IS SLIPKNOT SLIPPING AWAY
FROM EDEL?

Sources said Roadrunner owes edel money on a loan that the German music company provided them with recently, and a possible sale of Roadrunner itself by topper Cees Wessels could come to fruition.

Roadrunner is expecting a nice haul from the upcoming Slipknot LP, tentatively titled "Iowa," which could help pay off its edel debt, sources said.

The hard-rocking Slipknot, currently on tour with Ozzfest and scheduled to headline the inaugural Pledge of Allegiance outing later in the year, is expected to release its second studio album July 17. Insiders expect the record to go multi-Platinum with a possible debut at #1. Slipknot fans gobbled up the band’s self-titled 1999 debut, and the group’s cult-like following is enormous, making them a top draw on the touring scene.

Slipknot’s manager Steve Richards, who also handles the equally heavy Mudvayne, is also said to be looking for a change as expectations for Slipknot’s new album are running extremely high—especially given the recent boffo retail performances of other hard rock acts like Tool and Staind earlier this year.

This is latest brouhaha that has befallen edel and its leader Michael Haentjes as its troubled financial condition has seriously hampered future business ventures as well as existing ones. To make matters worse, edel stock in Germany continues to fall.

Edel, which owns the European rights to Disney’s music, is looking to cut costs by selling unprofitable units and by reorganizing its operations. The company admitted it had spent too much money on acquisitions in the past. Poor performance resulted in the resignation of edel's CFO at the end of last year.