Corey Taylor Says Stone Sour Can Make Music That Others Simply Can’t

"As far as the energy level, the enjoyment, the song quality, absolutely. I'll put it up against anybody right now," Corey Taylor says without hesitation about Stone Sour's latest release.

"Especially the fact that we did 85% of it live, which nobody really can do. It's not that they don't, it's that they can't. They're so fucking used to playing to a computer screen, you know? Where as, we just got in the room together and played together as a band. What a novel concept," he adds sarcastically.

"It just came together so well..."

The 43-year-old frontman has pretty much seen it all as the singer of both metal legends Slipknot and Stone Sour. While he was in the country just last month with Slipknot, Stone Sour's August tour will be the band's first in Australia since 2013. Relaxing in an armchair in a Sydney hotel, Taylor's eyes light up when talking about what Australia and its fans mean to him. "The first time I came here, this was the place I wanted to come to since I was a little kid, to be honest," he says.

Taylor recalls embarking on his very first tour Down Under with Slipknot in 2000, where, despite intense jet-lag, he was still shocked to be here. "So fucking excited, I ran out of the Sydney airport and I just laid on the ground and looked at the sky… I just remember being so happy. And then that tour, people still tell legends about that. It was gnarly. I just had the best time."

So, what can Stone Sour fans expect this time around? Well, according to Taylor, it's going to be a party. But probably not the ones you're used to. "Dude, it's gonna be awesome. We're putting together a really great set. We're putting together, like, a really great rock'n'roll show. Like the kind of party that Van Halen put on, you know what I'm saying? Where it's all attitude… where, it's not like, 'Hooray!', but it's like, 'Fuck yeah!'" he says, pounding the chair with enthusiasm.

"It's that kind of difference in attitude. It's still positive, it's still passionate, but it's still a rock'n'roll party. That's what's kinda missing right now. Like, everything is such a cliche when it comes to the emotion that people expect from shows, you know? And you really kinda only get that from hip hop and some of that hip hop is fucking garbage. So for us, we're bringing that back and we're kinda pumping it right into our show and just making sure that people come and they pump their fist, they have a great time, they sing along, they maybe see some boobs, I dunno… you can see my boobs."

Well then, we're sold.

Listen to our full interview with Taylor on The Music Podcast With Dave & Neil here.