Korn
Encyclopedia
Korn is an American nu metal
band from Bakersfield, California
, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis
, James "Munky" Shaffer
, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
, and Ray Luzier
. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.
The band released their first demo album, Neidermeyer's Mind
, in 1993. Their debut album, Korn
was released in 1994, where they featured the same musicians that had performed on Neidermeyer's Mind. The band began recording Life Is Peachy
in April 1996, and released it on October 15, 1996. Follow the Leader
is recognized as Korn's mainstream breakthrough, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200
in 1998, along with the following album, Issues in 1999. The band released Untouchables
on June 11, 2002, and later released Take a Look in the Mirror
on November 21, 2003. Their first compilation album
, Greatest Hits Vol. 1
, was released on October 5, 2004. See You on the Other Side was released on December 6, 2005, and Korn's untitled album
was released nearly two years later on July 31, 2007. Korn III: Remember Who You Are, the band's ninth studio album, was released July 13, 2010 via Roadrunner Records.
Korn has sold 19 million albums in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan
, and 35 million worldwide. Ten of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of which have peaked in the top five. Eight of those releases are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, and one is certified Gold. Korn have released six video albums and 39 music videos. They currently have 39 singles
, 27 of which have charted. Korn have earned two Grammy Award
s out of seven nominations, for "Freak on a Leash
" and "Here to Stay
".
band L.A.P.D.
: James Shaffer
, Reginald Arvizu
, and David Silveria
. Originally consisting of Richard Morrill, James Shaffer, and Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria joined when he was 15. The band moved their location from Bakersfield, California
to Los Angeles
, California
. As a result, Silveria dropped out of high school and Shaffer stayed in Bakersfield. When Shaffer reunited with the band, the band found a manager and released an EP entitled Love and Peace Dude in 1989 through Triple X Records
. 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
. After releasing their two albums, L.A.P.D. broke up and Shaffer, Arvizu, and Silveria, along with Brian Welch
and Jonathan Davis
formed a band later to be known as "Korn".
Korn achieved its name after a fan suggested the name "Corn". At first, the group rejected the idea, but later, with no alternate names, the group selected the name "Corn". Later, Shaffer suggested spelling their name with a "K" instead of a "C", and Shaffer came up with the idea to reverse the "R", so the band's name would appear as "KoЯn". The logo was designed by lead vocalist
Jonathan Davis
. Silveria explained, "the music makes the name, because Korn's a dumb name. But once we get established, it makes the name cool."
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. 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." 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 never well received by critics or fans. 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
.
with Ross Robinson
. On October 11, 1994, Korn released a self–titled album through Immortal
/Epic
, which eventually peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200
in 1995, as well as peaking at number one on the Heatseekers Albums
chart. The album received positive reviews by critics, and it is said to have established the new wave of metal
. As well as sparking the nu metal genre, the album also started record producer
Ross Robinson's music career. It also influenced other bands, like Slipknot
, Coal Chamber
, and Limp Bizkit
.
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
. About half way through the tour, the tour bus that their record company gave them stopped working, and Korn had to find a new one. Their first tour was not very successful in promoting the album. Korn started the Sick of It All
Tour in January 1995. 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
. "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.
, and the expectations for their follow-up album were high. They went back into the studio in early April 1996 at Indigo Ranch Studios, Malibu, California. The album was released October 15, 1996, and despite minimal radio airplay and television attention, Life Is Peachy
debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and peaked at number one on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand sales chart
. The album sold 106,000 copies in its first week. Jon Pareles
from The New York Times
said that the band was "Mad at Everybody, Including Themselves." The album was certified a 2× Platinum in the United States, Platinum in Australia and Gold in Canada.
The first single, "No Place to Hide", spawned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. "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. 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. 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.
, Limp Bizkit
, and 311
. 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. Korn released their third album, Follow the Leader
, on August 18, 1998, which featured a number of guest vocalists such as Ice Cube
, Tre Hardson from the Pharcyde, Fred Durst
of Limp Bizkit and actor Cheech Marin
on the hidden track "Earache My Eye
" (written by Marin himself).
Korn launched a political campaign-style tour to promote the release of Follow the Leader. The tour took the group, on a chartered jet, all over North America to help promote Follow the Leader. 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.
The album was considered by band members a complete success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with 268,000 copies sold, and, among other singles, spawning two of their biggest singles: "Got the Life
" and "Freak on a Leash
". 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, with "Freak on a Leash" also reaching retirement several months later.
"Freak on a Leash" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form
, and received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance
. 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. It eventually won two awards, one being for Best Rock Video and the other for Best Editing. "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. Follow the Leader is considered by members of Korn to be the band's most commercially–successful album, being certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA
, and having sold almost ten million copies worldwide.
