HISTORY OF KoЯn
L.A.P.D. and formation (1989–93)
Before Korn was formed, three of the original members of the band were associated with the heavy metal band L.A.P.D.: James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, and David Silveria.[9][10][11]Originally consisting of Richard Morrill, James Shaffer, and Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria joined when he was 15.[10] When the band moved from Bakersfield, California to Los Angeles, California, Silveria dropped out of high school and Shaffer stayed in Bakersfield.[12] When Shaffer reunited with the band, they found a manager and released an EP entitledLove and Peace Dude in 1989 through Triple X Records.[13][14] L.A.P.D. released their first full-length studio album on May 3, 1991 which consisted of eleven tracks. The album was entitled Who's Laughing Now.[15] After releasing two albums, L.A.P.D. broke up. Shaffer, Arvizu, and Silveria enlisted Brian Welch and Jonathan Davis to form the band that went on to become "Korn."[16]
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30 second sample from the song "Predictable" which the band would eventually re-make on their debut album.Neidermeyer's Mind featured the first captured, recorded sound of Korn in the form of four tracks.[1]
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The band name is derived from a fan suggestion, "Corn", which the group initially rejected, but later settled on due to lack of better ideas. Later, Shaffer had the idea to spell the name with both a "K" instead of a "C", and a backwards "R", so the band's name would appear as "KoЯn".[16] The logo was designed by vocalist Jonathan Davis.[1] Silveria explained, "the music makes the name, because Korn's a dumb name. But once we get established, it makes the name cool."[17]
Korn rented a studio from Jeff Creath, called "Underground Chicken Sound," in Huntington Beach, California. While they were recording at Underground Chicken Sound, a crowd had been loitering outside the studio.[18] The band began playing a prelude to a later song, "Clown", resulting in a larger crowd gathering. Arvizu said the crowd gathered because it sounded so "different."[19] Korn started performing at gigs in the summer of 1993, with members saying that touring was a "pain-in-the-ass." While in Huntington Beach, the band was spotted by Epic/Immortal Records A&R employee Paul Pontius. Pontius would describe Korn's sound as "the new genre of rock." In 1993, Korn released their first demo album, Neidermeyer's Mind. Their album had very limited printing, and was not well received by critics or the public.[1] It was released to record companies and to people who filled out a flyer given out at gigs they played for free with Biohazard and House of Pain.[17] With this demo, Korn pioneered the nu metal sound.[20]
[edit]Debut album (1994–95)
By May 1994, Korn began recording their debut album with Ross Robinson.[21] On October 11, 1994, Korn released a self–titled album through Immortal/Epic,[22] which eventually peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200 in 1995, as well as peaking at number one on the Heatseekers Albums chart.[2] The album received positive reviews by critics, and it is said to have established the new wave of metal.[23][24] As well as sparking the nu metal genre, the album also started record producer Ross Robinson's music career.[23] It also influenced other bands, like Slipknot, Coal Chamber, and Limp Bizkit.[23][24]
After Korn finished recording the album, they began touring with House of Pain and Biohazard. Their record company gave them enough money for their own tour bus. Korn's first gig was in Atlanta, Georgia.[25] About halfway through the tour, the tour bus that their record company gave them stopped working, and Korn had to find a new one.[26] Their first tour was not very successful in promoting the album.[27] Korn started the Sick of It All Tour in January 1995.[28] Aside from touring, Korn released four singles. "Blind" was released on August 1, 1994, and "Shoots and Ladders" was released on October 31, 1995. The latter received a Grammy nomination in 1997 for Best Metal Performance.[29] "Need To" was also released in 1995, on April 8. The fourth and final single, "Clown", was released on February 2, 1996. "Blind" was the only single to chart, peaking at number fifteen on the Canadian RPM Alternative 30.[2]
[edit]Life Is Peachy (1996–97)
After the success of their debut, Korn decided to enter the studio again for a second album.[30] By then, the band had created a large fan base, and the expectations for their follow-up album were high.[30][31] They went back into the studio in early April 1996 at Indigo Ranch Studios, Malibu, California.[30]
…We went in really fresh, and we wanted to get it done quickly to capture that energy. So it was probably about 60% knowing what I was going to play and 40% just playing whatever came to mind at that moment… It ended up really good, and it has a kind of energy I probably wouldn't have gotten if I'd worked everything out before hand.
