Corey Taylor says Slipknot's new album is going to be ''dark, crazy and beautiful''.

The frontman insists the group's forthcoming new record - which will be their first without late bassist Paul Gray, who died in 2010 - is going to be ''something special'' and he is determined to ensure the tracks don't sound ''forced'' because there are too many pointless songs around nowadays.

He said: ''If you're too overwhelmed then when you sit down and you try to write something then it feels forced. There is nothing worse than forced music. This world has enough of that right now.

''It's basically McDonald's trying to make music. It's like, 'Everybody needs another hamburger and fries. Here's a piece of crap that nobody is going to care about in two years.'

''I hate that and I don't ever want to be that guy. I want to be able to let the inspiration come to me because that's when you get the best stuff.

''There's so much expectation on this anyway so the last thing I want to do is put the guys through this bombardment. It's going to be hard enough for us going into this album without Paul anyway.

''The last thing I need is that cloud hanging over us.

''But if we can all go into it together, make it dark, make it crazy, make it beautiful, then I think we'll have something special.''

The 39-year-old singer also expects the 'Before I Forget' hitmaker's forthcoming fifth studio album to be particularly ''weird'' thanks to the input of percussionist Shawn ''Clown'' Crahan.

Speaking to Fuse, he added: ''I'm getting some demos together and I know Joey's got a bunch of stuff. Clown's a maniac so he's going to have some weirdness. His stuff is so crazy it's beautiful.

''The great thing about this band is there are so many creative minds that kind of bounce off each another. It's that kind of friction that really make us what we are.''