Corey Taylor has gained attention as the lead vocalist of heavy metal band Slipknot. But the singer and guitarist has had a long and varied career that has ranged from singing to songwriting and acting. He also founded the rock band Stone Sour, which has allowed him to explore music outside of the metal genre.
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Taylor is known for his eclectic and versatile vocal style. As a singer, he jumps effortlessly from smooth vocals to rapping to the growls and screams typical of metal music. But he also has a beautifully melodic voice and can hold his own in a rock track, rap battle, or as a background singer.
As the frontman of Slipknot, Taylor has helped shape nu-metal and heavy metal as distinct genres. The band’s aggressive, over-the-top style, especially during live performances, set the bar for other metal bands at the turn of the 21st century. Much of Taylor’s inspiration for metal comes from his traumatic childhood experiences, which sometimes left him feeling aggressive, hopeless, or suicidal. Channeling these feelings into metal music has given him an outlet not often seen in other genres. Slipknot has received 10 Grammy nominations and won one, while Stone Sour has been nominated for three.
Taylor is also a talented songwriter, having composed many songs for Slipknot and Stone Sour. He has often collaborated with other musicians, seamlessly crossing genres from metal to rock, rap, and more. These three songs featured Taylor as a guest vocalist but were also partly written by the rock metal all-star.
1. Jumpdafuckup — Soulfly ft. Corey Taylor, 2000
Written by Max Cavalera & Corey Taylor
Taylor’s 2000 collaboration with nu-metal band Soulfly has been called one of the greatest in the history of rap metal. The fierce track features Taylor and Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera in a furious rap exchange. But the story of how they came to collaborate is anything but typical. Taylor and Cavalera were mutual fans as members of the newly developed nu-metal genre. They had met and planned to collaborate but had trouble coordinating schedules. Then, one day, Cavalera decided to jump the gun.
“Corey was playing in Arizona the week we were in the studio,” Cavalera told Revolver Mag. “Me and my friend drove to the venue, and they’re just about to soundcheck, and I shout, ‘Hey Corey, what’s up! We have to go to the studio and record! We pretty much kidnapped him.”
I’m full of hate, don’t fuck with me
Walking in the streets and looking at all this shit
Open up your eyes and fucking see
We got the tribe against society
We got to fight the real enemy
Get the fuck up, stand the fuck up, back the fuck up!
2. Wither — Tech N9ne ft. Corey Taylor, 2015
Written by Corey Taylor & Aaron Dontez Yates
Rapper Tech N9ne had been a Slipknot superfan for decades before collaborating with Taylor in 2015. He had long had Taylor on his list of “dream collaborations” and was thrilled when the singer agreed to feature on his song “Wither.” Tech had already recorded his part, so he sent it to Taylor, who was immediately impressed. The piece was already excellent, but Taylor’s contribution made it truly epic.
“The songs that I did with Tech N9ne were amazing,” Taylor told Loudwire. “Just the fact that he was down to let me go off and do my thing. ‘Wither’ is just such a great song.”
I am looking for some fire, yeah, putting on my gang attire
Drooling and blood I can taste, so get the fuck outta my face
I’m a killer with a quick switch, yeah, all I ever really wanted was bliss
Look at me wither to waste, so get the fuck outta my face
3. Murder Ballad II — The Dead Deads ft. Corey Taylor, 2021
Written by The Dead Deads & Corey Taylor
Taylor met trio group The Dead Deads when they opened for Stone Sour. After listening to their album For Your Obliteration, he began to talk to frontwoman Leticia Wolf about a possible collaboration. The result was “Murder Ballad II,” which Taylor co-wrote with Wolf; he also contributed vocals. The track is a country-rock powerhouse duet that allows both Taylor and Wolf to show off their vocal range.
“We had the chance to have them on some Stone Sour shows, and me and [Wolf] hit it off as songwriters,” Taylor told Revolver Mag. “She said, ‘I’ve got this idea for a follow-up to ‘Murder Ballad,’ which was essentially ‘Murder Ballad II.’ Through video, we went back and forth, building this song and working it out. It became something really, really cool.”
As our canon closes
We’ll finally slip away
Lovers in a silhouette
Too earnest to decay
Choking back I love yous
Fingers digging in
If I can’t have you, no one can
Let this end begin
