The Life And Times Of A Metal Giant And Humble Human, Joey Jordison, The Midwestern Musician That Help Put IOWA Bands On The Map

Apr 26, 2025 admin_bitlc Uncategorized 0

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By James Currie

Rock legends come, and sadly go, but ones from the middle of nowhere are a rare breed. Point in case, the late Nathan Jonas Jordison AKA Joey Jordison. The former original drummer and co-founder of the band Slipknot who formed in the cornfields of Des Moines Iowa in the mid 90’s. A band whose sound defined a generation and Jordison’s musical skills garnered him as one of the greatest drummers of all time. But he wasn’t just a drummer, but an award winning musician and multi instrumentalist. This is the tale of how that legend came to be.

I took a road trip to Des Moines Iowa to discover more about Joey Jordison, his bands, his life and untimely passing as he has become a legend in the Metal community.

Jordison, born in 1975 and raised in Des Moines Iowa, a place not far from where I myself spent many years growing up, playing in bands and trying to make something from the nothingness around us. Jordison began playing guitar at 5 with a guitar that was given to him from his grandpa then drums around 8, again, the same time as I. Music was in our blood and KISS, like so many other kids of the 70’s, was our calling and influence in those early years. Both of us buying our first records and tapes with KISS ALIVE. Both our parents (divorced) introducing and influencing music on us. But that’s about where our similarities end. While he went on to rock greatness, I found my calling in another avenue behind the scenes in the music industry promoting icons like himself.

Joey was a part of many bands throughout his career before and after Slipknot. He started playing in bands in middle school and competed in Jazz kit competitions throughout high school. One of the firsts being Modifidious. A speed metal thrash band that first brought him notoriety in the music scene. He played with bands around town that had eventually brought him in contact with future Slipknot mates, Jim Root and Shawn Crahan. Other bands included Have Nots, Murderdolls, Roadrunner United, Rejects, Scar The Martyr, Sinsaenum and VIMIC all intermixed in between and around Slipknot. He was a man of many talents as he played guitar and drums as well as produced music in this time.

In the early years, Jordison supported himself with jobs in his community. In between playing in bands at local bars, he worked in his families funeral home, slung media at Musicaland and worked the graveyard shift at Sinclair gas station where the plans came together to fully form Slipknot.

Already playing together in another band ‘Have Nots’, Jordison along with Paul Gray played punk rock music releasing an album in 1996, “Forgetting Yesterday and Beating You With Kindness”. Something Jordison enjoyed playing in, but a year later quit to focus on the ‘Pale Ones’, what would later become Slipknot.

A side note here about Slipknot’s first publicity photos. A mutual friend of ours, Dean Karr, was chosen to photograph their first publicity photo and album shots. Dean is not only a friend of mine, but a mentor as I’ve been following his work for years, studying his craft and hoping to someday be half as good as him with my photography and videography. We even worked together on an Al Jourgensen side project called, Surgical Meth Machine where I photographed side by side with Karr. The same man who did work with Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and Slipknot. Joey was also a fan of Karr’s work and from their first encounter that can be seen.

In 1999, Gray joined Jordison in Slipknot, which was now comprised of his former band mates and friends in the music community around town. This time they united in solidarity assigning a number to each other, Jordison being #1 followed by Sid Wilson #0, Paul Gray #2, Chris Fehn #3, Jim Root #4, Craig Jones #5, Shawn Crahan #6, Mick Thomson #7 and singer extraordinaire Corey Taylor #8, forever changing their destiny in music.

Jordison continued with Slipknot until late 2013. A few years prior he started experiencing several medical and health issues, that along with on again off again drug issues, found the band using those reasons as well as sighting, “personal reasons” to let him go. A move that left fans confused and upset for many years and Jordison himself never really accepting it.

Health issues started to arise back in 2002 when Slipknot first toured Finland. Jordison claimed that his knee was hurt before that tour even started. In 2009 he had a burst appendix while on tour. Something that hit suddenly just before going on stage in Auburn, Washington. This caused most of the late summer shows to be canceled so he could recover. In the summer of 2016, Jordison revealed he had been suffering from transverse myelitis, a neurological disease that cause problems with motor movement. It started in 2010 while still in Slipknot and touring with Murderdolls. He had trouble standing and walking and his drumming was noticeably affected.

