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Korn

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Korn
The Korn logo.
The Korn logo.

Korn during the late '90s before the departure of Welch.
Korn during the late '90s before the departure of Welch.
Background information
Years active1993–present
MembersJonathan Davis
James Shaffer
Reginald Arvizu
David Silveria
For other uses, see Korn (disambiguation).

Korn (sometimes typed KoЯn to imitate the band's logo) is an influential nu-metal band from Bakersfield, California. They are often credited with starting and instigating the nu-metal genre and inspiring the wave of alternative metal bands in the mid 1990s and early 2000s, assisting, in particular, the careers of Limp Bizkit and Deftones.

Porn==History==Porn

The first incarnation of Korn was a band known as LAPD. At first LAPD stood for 'Laughing As People Die'; however their record label made the band change the meaning to something more politically correct. LAPD was later changed to 'Love And Peace Dude' which consisted of three Korn members minus singer Jonathan Davis and guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. The singer, "Richard Morales (?)", later left and the band changed their name to Creep, adding guitarist Brian Welch. When Davis joined the band in 1993, they began styling their name as 'KoЯn' (with a backwards letter "R"), releasing their debut album, Korn, through Epic/Immortal Records in October, 1994. Korn is arguably the album most responsible for the rise of alternative metal and influencing later alternative metal bands such as Limp Bizkit.

The band followed up their debut album with their second album, Life Is Peachy, in October, 1996. The album was just as successful, reaching No.3 on The Billboard 200. It spawned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in the song "No Place to Hide". The album's release featured the first live internet broadcast by the band. KoRn performed songs from the new album and took calls from internet fans watching at home. The event was hosted by longtime KoRn friend, Adam Corolla, known best for his hosting of Loveline. The online performance was one of the first of it's kind and helped launch KoRn's internet presence which soon became a predominant part of their marketing and availability to fans.

Prior to the release of the band's 3rd album, KoRn was featured once a week on their internet TV show, KoRnTV which showed behind the scenes of the making of the record as well as special guests such as porn star Ron Jeremy, Limp Bizkit, 311 and many more. It also gave fans the chance to call in and ask the band questions. KoRn was already ahead of the game by utilizing the internet to reach their fans. August, 1998, saw Korn at their peak as they released their third album, Follow the Leader. It is generally recognized as their breakthrough album, and the album that ultimately ushered alternative metal into the mainstream. It featured a number of guest vocalists such as Ice Cube, Tre from the Pharcyde and Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit. The album was a success, reaching No.1 on the US and Canadian charts and spawning the singles "Got The Life" and "Freak On A Leash". The video for "Freak On A Leash" was directed by Todd McFarlane (creator of the Spawn comic book and formerly artist of Spiderman) and who also drew the cover for the album. The video used innovative techniques which featured 'the magic bullet' that the camera followed through various scenes as well as a performance of the band in a Twilight Zone like room. "Freak on a Leash" won a Grammy for Best Video (Short Form). Follow the Leader is the band's most commercially successful album, being certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA.

The same year Follow the Leader was released, KoЯn started their own annual heavy metal tour called the Family Values Tour. That year they headlined the tour along with Incubus, Orgy, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube and Rammstein. In 1999, Limp Bizkit headlined, along with Primus, Staind, KoЯn, The Crystal Method, and Filter. KoRn were not featured on the bill and instead only made surprised appearances at a few of the tour's stops to perform their first single off of their next album, "Falling Away From Me". The tour took a break in 2000 due to heavy competition.

In 1999 KoRn perfromed at Woodstock '99 in front of thousands of fans. The band cites its performance as one of its most memorable moments.

The band's next album, Issues, was released in November, 1999. The album debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA, following up the success of Follow the Leader. It featured a broader range of styles and vocals compared to previous albums. Korn appeared on an episode of South Park, titled Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery, in which the first single from their then new album "Falling Away From Me" was premiered. In the episode, the band helped the boys solve a Scooby-Doo style mystery. The band performed the record in it's entireity in front of a live audience and had the concert simultaneously broadcast across radio stations. This special event featured the NYPD marching drum and bagpipe band as well as a group of back-up singers to enhance the more melodic choruses and backing vocals Jonathan Davis used on the album. KoRn released 2 more singles off of Issues including the big budget video for "Make Me Bad" which featured Udo Kier and Brigitte Nielsen and the much simpler video for "Somebody Someone".

