Slipknot’s Debut, Taking Off the Masks for a Show, Authentic Tones

Jim Root, one-half of Slipknot's twin guitar towers, has been a driving force behind the band's crushing riffs and evolving sound for over two decades. In this interview he discusses revisiting early songs, chasing authentic tones on tour, his vintage guitar obsession, the possibility of taking off the masks for a show, and why the work never really ends. The conversation is broken into sections: 00:00 EMG Pickups, 00:34 25 Years Since Slipknot’s Debut, 01:51 Revisiting classic tracks, 02:34 A New Generation in the shows, 03:56 Authentic Tones Live, 04:49 Live Rig for This Tour (Quad Cortex), 06:01 The Feel of a Digital Rig, 08:59 ’80s & ’90s Guitars Are Vintage Now, 12:56 Jim Root’s Audition with Slipknot, 16:54 Expectations for the Band at the Start, 18:38 Writing 'Iowa' – “No Sophomore Slump”, 20:37 Anonymity in the Early Days, 21:12 Taking Off the Masks for a Show?, 22:09 Slipknot New Music?, 22:59 25th-Anniversary Reissue of the Self-Titled Album, 24:07 Advice for a Young Fan’s First Slipknot Show, 25:17 Seeing Dave Mustaine in the Flesh, 26:13 End-Credits Song for a Slipknot Biopic?