Slipknot star Joey Jordison is preparing to launch a new solo side-project.

The drummer also plays with rock group Murderdolls and has toured with Rob Zombie, but he is now writing material for a new band.

Jordison has yet to reveal details of the project, but he has assured fans they will be hearing about it once he finishes work on the new Slipknot record.

He tells News.com.au, "I've been in and out of the studio for about six months now - that's (working) on the Slipknot record and also on some solo stuff as well... I'm gonna be forming a band in the near future with a lot of the material I've been writing lately.

"I don't want to release too much but I have been in the studio and I think people will be pretty surprised at what I come up with. It's heavy! But (Slipknot) is all I care about right now."

Meanwhile, Jordison has also told of how he was once given a "weird-smelling" gift by a fan - real human arm bones.

The percussionist was handed the package by a female devotee while he was on tour with rocker Rob Zombie and admits he was shocked by the creepy present.

"I had a gift given to me from a young lady when I was touring with Zombie and I was like, 'OK, well, thank you' and I took it back and I opened it up and it had like a weird smell,” says Jordison.

"But it's not what you think it was, well, it was definitely odd. I used to work in funeral homes, that was my family's business for a long time, so it didn't spook me too much but I was wondering where this person got this from.... It wasn't like an actual arm, just the bones. It was odd, but hey..."