Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser was recently a guest on the Talk Toomey podcast where he memorialized the late Slipknot rhythm section of both bassist Paul Gray, who passed in 2010, and drummer Joey Jordison, who passed last week. Kisser recalls working with both Gray and Jordison on the 2005 Roadrunner Records project The All-Star Sessions, and even added that he was planning a new band with Gray shortly before he died.
"I had the privilege to work very closely with Joey and Paul Gray on the Roadrunner United album and party that was done in 2005 in New York, the special show. We spent two weeks in Los Angeles working. It was myself, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray, Dino Cazares and Roy Mayorga. And we kind of organized the whole concert. I played, basically, the whole concert together with Dino. And Joey and Paul were big Sepultura fans; they knew everything about the band.
"We even changed the ending of 'Roots' by Joey's suggestion. [He said], 'I love that part at the end which is very slow. But it's too short. Let's make it longer.' And we did it. So it's a very special version of 'Roots', of course, that we have everybody together. It was the last song of the show and representing the whole historical meaning of Sepultura and Roadrunner. And a very special version because of him — because he wanted to do that change. And it happened that way.
"With Paul as well, we even were talking to do something together, a special project. He was in my band Hail!, with me and Tim 'Ripper' Owens and Paul Bostaph. But it was the week he died. He was rehearsing for us to get together and go on tour in Europe and stuff. So we kind of were working together something. And Hail! was the first thing that we started. And, unfortunately, it didn't happen.
"They were too young. It's very shocking. They were so creative, so nice people, so sweet, so easy to work [with] — great ideas, and et cetera. Like I said, we spent two weeks together in Los Angeles, then we went to New York and we then we jammed on that fantastic show together. And we met each other on the road a few times.
"Yeah, my condolences to all the Knotfest people and the Slipknot fans and everybody involved. It's a great loss for all of us. But I'll have great memories forever with them. And it's a fantastic duo."
If you've never heard The All-Star Sessions, I strongly suggest you check that out below.
