For years, Slipknot fans have spoken in hushed tones about Look Outside Your Window — the band’s long-mythologised “lost” album recorded during the All Hope Is Gone sessions in 2008. Now, after more than a decade and a half of rumours, delays, and endless speculation, founding member Shawn “Clown” Crahan has confirmed that 2026 is finally the year.
The album has been completed for years, yet never released, and has grown into one of modern metal’s most intriguing mysteries.
A Secret 2008 Recording With a Very Different Sound
Back in 2008, while Slipknot was working on All Hope Is Gone, four members — Clown, Corey Taylor, Jim Root, and Sid Wilson — broke away to record a separate set of songs. These tracks reportedly sounded nothing like Slipknot, leaning instead into atmospheric, experimental rock textures.
Clown and Taylor have both described the music as melodic, artistic, solemn, and even somewhat comparable to alternative and art-rock influences rather than the band’s usual metal assault.
The only song from those sessions that fans have ever heard is “‘Til We Die,” released as a bonus track on the All Hope Is Gone special edition. Everything else has remained locked away — fueling endless fan speculation.
A History of Delays: 2019, 2023, 2024… and Now 2026
Look Outside Your Window has had more projected release windows than almost any shelved album in metal history. It was originally expected in late 2019, but Slipknot decided not to overshadow We Are Not Your Kind. Later, Corey Taylor suggested it might arrive around 2023. Clown later said the album was fully mixed, mastered, with artwork ready, yet still unreleased.
Each time momentum built, something stalled the release once again.
Finally, in a recent update, Clown stated plainly that 2026 is the real release year, saying he’s “tired of waiting” and wants fans to finally hear the project.
What to Expect: Not a Slipknot Album — and That’s the Point
Clown has repeatedly emphasised that Look Outside Your Window is not a Slipknot album at all. It was never meant to be. The material wasn’t created with Slipknot’s sound, structure, or creative identity in mind.
Corey Taylor has described it as emotional and experimental, with a very different vocal and songwriting approach. Fans should expect something atmospheric and introspective rather than anything resembling Iowa or The Subliminal Verses.
For some, that’s exactly what makes the album so exciting.
Why It Matters: A Final Piece of Slipknot Lore
Look Outside Your Window has become more than an unreleased album — it’s practically Slipknot folklore. Entire forum threads are dedicated to it. Fan rumours have circulated for a decade. Some doubted it would ever see the light of day.
Now, with a 2026 release finally on the horizon, fans may finally get to hear this fabled piece of the band’s history — a rare glimpse into an alternate creative direction explored by four of its most influential members.
Clown’s message to fans? “Have faith.”