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David Silveria on Life Is Peachy's drum quality.[32]
The album was released October 15, 1996,[33] and despite minimal radio airplay and television attention, Life Is Peachydebuted at number three on the Billboard 200,[2][30][32] and peaked at number one on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand sales chart.[34] The album sold 106,000 copies in its first week.[35] Jon Pareles from The New York Times said that the band was "Mad at everybody, including themselves." The album was certified 2× Platinum in the United States,[36] Platinum in Australia[37] and Gold in Canada.[38]
The first single, "No Place to Hide", spawned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance.[39] "A.D.I.D.A.S." was the second single and only music video from the album, which also did well, and earned the band the most airplay until their next album's singles.[40] The third single, "Good God", was released on July 14, 1997. The band gained more popularity after co-headlining the Lollapalooza music festival in 1997 with Tool. However, Korn was forced to stop touring after Shaffer was diagnosed with viral meningitis.[41] A promotional disc was released in 1997 to promote both the band and the Life Is Peachy Tour featuring Incubus and The Urge, and included three live tracks.[42]
[edit]Follow the Leader, mainstream success (1998–99)
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Both "Freak on a Leash" and "Got the Life" are considered to be among the first music videos retired from MTV's Total Request Live.[43] The song was described as a "rolling exorcism."[44]
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Prior to the release of the band's third album, Korn produced a weekly online TV show, KornTV,[45][46] which documented the making of the record and featured special guests such as porn star Ron Jeremy, Limp Bizkit, and 311.[46] The project also gave fans the chance to call in and ask the band questions, an approach that represented one of the first times a band utilized the Internet in such a way.[47] Korn released their third album, Follow the Leader, on August 18, 1998,[48] which featured a number of guest vocalists such as Ice Cube, Tre Hardson from the Pharcyde, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and actorCheech Marin on the hidden track "Earache My Eye" (written by Marin himself).[47]
Korn launched a political campaign-style tour to promote the release of Follow the Leader.[49][50] The tour took the group, on a chartered jet, all over North America to help promote Follow the Leader.[49] They talked to fans and answered questions during special "fan conferences", which were organized at every stop along the tour route, and signed autographs. Jim Rose hosted the entire "Kampaign" tour.[49][51]
The album was considered by band members a complete success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with 268,000 copies sold,[52][53] and, among other singles, spawning two of their biggest singles: "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash".[49] They both exposed Korn to a wider, mainstream audience, with the music videos being mainstays on MTV's Total Request Live. "Got the Life" was the show's very first "retired" video,[43][54][55] with "Freak on a Leash" also reaching retirement several months later.[43][56][57]
"Freak on a Leash" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form, and received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.[58] The video also earned nine MTV Video Music Awards nominations for Video of the Year, Best Rock Video, Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, Best Special Effects, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Viewer's Choice.[59] It eventually won two awards, one being for Best Rock Video and the other for Best Editing.[43][60][61] "Freak on a Leash" remains one of Korn's biggest singles on Billboard, having reached number six on Alternative Songs and number ten on Mainstream Rock Songs.[2] Follow the Leader is considered by members of Korn to be the band's most commercially–successful album,[43][62] being certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA,[63] and having sold almost ten million copies worldwide.[2][64]
[edit]Issues (1999–2001)
The band's fourth album, Issues, produced by Brendan O'Brien, was released on November 16, 1999,[65] featuring cover art designed by Alfredo Carlos, who won a contest held for the fans by MTV.[66] Issues was released during a week of many highly-anticipated records. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with more than 573,000 copies sold,[67]keeping Dr. Dre's album 2001 and Céline Dion's greatest hits album from hitting number one.[67]
To celebrate the album's release, the band performed the record in its entirety in front of a live audience at New York's historic Apollo Theater and broadcast the concert simultaneously across many radio stations.[68] This performance marked the first performance by a rock band since Buddy Holly in the late 1950s.[69] This special event featured the New York Police Department marching drum and bagpipe band conducted by Richard Gibbs as well as a group of back-up singers to enhance the more melodic choruses Davis used on the album.[69] A snippet of "Falling Away from Me" was featured on RealVideo with a brief interpretive dance by bassist Reginald Arvizu,[70] and also featured on their official website as an MP3 file, although its release was against the advice of its attorneys and corporate establishment.[71] The album was also promoted by the band's highly successfulSick and Twisted Tour.