, was released on November 16, 1999, featuring cover art designed by Alfredo Carlos, who won a contest held for the fans by MTV. 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, keeping Dr. Dre
's album 2001 and Céline Dion's greatest hits album
from hitting number one.
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. This performance marked the first performance by a rock band since Buddy Holly
in the late 1950s. 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. A snippet of "Falling Away from Me
" was featured on RealVideo
with a brief interpretive dance
by bassist Reginald Arvizu
, and also featured on their official website as an MP3 file
, although its release was against the advice of its attorneys and corporate establishment. The album was also promoted by the band's highly successful Sick 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. Korn released two more singles from Issues, "Make Me Bad
" and "Somebody Someone
", both of which fared well on Billboard. 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. Issues is considered by some critics to be less hip hop-influenced and closer to alternative metal than nu metal. It was certified three-times Platinum, following up the success of Follow the Leader.
. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 434,000 in sales. 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. On April 2, 2002, the Shock Jock
s, an American radio 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.'" 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.
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." The first two videos from Untouchables, "Here to Stay" and "Thoughtless
", were directed by the Hughes Brothers
. "Here to Stay" earned Korn a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. "Here to Stay" peaked at number four on both the Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Songs charts.
was released on a Friday, November 21, 2003; four days earlier than its original release date. 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. 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'." Korn released the single "Did My Time
" on July 22, 2003, 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. "Did My Time" gave Korn another Grammy nomination in the Best Metal Performance category.
Korn released their greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, on October 5, 2004. The album debuted at number four on Billboard, selling more than 129,000 copies. This album assembles choice tracks from six Korn studio albums between 1994 and 2003. The first single was a cover of the song "Word Up!
", which was originally composed by the group Cameo
. 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. 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.'" Since, Welch has released two autobiographies
, and released one solo album.
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.
The band's first album for Virgin, See You on the Other Side, was released on December 6, 2005, and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, scanning close to 221,000 copies. The album managed to stay in the top half of the Billboard 200 for thirty-four consecutive weeks. 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. The single itself peaked at number three on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs, Korn's highest entry thus far, and number nine on Alternative Songs. The second single, "Coming Undone
", had its performance-based video directed by Little X, who previously helmed hip hop and R&B
videos. See You on the Other Side was certified Platinum, and by mid-2007 had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.
Korn held a press conference at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
on January 13, 2006, announcing the See You on the Other Side Tour
. 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. 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. Korn and Evanescence
co-headlined the 2007 edition, with Atreyu
, 2006 alumni Flyleaf, Hellyeah
, and Trivium
rounding out the main stage.
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
. Despite the illness, the band still performed, with guest singers including Corey Taylor
of Slipknot
and Stone Sour
fame, Skindred
's Benji Webbe
and Avenged Sevenfold
's M. Shadows
. This led to Korn canceling the rest of their European bill for 2006, 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".
In early December 2006 it was announced that founding drummer David Silveria
would be taking an indefinite “temporary hiatus” from the band. 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. Korn played a 14-song acoustic
set complete with guest appearances by The Cure
and Amy Lee
of Evanescence
. 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.
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. It concluded Korn's deal with Virgin Records, and features touring keyboardist Zac Baird
, giving the tracks a deeper, atmospheric sound. Drumming duties were left up to Terry Bozzio
, and Bad Religion
's Brooks Wackerman
, as David Silveria went on a hiatus. 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. "Evolution
" and "Hold On
" were released as singles to promote the untitled album. They each charted on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs chart at number four and number nine, respectively. A third single, "Kiss", had a limited release in April 2008. 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
.
reported in October 2008 that Korn had "written and recorded an original song inspired by Ubisoft's Haze
video game, simply entitled "Haze
", which was released on April 22, 2008. Korn also released a live DVD, Live at Montreux 2004, one of their performances with former guitarist Brian Welch on May 12, 2008. Additionally, a second greatest hits compilation titled Playlist: The Very Best of Korn was released on April 29, 2008. 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
. 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.
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. 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.
Along with the announcement of the Ballroom Blitz Tour
on March 15, 2010, the title for the new album was revealed as Korn III: Remember Who You Are. Later that month, Munky announced that Korn has officially signed to Roadrunner Records
. 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." Korn announced the track listing on April 24, 2010, and May 5, 2010, Roadrunner Records released a promotional single titled "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
", for streaming. The single was simultaneously released for radio airplay, peaking at number ten on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs and number twenty-nine on Alternative Songs. Korn released the music video for "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" on May 31, 2010, 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!. The band released Korn III: Remember Who You Are in the US on July 13, 2010. It debuted at its peak of number two on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 purchases reported. Korn performed "Let the Guilt Go" on the late-night television talk show Lopez Tonight
on August 24, 2010. The song's music video premiered on September 2, 2010. Korn will be co-headlining the Music as a Weapon V tour with Disturbed during winter 2011. The tour will also feature supporting acts Sevendust
and In This Moment
. "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.
