A burst appendix caused Joey Jordison to pull out of Slipknot's two live shows in Washington State last weekend, it's claimed.

At the time, the masked metal outfit told fans Joey Jordison had been rushed to hospital due to a “severe medical emergency” but revealed no further information.

Now a 'source' has told The Pulse of Radio that the sticksman suffered a “burst appendix” - a claim that's yet to be confirmed by the band or management.

Despite being on the road to recovery, Slipknot have since axed all their August and September shows in North America.

The cancellation sparked fears amongst Slipknot's fans about their future.

In a blog posting on Wednesday, bassist Paul Gray said Jordison is “fine” and despite having to sort out some “personal issues” within Slipknot they have no plans to split. He also said they will honour their upcoming October shows.

(by Scott Colothan)