Slipknot Parts Ways With Sid Wilson After Nearly 30 Years, Original Lineup Takes Another Blow

Slipknot has officially parted ways with longtime DJ and keyboardist Sid Wilson, bringing an end to one of the longest-running chapters in the masked metal band’s history.

The Grammy-winning Iowa metal group announced Friday, August 14, that Sid Wilson is no longer associated with the band. The statement appeared briefly on Slipknot’s website and social media before being deleted, while the same announcement was also shared by Knotfest, the festival founded by the band.

“Effective immediately, Slipknot will no longer be associated with Sid Wilson,” the statement said. “We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

The announcement provides little explanation for the split, leaving fans with one major unanswered question: What happened behind the scenes?

Sid Wilson Is Officially Out of Slipknot

Wilson, known to Slipknot fans as #0, joined the Des Moines group in 1998 and became its ninth member. His turntablism, electronic effects and chaotic stage presence quickly became an important part of Slipknot’s identity.

His arrival came just before the band’s commercial explosion following the release of its self-titled 1999 debut album.

That record helped establish Slipknot as one of the most important heavy metal acts of its generation, while Sid Wilson remained a fixture through the band’s transformation from underground sensation to global arena headliner.

For fans, his departure is therefore much more than another personnel change.

It represents the loss of one of the musicians who helped define Slipknot’s original sound and visual identity.

Departure Comes After Weeks of Confusion

Friday’s announcement follows weeks of uncertainty surrounding Wilson’s future.

Reports last month claimed that Sid Wilson had already been dismissed from Slipknot. The band did not immediately confirm those reports, however, and guitarist Jim Root appeared to push back against the speculation.

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Root reportedly wrote at the time, urging fans to wait for more information.

Two weeks later, the band’s own statement effectively confirmed that Wilson was indeed gone.

The circumstances surrounding his dismissal remain unclear.

Slipknot representatives have not publicly detailed what prompted the decision, and Wilson has not publicly explained the split.

Another Original Member Gone

Sid Wilson’s exit adds to a growing list of major departures from Slipknot.

Original percussionist Chris Fehn left the band in 2019 following a dispute involving payments. Keyboardist and sampler Craig Jones, another longtime member, departed in 2023.

Drummer Jay Weinberg was also removed that year after a decade with the band, with Slipknot describing the decision as a “creative” one.

Meanwhile, the group’s history has also been marked by tragedy.

Bassist and founding member Paul Gray died in 2010 from an overdose, while drummer Joey Jordison, another foundational member, died in 2021.

Wilson’s exit consequently leaves another significant gap in the band’s legacy.

Slipknot’s Legacy Remains Huge

Despite the lineup upheaval, Slipknot remains one of metal’s biggest acts.

The band’s 1999 debut reached the Billboard 200 and was followed by a string of major successes. Slipknot has scored multiple top-10 albums, including three No. 1 records: All Hope Is Gone,5: The Gray Chapter and We Are Not Your Kind.

The band also won its lone Grammy for Best Metal Performance for “Before I Forget.”

Its most recent studio album, The End, So Far, arrived in 2022 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Now, with Sid Wilson gone after nearly three decades, attention will turn to the band’s next chapter — and whether Slipknot will introduce another musician to fill the distinctive role Wilson occupied for generations of fans.

For a band built on reinvention, one thing is certain: Slipknot is changing again.