, 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." 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".
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!" is slated to appear on The Path of Totality. The album, which will be released on December 6, 2011, 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
. 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 Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and number twenty-six on Alternative Songs. 150,000 digital copies of "Get Up!" have been purchased in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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.
The band also promoted their album by doing a tour where they performed a few songs from the The Path of Totality. They split their show into three sections. They kicked off by playing rare, old school songs. They followed with a different stage set up, playing their dubstep influenced songs. The band ended by playing some of their greatest hits. Other appearances came from Datsik, Downlink, and Dope D.O.D.
, 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
. Much of their work has been inspired by hip hop music
, as suggested in the cover song "Wicked
", and "All in the Family".
They are the first band to be labeled as nu metal
, starting the New Wave of American Heavy Metal
. Alongside this genre, the band has also been labeled as rap metal
, thrash rap
, and pimp rock. Their debut album mixed metal
, rock
, hip-hop, groove, and dissonance
. Alongside nu metal, the band is often labeled as heavy metal, alternative metal
, post grunge, and rap metal
. Their lyrics focus on pain and personal alienation rather than traditional heavy metal themes. In Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk, Korn was marked as the third biggest nu metal band in the world.
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..." "Kill You" was written in spite of Davis's experiences as a child with his step mother. 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.
Many of Korn's songs do not include a guitar solo
. 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." Small described the band as "a basket-case full of contradictions." Although the band virtually had no support by television
or by radio broadcasting in its first four years, Korn would go on to influence Adema
, Limp Bizkit
, Linkin Park
, Evanescence
, Cold
, Staind
, Seether
, Machine Head
, One Minute Silence
, Kittie
, Endo
, Taproot
, Crazy Town
, Otep
, Hoobastank
, Slipknot
, Suicide Silence
, Emmure
, Impending Doom
, Five Pointe O
, Lacuna Coil
, Chris Volz
, Videodrone
, Theory of a Deadman
, Thousand Foot Krutch
, Avenged Sevenfold
, Breaking Benjamin
, Disturbed, Bleed the Sky
, Papa Roach
, Coal Chamber
, Three Days Grace
, Trapt
, Skalped, and other bands. Korn also created a fan-base described by both Doug Small and Eaton Entertainment
as extremely loyal.
, 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. 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. 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 files were dropped due to the band members' personal lives.
, 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. Weeks later, in reference to Korn's early albums, Davis stated in an interview with pulseoftheradio that Welch had not contributed to writing material because of his drug usage.
The Grammy Award
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
. Korn has received two awards from seven nominations.
|-
| || "Shoots and Ladders
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "No Place to Hide" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| ||rowspan="2"| "Freak on a Leash
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| Best Short Form Music Video ||
|-
| || "Here to Stay
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "Did My Time
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "Let the Guilt Go
" || Best Metal Performance ||
MTV Asia Awards
The MTV Asia Awards
is an annual Asian awards ceremony established in 2002 by the MTV
television network. Korn has received one award.
|-
| 2006 || "Twisted Transistor
" || Favorite Video ||
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards
is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe
. Korn has received one nomination.
|-
| 2006 || Korn || Best Alternative Act ||
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards
were established in 1984 by MTV
to celebrate the top music video
s of the year. Korn has received two awards from eleven nominations.
|-
|rowspan="9"| ||rowspan="9"| "Freak on a Leash" || Best Rock Video ||
|-
| Breakthrough Video ||
|-
| Best Direction ||
|-
| Best Special Effects ||
|-
| Best Art Direction ||
|-
| Best Editing ||
|-
| Best Cinematography ||
|-
| Viewer's Choice ||
|-
| Video of the Year ||
|-
| || "Falling Away from Me
" || Best Rock Video ||
|-
| || "Here to Stay" || Best Rock Video ||
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards
is an annual awards ceremony presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic
. Korn has received one award from two nominations.
|-
| 1999 || "Freak on a Leash" || Best International Video ||
|-
| 2002 || "Here to Stay" || Best International Video (Group) ||
Kerrang! Awards
|-
| 1997 || Life Is Peachy
|| Best Album ||
|-
| 2011 || Korn || Hall of Fame ||
Former
Touring
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band from Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
, James "Munky" Shaffer
James Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
, and Ray Luzier
Ray Luzier
Raymond Lee "Ray" Luzier is an American drummer. He is currently the drummer of the band Korn, becoming a full-time member of the band in April 2009.-Life and career:...
. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.
L.A.P.D. (band)
L.A.P.D. is an American funk metal band, formed in 1989, in Bakersfield, California. From 1989 to 1991, the member line-up was James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria, Richard Morrill, and Pete Capra...
The band released their first demo album, Neidermeyer's Mind
Neidermeyer's Mind
Neidermeyer's Mind is a demo album by the American nu metal band Korn. It was was produced by Ross Robinson and released in 1993. The demo is very difficult to find...
, in 1993. Their debut album, Korn
Korn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
was released in 1994, where they featured the same musicians that had performed on Neidermeyer's Mind. The band began recording Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Korn, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal/Epic Records. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut, Korn earned a second double platinum album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry...
in April 1996, and released it on October 15, 1996. Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader (Korn album)
Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson...
is recognized as Korn's mainstream breakthrough, peaking at number one on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1998, along with the following album, Issues in 1999. The band released Untouchables
Untouchables (album)
* "Here to Stay" is a hidden track on the limited edition, beginning at 5:06 after "No One's There". On some non-limited edition pressings, it is a full track.* "Beat It Upright" was not included on the edited version of the album.-Bonus DVD:...
on June 11, 2002, and later released Take a Look in the Mirror
Take a Look in the Mirror
Take a Look in the Mirror is the sixth studio album by Korn, and is the last studio album to feature their full original lineup, with Brian "Head" Welch departing from the band soon afterwards...
on November 21, 2003. Their first compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
, Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 (Korn album)
-Bonus DVD: Live at CBGB's :-Chart positions:AlbumSingles...
, was released on October 5, 2004. See You on the Other Side was released on December 6, 2005, and Korn's untitled album
Untitled Korn album
The untitled eighth studio album by American nu metal band Korn was released on July 31, 2007, through Virgin Records. The standard edition holds thirteen tracks, whereas the deluxe edition holds fourteen...
was released nearly two years later on July 31, 2007. Korn III: Remember Who You Are, the band's ninth studio album, was released July 13, 2010 via Roadrunner Records.
Korn has sold 19 million albums in the US according to Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
, and 35 million worldwide. Ten of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of which have peaked in the top five. Eight of those releases are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, and one is certified Gold. Korn have released six video albums and 39 music videos. They currently have 39 singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, 27 of which have charted. Korn have earned two Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s out of seven nominations, for "Freak on a Leash
Freak on a Leash
"Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album Follow the Leader. Prior to the album's release, Korn had an instrumental section of the song, described as a "noisy guitar break." The section was taken out of the song after their fans...
" and "Here to Stay
Here to Stay (Korn song)
"Here to Stay" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Korn that appears on the band's fifth studio album, Untouchables as the album's opening track. It was released as the album's first single in February 2002. The song won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, as well as winning an award...
".
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 metalHeavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band L.A.P.D.
L.A.P.D. (band)
L.A.P.D. is an American funk metal band, formed in 1989, in Bakersfield, California. From 1989 to 1991, the member line-up was James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria, Richard Morrill, and Pete Capra...
: James Shaffer
James Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
, Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
, and David Silveria
David Silveria
David Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
. Originally consisting of Richard Morrill, James Shaffer, and Reginald Arvizu, David Silveria joined when he was 15. The band moved their location from Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. As a result, Silveria dropped out of high school and Shaffer stayed in Bakersfield. When Shaffer reunited with the band, the band found a manager and released an EP entitled Love and Peace Dude in 1989 through Triple X Records
Triple X Records
Triple X Records is a Los Angeles based record company. They are the label for bands such as Bo Diddley, The Vandals, Jane's Addiction, Social Distortion, Human Drama, Of Cabbages And Kings, Angry Samoans, Bad Manners, Stephen Pearcy, Dr...
. L.A.P.D. released their first full-length studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
on May 3, 1991 which consisted of eleven tracks. The album was entitled Who's Laughing Now
Who's Laughing Now
-Credits:* Richard Morrill - vocals* J. "Munky" Shaffer - guitar* Fieldy - bass* David Silveria - drums-External links:* [ Allmusic page for the album]...
. After releasing their two albums, L.A.P.D. broke up and Shaffer, Arvizu, and Silveria, along with Brian Welch
Brian Welch
Brian Phillip Welch , better known as Head, is an American musician best known as the former guitarist and co-founder of the nu metal band Korn...
and Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
formed a band later to be known as "Korn".
