After accepting the "Golden God" award at the 2016 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards event in London, UK, the 41-year old drummer gave an emotional speech in which he spoke about his exit from Slipknot for the first time.

Ever since the band and Joey Jordison parted ways in December 2013, both sides were silent and evasive about the reason why the split occurred.

Now Joey has offered some insight into the time surrounding his departure:

"Towards the end of my career in Slipknot I got really, really sick with a horrible disease called transverse myelitis. You can be sick and still play, but this was something I'd never felt in my life before. We found out what I have is transverse myelitis—a neurological condition that hits your spinal cord, and it wiped my legs out completely. It's like having your legs cut off, basically. I lost my legs. I couldn't play anymore. It was a form of multiple sclerosis, which I don't wish on my worst enemy."

Joey Jordison admits that some people just thought he was "fucked up", but denies that he was even drinking:

"Everything was straight-laced and fucking perfect. Everything was on point. But I had to be carried to the stage. [Eventually] I got myself back up, and I got myself in the gym, and I got myself back in fucking therapy to fucking beat this shit... It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, more than fucking anything."

Joey Jordison, who recently launched a new band called Vimic, also addressed people who were suffering from the same condition as him:

"To people with multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, or anything like that, I am living proof that you can fucking beat that shit. (...) No joke. Just the fact that metal lives in your heart, you can fucking accomplish anything."

Slipknot's current drummer is Jay Weinberg, son of longtime Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg.