Metal icons Slipknot have confirmed they have started working on new music, writing and recording material for a new album as recent as last week. The update also comes with the band announcing that their famed metal concert series Knotfest will stream the “Pulse of the Maggots” virtual underground metal festival on November 13 in partnership with MusiCares and Rock Against Racism.

According to Consequence of Sound, while speaking during a recent video signing, Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan said the band wanted to take advantage of their open schedule by making new music. “Since everybody’s taken a lot of time off, we thought we’d utilize it by getting together and do what we probably do best, which is write music,” said Crahan. “So it’s been good, because there’s no pressure. It’s not like we have to. We’re doing it ’cause we want to. And it’s just been a blessing, because boredom can set in. And I know all of us in the world are going crazy, so we’re really lucky to be able to be together and do what we love most.”

Meanwhile, the band’s Knotfest project also announced its “Pulse of the Maggots Festival” will stream for free on Friday, November 13th at 12 p.m. PT / 3 p.m. ET. The concert event will feature 20 underground bands and is presented in partnership with MusiCares and Rock Against Racism. The virtual fest will take place across three “stages” with the 20-band bill featuring a diverse array of acts spaning the globe including Mexico’s Cerberus and the British djent-rap fusionists Hacktivist. More information on the “Pulse of the Maggots Fest” and available merchandise can be found at knotfest.com.

Back in October, Slipknot’s frontman Corey Taylor released his debut solo album CMFT, which featured notable guests artists including Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie.