Slipknot’s ‘Arsenal’ was “a tune we could quickly get out there while we work on the rest of the record” and will not feature on new album, says Jim Root

Jim Root has said that Slipknot’s new single ‘Arsenal’ will not feature on their upcoming album, and was instead “a tune we could quickly get out there while we work on the rest of the record”.

READ MORE: Slipknot on the cover: “Nobody created us except us – we have always drawn our own map” The metal icons returned with the surprise single earlier this week – with the track marking their first new music in three years, and first release since the departure of Sid Wilson and the joining of drummer Eloy Casagrande .

Since it dropped, the single has got mixed reviews online, with some fans enjoying the new approach, while many others have criticised it for feeling like too much of a deviation from their usual sound.

There has also been backlash towards the song’s chorus, which sees frontman Corey Taylor simply repeat “ Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go “.

Now, guitarist Jim Root has spoken out about the harsh comments towards the new song, and said that it is not reflective of the album that they are currently working on.

In the comment section of a now-deleted post on Instagram, Root replied to one fan who asked if he was upset about the criticism of the song.

“It depends on the commenter, really.

I mean, what’s their band doing?” he said, before confirming that the song is a standalone single, and different to the songs that they will be including on the upcoming record.

“’Arsenal’ was a tune we could quickly get out there while we work on the rest of the record.

It’s not really representative of the other tunes,” he added, before doubling down and confirming that the single will not be a part of the new LP.

“No.

This was just one that we could finish ‘sooner’ to get out there,” he wrote.

In response to the new song, fans have also shared some surprise at how much turntable scratching the song features, especially given this year’s exit of Sid Wilson .

Root was quick to respond to rumours of Wilson’s leaving the band at the start of last month, telling fans “don’t believe everything you read”, although they later confirmed that they would “no longer be associated ” with the keyboardist and turntablist in a post that they swiftly deleted.