Earlier that year, Korn had appeared on an episode of South Park, titled "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery", in which the first single from Issues, "Falling Away from Me", was premiered.[72][73] Korn released two more singles from Issues, "Make Me Bad" and "Somebody Someone", both of which fared well on Billboard.[2] Music videos were filmed for all three singles, with long-time friend Fred Durst directing "Falling Away from Me", and Martin Weisz directing a concept video for "Make Me Bad", as well as a performance video for "Somebody Someone", which featured the use of CGI effects. Every video was a staple on Total Request Live, two of which made it to retirement.[56] Issues is considered by some critics to be less hip hop-influenced and closer to alternative metal than nu metal.[74] It was certified three-times Platinum,[75] following up the success of Follow the Leader.[2]
[edit]Untouchables (2002–03)
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"Here to Stay", the first single fromUntouchables, went on to win Korn a Grammy in Jon Wiederhorn said "Although "Here to Stay" is clearly a scathing commentary on contemporary America, Davis stressed that it's merely a wake-up call, not a cry for action."[76]
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On June 10, 2002, Korn re-emerged into the media with their fifth album, Untouchables. It debuted at number two on theBillboard 200 with 434,000 in sales.[77] The band has blamed Internet piracy for the drop in sales, as an unmastered version of the album had leaked three months prior to its official release date.[78] On April 2, 2002, the Shock Jocks, an Americanradio program, began airing songs from Untouchables. After playing a few songs, the broadcasters retrieved a cease-and-desist letter from Sony Music Entertainment. One broadcaster said "The reason for the premature premiere was to infuriate a rival New York station, which disallows their in-studio guests to appear on 'The Opie and Anthony Show.'"[79] The release of this album was preceded by a show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, a day prior to the album's release, broadcast digitally throughout movie theatres in the United States.[80]
The album contained experiments and styles never previously attempted by Korn. Allmusic related: "The band is far more experimental this time out, delivering Helmet-like ringing guitars that melt and morph into each other, a mix of Metallica-esque blastbeats and tight funk drumming from the constantly improving David Silveria, and memorable riffs that take the shape of dark sound structures and offer more than just a collection of chords."[81] The first two videos fromUntouchables, "Here to Stay" and "Thoughtless", were directed by the Hughes Brothers.[82] "Here to Stay" earned Korn a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.[83] "Here to Stay" peaked at number four on both the Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Songs charts.[2]
[edit]Take a Look in the Mirror, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, Head's departure (2003–05)
Due to the album leaking onto the Internet, Take a Look in the Mirror was released on a Friday, November 21, 2003; four days earlier than its original release date.[84] The album therefore received a weekend's worth of sales, along with a shortage in shipments, both of which resulted in a poor showing on the Billboard 200. During its first full week, Take a Look in the Mirror soared ten places from number 19 to number nine, bringing the album's total sales to 179,000. It is the first album where Korn produced the album themselves. The band explained that they want fans to hear the music as it should be.[84] The album presented different styles and themes compared to previous albums. Lead vocalist Jonathan Davis related: "The whole album is about love, hate and my hate of people and just losing my mind. The previous albums I did, I think the last three, I was coming from a place of hurt. And I just finally got to the point where I'm done hurting and I'm just pissed off about it now. It's turned back to just sheer hate and anger. And it definitely comes across on the album." MTV said that Davis convinced his fans that they "will be shocked, particularly with the album's second track, 'Break Some Off,' which he called 'brutal'."[85] Korn released the single "Did My Time" on July 22, 2003,[86] which was used to promote the film but did not appear on the soundtrack to Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life due to unspecified legal issues.[87] "Did My Time" gave Korn another Grammy nomination in the Best Metal Performance category.[83]
Korn released their greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, on October 5, 2004.[88] The album debuted at number four on Billboard, selling more than 129,000 copies.[89] This album assembles choice tracks from six Korn studio albums between 1994 and 2003.[90] The first single was a cover of the song "Word Up!", which was originally composed by the group Cameo.[91] Special editions of the album included a DVD titled Korn: Live at CBGB featuring seven select songs from their November 24, 2003 show at CBGB.[92] Korn participated in the Projekt Revolution tour with Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, The Used, and Less Than Jake prior to the release of Greatest Hits Vol. 1.
