Original story: Creepy clowns recently started menacing the American South—more with their presence than with actual actions against others—but the mania has spread quickly, including to the U.K. Yesterday, word arrived that knife-wielding clowns slashed a 17-year-old and permanently disabled a father.

Speaking to BBC2 (via NME), Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor revealed that his band is shifting gears due to the dark phenomenon, which It author Stephen King recently dubbed a low-level hysteria. "Even our dear Clown has downgraded himself to Mime," Taylor said, "in order to distance himself from these hedonistic doppelgänger until the coast is clear. ... Remember, a real clown doesn’t need a knife to intimidate – just a bat and a good cold stare.”

Update: Slipknot's Clown Did Not Change Name Following Creepy Clown Sightings & Attacks