It was around this time that he announced his new band VIMIC. During this time of recovery, he was able to get well again and started recording new material and had a tour planned. VIMIC played Chicago Open Air festival in 2017 where he showcased his return to drumming and the metal community he once reigned in. I was able to meet and talk with him about his new band, new album called, “Open Your Omen” and life growing up in the midwest. He told me how the album was actually complete, but they weren’t sure when it would be released because they were in the middle of negotiations to getting signed. But it was clearly something he was excited about and wanted to get heard as these were former bands mates and friends from back in Des Moines.

Now, in 2025, his former band and family have announced that the album they started in 2016 was finally complete. They started a Kickstarter project for it and it’s planned release scheduled for June of 2025. It will be of those songs they created together but never put out do to many reasons, but thanks to the Jordison family estate and former band mates, it’s finally seeing the light of day.

Joey always kept in touch with his roots back in Iowa. He lived there and visited with his family and friends often. Supplied props, sticks, music, costumes and more to a local record store where “Clown” once worked and another called, Ratts Underground Records. It’s a place that to this day, you can see early Slipknot and Joey Jordison memorabilia. Now, it’s moved into a rundown mall, but once inside, it’s a music fans paradise.

Jordison was so involved with the rock music industry. Not just with his own bands, but supporting others as well. Like the time in 2004 with Metallica’s drummer Lars Ulrich was hospitalized with in illness and played live with the band at the Download Festival. He played most of the set sharing the drumming responsability with another metal legend, Dave Lombardo of Slayer. He also filled in for MIA drummers with Satyricon, Korn, Rob Zombie, Otep and Ministry. Of the later half, one final shared similarity as I was Ministry’s tour photographer for a time. I remember sitting down with Al Jourgensen talking about replacement drummers for Ministry and Jordison’s name came up again. Sadly, it didn’t happen, but for a moment, I imagined the greatness that could have surmised from it.

On July 26th, 2021, during the height of COVID, still dealing with transverse myelitis and perhaps lingering personal demons, Jordison passed at home in Des Moines Iowa. He was only 46 years old. Gone way to soon. An incredible talent lost. Friends and family still talk about and morn him to this date. Now with the new release of his band VIMIC, there will be some much needed celebration and rejoice as this masterpiece needs to be heard and shared.

While driving around Des Moines, I kept finding traces of Joey Jordison everywhere. Music stores, restaurants, clubs and even tours from his friend and former band mate Shawn Crayhan who still lives there and loves showing off his friends legacy and where Slipknot got its start. The gas station is closed down but I managed to save a souvenir to commemorate it.

And then there’s his final resting place. A small cemetery on the north end of town. Joey’s plot a modest headstone surrounded by trinkets, gifts and momentos left by fans. His grave, just around the corner from his friend and Slipknot co-founder, Paul Gray.

Though we never truly knew each other, I felt a connect with Jordison. Maybe it was that midwestern upbringing, love of the same music or knowing many of the same people in the industry. What ever it was, it was hard to hear of his passing. Losing someone roughly the same age as yourself, in the same profession as you at a young age hits home hard. It makes you question life itself and what you are doing in the moment. Joey Jordison live life to the fullest every moment. He truly knew his life’s path and mastered it at an early age. That’s something most just never accomplish. I can only imagine what he’d be doing if he were still alive today. For sure it would be creating heavy new music in one form or another and most likely, doing it from Des Moines Iowa.

Today would have been Joey’s 50th birthday. Rock in Peace legend. You are still sorely missed.

For more on VIMIC, including the release of “Open Your Omen”, click here

For photos of VIMIC live at Chicago Open Air, click here

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• Chicago Open Air, Des Moines, Drummer, Drummer Life, Have Nots, In The Loop Magazine, Iowa, Joey Jordison, Ministry, Murderdolls, Nathan Jonas Jordison, Own Your Omen, Sinclair Gas, Slipknot, Vimic

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