Slipknot’s Clown Talks Promoter Risks, Lack of Talent Behind New Metal Headliners

It’s often said that heavy metal is approaching a crossroads—or perhaps even a crisis. The pioneers who built the genre are now in their 70s, while the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and thrash icons of the 1980s are mostly in their 60s.

Even the biggest names of nü-metal’s first wave—arguably metal’s final moment of mainstream dominance—are now in their late 40s and early 50s.

While evergreen giants like Metallica, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden remain festival staples and arena headliners, they’re firmly established as the genre’s elder statesmen.

Looking back, the late ‘90s and early 2000s nü-metal movement may have been the last true influx of headlining acts, gifting us enduring names like Linkin Park, System Of A Down, Korn, Evanescence, and Deftones.

That’s not to say there haven’t been successes since. Bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, and Lamb Of God pushed metal forward in the mid-2000s. In recent years, Five Finger Death Punch, Bring Me The Horizon, and Falling In Reverse have carved out impressive legacies of their own.

More promising still, metal’s newer generation—led by acts like Turnstile, Bad Omens, and Sleep Token—has seen viral success translate into genuine ticket and merch sales. However, unlike the environment their predecessors enjoyed, today’s mainstream disinterest in metal means smaller profits and greater risks.

The industry apparatus that once fueled the genre’s rise is a shadow of its former self. Streaming platforms dominate, forcing artists to rely on relentless touring and merch sales just to break even.

But the financial pressure doesn’t stop with bands. Promoters are also feeling the squeeze. Why risk losing money on an unproven bill when the safe bet—an expensive, established headliner—will reliably turn a profit?

Unfortunately, that short-term mindset may hurt metal in the long run. Ash Avildsen—promoter, Sumerian Records founder, and the driving force behind this year’s reactivated Mayhem Festival and Summer Slaughter Tour—has made a bold attempt to buck the trend. Booking bills stacked with promising up-and-comers, Avildsen spoke out this past October:

“I love all the older acts that headline a lot of the rock festivals in the U.S. But I think it’s a bit naïve to think that there’s not an urgent need to break new headlining bands. When I think back to when I was a teenager in the Nineties, the whole new wave of big bands like Korn and Slipknot were young guys.

It’s been a long time since we’ve had a wave of bands with singers that are in their twenties that can really headline festivals. I feel like we’re finally there with a number of bands, [and] I think Mayhem can really help elevate this era the same way that it had elevated bands 10-15 years ago.”

While ambitious, Ash Avildsen’s high-stakes bookings didn’t fully deliver on expectations. The Veil Of Maya-headlined Summer Slaughter Tour struggled with middling attendance in several markets, and the Bad Omens and Parkway Drive-led Mayhem Festival also fell a bit short of its potential.

To be fair, external factors played a role in those outcomes. Stiff competition, economic strain, and a tough concert market made 2024 a brutal year for promoters. Even multi-platinum acts and long-running festivals outside of metal weren’t immune to cancellations and lackluster ticket sales—a trend that may carry into next year.

Avildsen isn’t alone in sounding the alarm for metal’s future. Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson weighed in on the issue last year, pointing a finger at the industry’s reliance on safe, established acts. “The big corporations took everything over, and they’re interested in making money,” Dickinson explained. “They propagate the big headliners, but they don’t bring on the bands that create the drama, to create the fanbase, to create the dedication to bring it up.”

While Avildsen’s attempts were bold, the UK has taken a more cautious approach. Rising British alternative metal force Sleep Token have been announced as headliners for the closing night of Download Festival 2025—a notable leap for a band that’s proven their arena-level draw in the UK and Europe. Still, Download is hedging its bets with legacy acts Green Day and Korn filling the other two headlining slots.

Sleep Token’s booking hasn’t come without controversy. Despite their massive popularity, some fans have criticized the decision to place them at the top of the bill. Download founder Andy Copping has stood by the choice, confident in the band’s ability to rise to the challenge.

When Slipknot percussionist M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan—a veteran of Download stages—was asked about Sleep Token’s headlining nod in a recent interview with NME, he had this to say:

“They have their niche and they must be doing their business well. The old me might have torn it down, but the new me, the real me, is just like ‘Hey, it’s always up to the fans’. The fans let the business people know what to do. The fans speak and the business people listen.

They must be very popular, and you’ve got to remember that there’s not a lot of good music out there. There just isn’t. In my opinion, these days there are so many horrible bands right now. I’ve seen Sleep Token, I’ve watched them for a bit and I’ve downloaded their stuff. They have their niche and they have a fan base.

It doesn’t matter if it has divided [Download fans] because that means 50 per cent are getting what they want. I no longer worry about these sorts of things, I just worry about being me and about being in the moment. If they’re a good band, and if they work hard – as it seems like they do – they deserve everything they get.”

When Clown was asked if promoters should be taking more risks to break new headliners, he reinforced his point that the issue isn’t solely financial—there’s also a lack of musical talent in the mix. He elaborated, stating:

“As I was saying, there are so many horrible bands who are going to be our future headliners. You don’t want me to start naming off names, because we’ll both start laughing and laughing. The days of great music have come and gone at the moment. We’re seeing the backlash of the computer and we’re seeing the backlash of everybody being able to get in [to the music industry]. But where is everybody that got in and did it themselves? They all need validation.

I didn’t get in a band to get validated. I validated myself. When someone said I needed to work harder, I worked fucking harder. I didn’t need the internet, or socials, or anything to validate me. We have a real problem now, and bands that are good these days – which is few and far – are being prepped for this future. We saw that with Bring Me The Horizon. They’re a great band and I’m a fan. I’ve listened to the band since the very, very beginning and they’re doing big things like headlining Download because they can make that jump.

Great bands are being pushed into these new circumstances. What else do we have [without artists like that] – a bunch of crap bands that won’t draw tickets. So yes, the business people need to take chances and push these few good bands in the right direction.”

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