In 2001, Stone Temple Pilots, Linkin Park, Staind, Static-X, and Deadsy headlined the Family Values Tour. This was the last Family Values Tour held.

In June, 2002, after 2 and a half years out of the media spotlight, Korn re-emerged with their 5th album, Untouchables. In comparison with their previous albums, Untouchables had disappointing sales. The band have blamed Internet piracy for the drop in sales - as the album was leaked 4 months prior to it's official release date.

The album's first single "Here to Stay" earned a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Untouchables has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The first 2 videos from Untouchables were directed by the Hughes Brothers (best known for their films, Menace II Society and From Hell). The first video, Here To Stay, featured the band performing in black and white against a background of grainy static, sucking a child viewer into the video before spitting him back out again. The second video, Thoughtless, was a nod back to Jonathan's childhood as the character in the video is picked on and ultimately gains revenge in a very grotesque way. The third video for Untouchables, Alone I Break, was directed by Sean Dack who won the honor of directing KoRn's video through an MTV contest. The video kept with the darkness of KoRn, showing Jonathan Davis killing the members of the band after conflict.

Prior to their next album, KoRn released the single Did My Time which was featured on the soundtrack to the Angelina Jolie film, Tomb Raider: Cradle of Life in early 2003. Angelina Jolie appeared in the video for Did My Time, however due to scheduling conflicts the band's performance was shot at a different time and location than Angelina Jolie's. The single Did My Time was also used on the next album.

Korn's sixth album, Take a Look in the Mirror was released in November, 2003. KoRn produced this record themselves and cited it as a look back upon their career by returning back to a more stripped down and raw sound. The album featured the singles, Right Now, Everything I've Known and Ya'll Want A Single. The first 2 singles were animated videos while the 3rd single, Ya'll Want A Single, was a performance video which featured KoRn and a large group of fans destroying a record store. The album peaked at No. 9 on The Billboard 200. Many critics and fans consider this a low point for the band creatively, saying the style lacks in evolution from the debut album. A considerable piece of evidence is the inclusion of the track "Alive", a re-worked version of the demo "Alive" from 1994.

In 2004 KoRn released their greatest hits album, Greatest Hits, Volume 1, which featured 2 cover songs and a compilation of the band's hits from the past 10 years. The first single was a cover of the song Word Up originally made popular by the group Cameo. The second single off of the greatest hits album was a medley of all 3 parts of Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall and Goodbye Cruel World. The song has become a concert staple ever since.

On February 22, 2005, Brian Welch announced that he had "...chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end" [1], and was formally leaving Korn. Initial speculations that this was a hoax or practical joke were proven wrong; he has turned highly spiritual, even being baptized in the Jordan River and speaking openly about his faith and conversion, especially on his website [2]. Welch has also stated that his reason for leaving the band has to do with his daughter reciting obscene Korn lyrics. Welch has also stated that he was fighting an addiction to crystal meth. This was to be the band's first, and so far only, line up change in their history.

Upon completing their record deal with Sony Records KoRn has since partnered with EMI and signed to Virgin Records. EMI has paid Korn $25 million upfront in exchange for a share in the profits of their next two LPs, including tours and merchandising.

On December 6th, 2005 KoRn released their 7th full-length studio album titled See You On The Other Side. The album was a step in a new direction for KoRn since parting ways with former guitarist, Brian "Head" Welch. The album also featured production from pop producers The Matrix and Atticus Ross. See You On The Other Side is the closest KoRn has ever released to a concept album and the special edition features a bonus disc with three additional original tracks, as well as bonus artwork. The first single from See You On The Other Side was Twisted Transistor which featured a Spinal Tap-esque style documentary video where 4 of today's biggest rappers played the parts of KoRn. Lil Jon played Jonathan Davis. Xzibit played Fieldy. David Banner played David Silveria and Snoop Dogg played Munky. The idea for the video came from the mind of singer Jonathan Davis who thought of it while in the Caribbean. Plans to turn the video into a full-length movie are in the works. "Twisted Transistor" was also the official theme song for WWE's Taboo Tuesday pay-per-view event in November 2005 The band's second single off of See You On The Other Side has been announced to be Coming Undone, though various radion stations say Liar.

File:Kornatkerrang.jpg
Korn at the 2005 Kerrang Awards. From left to right -- James "Munky" Schaffer (guitar), Jonathan "HIV" Davis (vocals/bagpipes), Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and David Silveria (drums).

