In news that may spell the beginning of the end for masked American metallers Slipknot, drummer Joey Jordison has announced his decision to quit the band after 18 years, citing "personal reasons".

An official statement reads:

"It is with great pain but quiet respect, that for personal reasons Joey Jordison and Slipknot are parting ways. We all wish Joey the best in whatever his future holds. We understand that many of you will want to know how and why this has come to be, and we will do our best to respond to these questions in the near future.

"It is our love for all of you, as well as for the music we create, that spurs us to continue on and move forward with our plans for releasing new material in the next year. We hope that all of you will come to understand this, and we appreciate your continued support while we plan the next phase of the future of Slipknot."

Though the band headlined the opening night of the Download Festival in June and continue to tease new material, the death of bassist Paul Gray in 2010 and lack of new music since 2008's All Hope Is Gone pointed to an uncertain future before today's news.