Heavy metal living: Slipknot guitarist stabbed by brother in drunken brawl

NEW YORK (AFP) - The guitarist for the heavy metal band Slipknot was injured on Wednesday in an apparent drunken brawl with his brother, police said.

In a potential case of life imitating art, guitarist Mick Thomson of Slipknot - known for its aggressive sound, violent imagery and grisly Halloween-style costumes - was stabbed in the back of his head, police said.

Police arrived early in the morning at a house in Clive, a suburb of the Midwestern city of Des Moines, Iowa, where Thomson was apparently fighting with his brother Andrew, a police statement said.

The brothers were apparently drunk and began to brawl outside before they were taken to separate hospitals, police said.

Lead singer Corey Taylor wrote on Twitter of Mick Thomson: "From what I've heard he's okay. We're sending him all your thoughts. Thank you for that."

His brother's condition was unclear and a representative for the band did not respond to a request for comment.

Slipknot, which won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance in 2006, is scheduled to resume touring on April 25 when it headlines the Fort Rock festival in South Florida.

The Iowa-based band is due in June to play in Europe, including at France's Hellfest heavy metal festival, before a tour across the United States.

Slipknot last year released its first album in six years, entitled .5: The Gray Chapter.

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