In early 2005, Brian Welch announced that he would be quitting the band. In front of a crowd of 10,000, in three services at Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California, said “I was addicted to methamphetamines and tried everything ... rehab, stuff on the Internet, but nothing helped me kick it. I was trying on my own to quit and couldn’t do it. I wanted to die. No one knew what I was going through. I could not quit. Church was my last shot. I would sit in church high [on drugs]. I would wonder why people would go up to the front after the service. But one day it was for me. I said [to God], ‘Show me how to quit.'"[93][94] Since, Welch has released two autobiographies, and released one solo album.[95]
[edit]See You on the Other Side (2005–06)
Upon completing their record deal with Sony, Korn partnered with EMI and signed to Virgin Records. As part of this innovative arrangement, Virgin paid Korn $25 million upfront in exchange for a share in the profits of their next two studio albums, including tours and merchandising. Virgin also received a 30 percent stake in the band's licensing, ticket sales and other revenue sources.[96][97]
It's taking Korn into another dimension for the listener, I think, that takes you to another world. I think it's really emotional, as far as it's not so anger-based. You know, I think it's a more well-rounded emotional journey it kinda takes you on, the listener.
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James "Munky" Shaffer on See You on the Other Side.[98]
The band's first album for Virgin, See You on the Other Side, was released on December 6, 2005,[99] and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200,[100] scanning close to 221,000 copies.[101] The album managed to stay in the top half of the Billboard 200 for thirty-four consecutive weeks.[102] The first single from the album, "Twisted Transistor", was accompanied by a music video directed by Dave Meyers in which hip hop artists Xzibit, Lil Jon, Snoop Dogg, and David Banner portray Korn.[103] The single itself peaked at number three on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs, Korn's highest entry thus far, and number nine on Alternative Songs.[104] The second single, "Coming Undone", had its performance-based video directed by Little X,[105][106] who previously helmed hip hop and R&B videos.[107] See You on the Other Side was certified Platinum,[108] and by mid-2007 had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.[109]
Korn held a press conference at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery on January 13, 2006, announcing the See You on the Other Side Tour.[110] 10 Years and Mudvayne were selected to open all dates of the trek, which kicked off in their hometown of Bakersfield, on what Mayor Harvey Hall officially declared as "Korn Day", February 24.[111] The resurrection of their Family Values Tour was announced on April 18, 2006, which featured co-headliners Deftones, Stone Sour, Flyleaf, and the Japanese metal group, Dir En Grey on the main stage.[112] Korn and Evanescence co-headlined the 2007 edition, with Atreyu, 2006 alumni Flyleaf, Hellyeah, and Trivium rounding out the main stage.[113]
While promoting See You on the Other Side in Europe, Jonathan Davis was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, a blood platelet disorder that hospitalized him for the weekend and prevented him from performing at the renowned Download Festival.[114] Despite the illness, the band still performed, with guest singers including Corey Taylor ofSlipknot and Stone Sour fame, Trivium's Matt Heafy, Skindred's Benji Webbe and Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows. This led to Korn canceling the rest of their European bill for 2006,[115] including the Hellfest Summer Open Air. It was originally unknown to the public what his ailment was, but the singer revealed in a letter to fans that he was "dangerously low on blood platelets and at a high risk of death from a hemorrhage if the problem was not treated".[116]
[edit]Untitled album, MTV Unplugged, David Silveria's departure (2006–08)
In early December 2006 it was announced that founding drummer David Silveria would be taking an indefinite “temporary hiatus” from the band.[117][118] Korn then performed at the MTV studios in Times Square on December 9, 2006, for the MTV Unplugged series, which was broadcast on February 23, 2007, through MTV.com and on March 2, 2007, across North American, South American, European and Asian MTV stations.[119] Korn played a 14-song acoustic set complete with guest appearances by The Cure andAmy Lee of Evanescence.[120] The performance was eventually cut down to 11 songs for the album, two of which did not air on MTV. Sales of nearly 51,000 brought MTV Unplugged: Korn to number nine in its first week out.[121]
