Days after Slipknot announced that his services behind the drum kit were no longer needed, Jay Weinberg has taken to social media to share his thoughts on the matter.
Up until last Sunday, Weinberg was the band’s drummer for the last decade since being chosen as Joey Jordison‘s replacement. As such, he was a constant figure as the band performed all over the world and was featured on every studio release since 2014’s .5: The Gray Chapter.
As you can read in his statement below, Weinberg expressed his gratitude to the fans who stuck with him along the way, despite having to fill such massive shoes.
“I sometimes wonder what it would be like to pay a visit to my wide-eyed, 10-year-old self — falling head over heels in love with a new and exciting sound and culture — and tell him all about the last 10 years. Even on the hardest days, I’d like to think he’d be stoked about the adventure that was in store for him.
“I was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call that I did on the morning of November 5th; the news of which, most of you learned shortly after. However, I’ve been overwhelmed by — and truly grateful for — the outpouring of love and support I’ve received from this incredible community I consider to be my creative and artistic home.
“This is not the ending to the journey I’d dreamt of, and committed myself to seeing through — not by a long shot. But, despite the confusion and sadness, there is something that’s provided an equal amount of comfort. For many of you reading this: 10 years ago, we weren’t yet acquainted. And now, we are. For that, I’m thankful in ways I’ll never be able to fully express.
“I love playing the drums. I’ll always love playing the drums. I’ll always have a passion for music, art, and creative expression. Nothing will ever change that.
“I don’t know how, and I don’t know when, but I look forward to creating loud, passionate, and heartfelt music that we enjoy together again. Until then, please know it’s been the joy of a lifetime to spend the last 10 years with you, sharing in our love for this special corner of the music and art world.
“This isn’t the end, and I’m thrilled to discover what the future has in store for us.
“Thank you.”
Naturally, Weinberg opted to tap into the feelings he has as a fan, nodding to the fact that he grew up loving Slipknot from an early age. As the son of Max Weinberg, who himself plays drums for Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and had been the band leader for Conan O’Brien’s late night talk show run, Max had famously gotten to meet his idols at a young age, resulting in a pretty well known image.
While his statement is heartfelt, there’s one thing that stands out — there’s no mention of his former bandmates. It’s hard not to read too much into that, having read so many other statements from outgoing band members in other situations — usually those include some nod to the people they spent so much time with in the studio and on the road.
This now marks the second time this year that a member has been ousted from the group. Back in June, long-time keyboardist Craig Jones was removed from the band just hours before they were supposed to kick off their European tour this past summer. In that case, Jones had been a member since 1996.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens next for Weinberg. For now, it’s just a waiting game to see who will take his place.