KoRn is currently planning a world tour staring in February of 2006 which will run well into 2007.

Style and influences

Davis' distinctive singing — often a series of grunts, whines and bizarre scats (somewhat reminiscent of those used by Mike Patton) — and his lyrics, are inspired in part by his alleged child abuse by an unnamed party. Although the alleged abuser has never been explicitly identified, it is speculated, based upon statements by Davis in various interviews, that it was a family friend or neighbor. Davis has also stated that much of his inspiration is drawn from both his parents' denial of his abuse, and his time spent as an assistant in a morgue. For example, songs such as "Daddy" from 1994's KoRn illustrate his resentment towards his parents. Also, "Dead Bodies Everywhere" from 1998's Follow The Leader discusses both his issues with his parents and some of the atrocities Davis reported seeing during his time in the morgue.

The group's music is a blend of pounding, tribal drums and loud, distorted seven-string guitars (an instrument the band was a pioneer in making popular among heavy metal musicians), and has gained the band popularity throughout the years. The band is also notable for their collaborations with hip hop artists such as Ice Cube and Nas, as well as for re-introducing the bagpipe into mainstream rock music, little heard since the days of AC/DC's late frontman Bon Scott. The band's simple song structure may be due to the band's pop sensibility. Davis grew up as an avid fan of the new romantic and new wave scene, where the pop song formula is used quite often.

The occasional mention of Korn as a Nu Metal band is not shared by everyone. Most think that "nu metal" is a phantom genre and/or something made up by record labels. The band members themselves do not even think of Korn as Nu Metal, or any other genre for that matter. They generally oppose labeling bands as a genre.

It is often hard to place band into specific genres, but most likely the best fitting genre for Korn would be alternative metal, mainly because of their harder edge yet modern pop-like style. Heavy metal or metal could also be used, however it is usually more associated with bands like Slayer and Megadeth.


Korn has cited bands such as Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, N.W.A., Metallica, and Duran Duran as key influences.

Members


Previous members

Session Members

  • Rob Patterson - touring guitarist but not an official member. (2005)

Discography

Albums

*It is worth noting that Take a Look in the Mirror debuted at #19 and eventually peaked at #9 because it was released a week earlier than originally planned, due to its content being leaked onto the Internet. The album would have most likely had higher debut and peak positions if released on schedule.

DVDs & VHS

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK Singles Chart
1994 "Blind" - - - - Korn
1995 "Shoots And Ladders" - - - - Korn
1995 "Clown" - - - - Korn
1995 "Need To" - - - - Korn
1995 "Faget" - - - - Korn
1996 "Twist" - - - - Life Is Peachy
1996 "No Place to Hide" - - - #26 Life Is Peachy
1996 "A.D.I.D.A.S." - - - #22 Life Is Peachy
1997 "Good God" - - - #25 Life Is Peachy
1998 "All in the Family" - - - - Follow the Leader
1998 "Got the Life" - #17 #15 #23 Follow the Leader
1999 "Freak on a Leash" - #6 #10 #24 Follow the Leader
1999 "Children of the Korn" - - - - Follow the Leader
1999 "B.B.K." - - - - Follow the Leader
2000 "Falling Away from Me" #99 #7 #7 #24 Issues
2000 "Trash" #43 #14 #9 - Issues
2000 "Make Me Bad" - #7 #9 #25 Issues
2000 "Somebody Someone" - #23 #23 - Issues
2002 "Here to Stay" #72 #4 #4 #12 Untouchables
2002 "Thoughtless" - #11 #6 #37 Untouchables
2002 "Alone I Break" - #34 #19 - Untouchables
2003 "Did My Time" #38 - - #15 Take a Look in the Mirror
2003 "Right Now" - #13 #11 - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Y'All Want a Single" - - #23 - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Everything I've Known" - - - - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Word Up!" - #17 #16 - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
2004 "Another Brick in the Wall, Pts. 1-3" - #37 #12 - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
2005 "Twisted Transistor" #64 #9 #3 #27 See You on the Other Side
2005 "Coming Undone" - - - - See You on the Other Side

Remixes

Korn often likes to enlist other musicians to remix their singles and most popular songs. See a list of Korn's remixes

Soundtrack contributions

Music Videos

KoRn have covered a vast range of styles in their music videos. Some notable contributers have been Spawn creator, Todd McFarlane and Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst.

See also


Fan Sites

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