Korn's untitled album was released on July 31, 2007, debuting at number two on Billboard with 123,000 copies sold in its first week.[122] It concluded Korn's deal with Virgin Records,[123] and features touring keyboardist Zac Baird, giving the tracks a deeper, atmospheric sound.[124] Drumming duties were left up to Terry Bozzio, and Bad Religion's Brooks Wackerman, as David Silveria went on a hiatus.[125] Joey Jordison from Slipknot played drums during Korn's live shows until the permanent addition of Ray Luzier(Army of Anyone, David Lee Roth). This confirmed David's departure.[126][127][128] "Evolution" and "Hold On" were released as singles to promote the untitled album. They each charted on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart at number four and number nine, respectively.[2] A third single, "Kiss", had a limited release in April 2008.[129][130] Korn covered the song "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" in 2008, which was originally performed by Paul Reubens, Catherine O'Hara, and Danny Elfman. It was released on Nightmare Revisited.[131]
[edit]Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2008–2010)
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Roadrunner Records said that "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" "buzzes with an eerie clean guitar that slowly gives way to a steamrolling bass and riff assault."[132]
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Ubisoft reported in October 2008 that Korn had "written and recorded an original song inspired by Ubisoft's Haze video game, simply entitled "Haze",[133] which was released on April 22, 2008.[134] Korn also released a live DVD, Live at Montreux 2004, one of their performances with former guitarist Brian Welch on May 12, 2008.[135] Additionally, a second greatest hits compilation titled Playlist: The Very Best of Korn was released on April 29, 2008.[136] Korn announced in February 2009 that they were playing at the Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin, as well as the third annual Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio.[137] The band was also confirmed for the Download Festival taking place in the UK, sub-headlining to Faith No More, as well as the simultaneous German festivals Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.[138]
...Korn III: Remember Who You Are isn’t a numbering device, it signifies an opening of another phase in Korn’s career. Somehow, the band has bypassed a Korn II altogether in their discography, but it’s commonly acknowledged that the tail-end of the 2000s found the group floundering a bit, going so far as to flirt with the Matrix in an attempt to figure out which direction to go now that they’ve hit middle age.
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Stephen Thomas Erlewine on Korn III: Remember Who You Are[139]
In a YouTube video, bassist Fieldy affirmed that the "Chi Song" project he was putting together (released as "A Song for Chi") which was released recently to raise money for Deftones bassist Chi Cheng who was in a car crash in late 2008, which resulted in him falling into a coma.[140] Fieldy revealed that Slipknot guitarist Jim Root, Clint Lowery of Sevendust, drummer Dave McClain of Machine Head and former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, would be some of the many musicians playing on the song.[140]
Along with the announcement of the Ballroom Blitz Tour on March 15, 2010, the title for the new album was revealed asKorn III: Remember Who You Are.[141][142] Later that month, Munky announced that Korn has officially signed toRoadrunner Records.[143] Jonathan Davis related: "We're going to go to Roadrunner. [It is] real exciting for us, too, because they're one of the last record companies to let you do what you want to do and, um, all the great bands around are on that label and everything seems to just work out right and it seems like a good home for us right now."[144] Korn announced the track listing on April 24, 2010,[145] and May 5, 2010, Roadrunner Records released a promotional single titled "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)", for streaming.[146] The single was simultaneously released for radio airplay, peaking at number ten on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs and number twenty-nine on Alternative Songs.[2] Korn released the music video for "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" on May 31, 2010,[147] and on July 1, 2010, Korn played "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" and premiered a follow-up single, "Let the Guilt Go," on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.[148] The band released Korn III: Remember Who You Are in the US on July 13, 2010.[149]It debuted at its peak of number two on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 purchases reported.[150] Korn performed "Let the Guilt Go" on the late-night television talk show Lopez Tonighton August 24, 2010.[151][152][153] The song's music video premiered on September 2, 2010.[153][154][155] Korn will be co-headlining the Music as a Weapon V tour with Disturbedduring winter 2011. The tour will also feature supporting acts Sevendust and In This Moment.[156] "Pop a Pill" was scheduled to be the third single from Korn III: Remember Who You Are, but plans were scrapped by record label Roadrunner Records due to unsatisfactory results with previous singles.[157]
