As
the Grammy Award-winning vocalist and lyricist of shock-rock bands Slipknot and
Stone Sour, it’s easy to envision Corey Taylor as a gruff, take-no-bullshit
kind of dude. But did you know he’s also an ardent ghost hunter?
Touted
as The Great Mouth’s intimate walk with the paranormal, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven is a slippery bastard of
a book to pigeonhole. Those seeking a continuation of best-selling memoir Seven Deadly Sins may find themselves
disappointed; there’s barely a whisper of the industry’s sinister underbelly throughout
the two-hundred and odd pages.
No, what we’ve got here is a biography of sorts, but it’s stuffed with campfire tales of
ghosts and dilapidated buildings, ruminations on quasi-science and off-the-wall
philosophical discussions. Taylor is bold in his assertions of course, but isn’t
afraid to challenge his own convictions either: if he doesn’t have faith in the
existence of God how can he possibly believe in ghosts? Simply put, he’s seen
spooks but has yet to see Jesus.
It’s
thought-provoking stuff. However, those expecting a book bursting with recounts
of chilling ghost hunts may also feel dissatisfied. Taylor is one hell of a
writer, but has a habit of cockblocking his own arguments with an incessant
need to digress with an anecdote. As a result, the book often feels directionless
and certainly loses steam towards the end, which is a crying shame. But it has
to be said that Taylor’s meanderings often appear like a way to distract the
reader from what would otherwise be a very meager read. It’s something our host
seems painfully aware of, at one point stating he requires another ghostly
experience to finish the book.
3/5
See Corey Taylor read a segment of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven:
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