[edit]The Path of Totality and current events (2011–present)
According to guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer, Korn has begun writing new material for their next album. He explains, "We have probably three songs we wrote a couple, two, three months ago. We went into the studio, we wrote some songs, Jon demoed the songs on his computer, and then we took them into the studio and played them live and tweaked them a little bit. Then we put those down and recorded them. They're cool. They kind of remind me a little bit of the Soundgarden style, that sort of Seattle sound… just one of them. The other songs are sort of different, a little more in the experimental stage right now. I don't want to give too much away. We're definitely moving forward, we'll probably start recording in April to try and finetune this sound we're developing."[158][159] It was stated by Jonathan Davis in an interview with ARTISTdirect that one track recorded for the album features acoustic guitar, tentatively titled "Lullaby for a Sadist".[160]
Jonathan Davis released a 14-second sample on SoundCloud in late March, of a new song entitled "Get Up!", featuring dubstep/electro house artist Skrillex. "Get Up!" appears on The Path of Totality. The album, which was released on December 2, 2011,[161] features contributions from Skrillex, 12th Planet, Excision, Datsik, Downlink, Kill the Noise, Noisia, and Feed Me. Korn premiered the full version of "Get Up!" on April 14 via Spin.[162] Additionally, Roadrunner Records' official website allowed fans to download the track for free on April 18. The track was also premiered on several radio stations throughout the United States, most notably Sirius Octane, and has received generally positive reviews amongst critics and fans alike. "Get Up!" was made available for download on iTunes, Amazon MP3, and other digital music outlets in the United States and Canada, on May 10, 2011. It was released in the UK five days later. The promotional single received enough airplay to peak at number ten on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart,[161] and number twenty-six on Alternative Songs.[2] 150,000 digital copies of "Get Up!" have been purchased in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.[161] "Narcissistic Cannibal" was released as the second single in October.[163]
Korn made their first Pointfest appearance on May 15, 2011, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and their second Rock on the Range appearance on May 21, 2011, at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Korn performed at the Nova Rock Festival 2011 in Austria on June 12, 2011, alongside Volbeat, Cavalera Conspiracy and other bands. They performed overseas at the Download Festival with Linkin Park and System of a Down, and during Japan's Summer Sonic Festival on August 13 with Avril Lavigne, The Mars Volta, Ne-Yo, and the Strokes. It was announced on June 8, 2011 that Korn will be composing the theme song for Silent Hill: Downpour. The Path of Totality was made available for pre-order on Amazon.com and iTunes on October 21, 2011. On June 9, 2011, Korn won the "Kerrang! Hall of Fame" award at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.[164]
The band also promoted The Path of Totality during a headlining tour of the same name. Korn split their show into three sections. They kicked off by playing "rare" songs from the first two albums, including the b-side "Proud." They followed with a different stage set up, playing several of their new songs. The band ended by playing some of their greatest hits. Other appearances came from Datsik, Downlink, and Dope D.O.D. On April 11, 2012, The Path of Totality won "Album of the Year" at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards. This was Korn's first ever win at the Golden Gods Awards. This ceremony celebrates the best in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music.[165] On September 4, 2012 Korn released Korn: The Path of Totality Tour - Live At The Hollywood Palladium on DVD, Blu-ray, and CD through Shout! Factory[166]
On July 18, 2012, Jonathan Davis told Billboard.com that Korn was getting ready to start recording their eleventh studio album,[167] which will be released independently. It was also announced that their next album will not contain any dubstep influences like The Path of Totality did.[168] Guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer recently stated in an interview with the Pheonix NewTimes that the new record would be a lot heavier than the last one and also said the guitars and vocals were going to be more aggressive and in your face; he went on to say that the he is using new recording techniques in the studio to give his riffs a fresh approach.[169]
On November 8, 2012, the band announced via Facebook that Brian "Head" Welch would return as a special guest to play two full shows with Korn in 2013.[170]
[edit]Style and influences
The band has stated that their primary influences include Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Sepultura, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Helmet, Rage Against the Machine, Slayer,Pink Floyd, Primus, Tool, Ministry, Mr. Bungle, Biohazard, Nine Inch Nails, Pantera, Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, and Jane's Addiction.[10][171][172] Much of their work has been inspired by hip hop music, as suggested in the cover song "Wicked", and "All in the Family".[173][174][175]
They are the first band to be labeled as nu metal, starting the New Wave of American Heavy Metal.[20] Alongside this genre, the band has also been labeled as heavy metal,alternative metal, alternative rock, post-grunge, hard rock, rap metal, funk metal, groove metal and industrial metal.[176][177][178][171][179][180][181] Their debut album mixed metal,rock, hip-hop, groove, and dissonance. Their lyrics focus on pain and personal alienation rather than traditional heavy metal themes.[182][183] In Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk, Korn was marked as the third biggest nu metal band in the world.[184]
Due to controversies and arguments over the band being heavy metal or not than just with nu metal being heavy metal or not, lead singer Jonathan Davis commented, "I remember when were coming out we were fighting being called a metal band because we weren't a metal band, we were something that wasn't classifiable," Davis says. "Then they came up with 'nu-metal' but that's still cheesy. It's frustrating." [185]
The band's debut album warranted a Parental Advisory label solely because of the album's lyrics. Many of Korn's first works are based on early experiences. The song "Daddy" was described by lead singer Jonathan Davis "When I was a kid, I was being abused by somebody else and I went to my parents and told them about it, and they thought I was lying and joking around. They never did shit about it. They didn't believe it was happening to their son.... I don't really like to talk about that song. This is as much as I've ever talked about it..."[24][186][187] "Kill You" was written about Davis's experiences as a child with his step mother.[188] Follow the Leader marked the first album where the majority of the lyrics did not have origins relating to early occurrences, with songs like "Justin" and "Pretty" written about incidents occurring during adulthood.[174]
Bassist Reginald Arvizu plays his instrument using both the techniques of fingerstyle and slapping. Jonathan Davis was said by Doug Small to be "the eye of the storm around which the music of Korn rages."[189] Small described the band as "a basket-case full of contradictions."[189] Although the band virtually had no support by television or by radio broadcasting in its first four years, Korn would go on to influence Pleymo,[190] Adema, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Slipknot, Evanescence, P.O.D., Cold, Staind, System of a Down,Seether, One Minute Silence, Kittie, Endo, Taproot, Disturbed, Crazy Town, Otep, Hoobastank, Suicide Silence, Emmure, Impending Doom, Five Pointe O, Lacuna Coil, Chris Volz, Videodrone, Theory of a Deadman, Thousand Foot Krutch, Avenged Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamin, Bleed the Sky, Papa Roach, Godsmack, Shinedown, Coal Chamber,Three Days Grace, Flymore, Bring Me the Horizon, Trapt, Molotov and other bands.[171][191] Korn also created a fan-base described by both Doug Small and Eaton Entertainmentas extremely loyal.[31]
[edit]Controversy
[edit]Vulgarity in lyrics
Prior to the release of 1998's Follow the Leader, Gretchen Plewes, a Zeeland high school assistant principal, said in an interview for a Michigan newspaper that Korn's music is "indecent, vulgar, obscene and intends to be insulting" after giving a student, Eric VanHoven, a one-day suspension for wearing a shirt with the Korn logo on it.[192] WKLQ was filmed giving away hundreds of free Korn T-shirts, which were donated by the band, outside the school. Ottawa County policemen helped hand out shirts as well.[193][194] Korn filed a cease and desist order against Plewes and the school district for their comments. They also threatened with a multi-million dollar lawsuit, but both suits were dropped due to the band members' personal lives.[195]
[edit]Former band members
In September 2009, Korn guitarist Munky, in an interview with Altitude TV, alleged that the band had denied a request by Welch to rejoin the group.[196][197] Welch denied the claims via his Myspace, stating that Korn had been asking him to rejoin but he had turned down the offers after Jonathan Davis and Munky had refused to meet him when Welch visited Fieldy socially. He also claimed that for four years he had not been paid royalties due to him. [198][199][200] Weeks later, in reference to Korn's early albums, Davis stated in an interview with The Pulse of Radio that Welch had not contributed to writing material because of his drug usage.[201] On May 5, 2012, Welch joined the band onstage for the first time in 7 years at the Carolina Rebellion festival, signaling peace between both sides. [202] On November 8, 2012 band announced via Facebook, that Brian "Head" Welch will return as a special guest to play two full shows with Korn next year.[203]
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