Korn achieved its name after a fan suggested the name "Corn". At first, the group rejected the idea, but later, with no alternate names, the group selected the name "Corn". Later, Shaffer suggested spelling their name with a "K" instead of a "C", and Shaffer came up with the idea to reverse the "R", so the band's name would appear as "KoЯn". The logo was designed by lead vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
. Silveria explained, "the music makes the name, because Korn's a dumb name. But once we get established, it makes the name cool."
Korn rented a studio from Jeff Creath, called "Underground Chicken Sound," in Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. While they were recording at Underground Chicken Sound, a crowd had been loitering
Loitering
Loitering is the act of remaining in a particular public place for a protracted time. Under certain circumstances, it is illegal in various jurisdictions.-Prohibition and history:Loitering may be prohibited by local governments in several countries...
outside the studio. The band began playing a prelude to a later song, "Clown
Clown (song)
"Clown" is the fourth single by nu metal band Korn from their self-titled debut album. The video for this song, directed by McG actually refers to lead singer Jonathan Davis painful experiences from high school, where he was constantly picked on and ridiculed...
", resulting in a larger crowd gathering. Arvizu said the crowd gathered because it sounded so "different." 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
Neidermeyer's Mind
Neidermeyer's Mind is a demo album by the American nu metal band Korn. It was was produced by Ross Robinson and released in 1993. The demo is very difficult to find...
. Their album had very limited printing, and was never well received by critics or fans. It was released to record companies and to people who filled out a flyer given out at gigs they played for free with Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
and House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
.
Debut album (1994–95)
By May 1994, Korn began recording their debut albumKorn (album)
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
with Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
. On October 11, 1994, Korn released a self–titled album through Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
/Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, which eventually peaked at number 72 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in 1995, as well as peaking at number one on the Heatseekers Albums
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart. The album received positive reviews by critics, and it is said to have established the new wave of metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
. As well as sparking the nu metal genre, the album also started record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Ross Robinson's music career. It also influenced other bands, like Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber. They disbanded in 2003 after ten years together, but announced a reunion in...
, and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
.
After Korn finished recording the album, they began touring with House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
and Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
. Their record company gave them enough money for their own tour bus. Korn's first gig was in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. About half way through the tour, the tour bus that their record company gave them stopped working, and Korn had to find a new one. Their first tour was not very successful in promoting the album. Korn started the Sick of It All
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
Tour in January 1995. Aside from touring, Korn released four singles. "Blind" was released on August 1, 1994, and "Shoots and Ladders
Shoots and Ladders (song)
"Shoots and Ladders" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's third single in 1995.-Music and structure:...
" was released on October 31, 1995. The latter received a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination in 1997 for Best Metal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre...
. "Need To
Need To
"Need To" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single in April 1995.-Music and structure:...
" 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
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
Alternative 30.
Life Is Peachy (1996–97)
After the success of their debut, Korn decided to enter the studio again for a second album. By then, the band had created a large fan baseFan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
, and the expectations for their follow-up album were high. They went back into the studio in early April 1996 at Indigo Ranch Studios, Malibu, California. The album was released October 15, 1996, and despite minimal radio airplay and television attention, Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Korn, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal/Epic Records. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut, Korn earned a second double platinum album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry...
debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and peaked at number one on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand sales chart
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
. The album sold 106,000 copies in its first week. Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles
Jon Pareles is an American journalist who is the chief popular music critic in the arts section of the New York Times. He played jazz flute and piano, and graduated from Yale University with a degree in music. In the 1970s he was an associate editor of Crawdaddy!, and in the 1980s an associate...
from The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
said that the band was "Mad at Everybody, Including Themselves." The album was certified a 2× Platinum in the United States, Platinum in Australia and Gold in Canada.
The first single, "No Place to Hide", spawned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. "A.D.I.D.A.S.
A.D.I.D.A.S.
"All Day I Dream About Sex" redirects here. For the JC Chasez song, see All Day Long I Dream About Sex.For the clothing manufactuter, see Adidas...
" 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. The third single, "Good God", was released on July 14, 1997. The band gained more popularity after co-headlining the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
music festival in 1997 with Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
. However, Korn was forced to stop touring after Shaffer was diagnosed with viral meningitis. A promotional disc was released in 1997 to promote both the band and the Life Is Peachy Tour featuring Incubus
Incubus (band)
Incubus is an American rock band from Calabasas, California. The band was formed in 1991 by vocalist Brandon Boyd, lead guitarist Mike Einziger, and drummer Jose Pasillas while enrolled in high school and later expanded to include bassist Alex "Dirk Lance" Katunich, and Gavin "DJ Lyfe" Koppell;...
and The Urge
The Urge
The Urge is a St. Louis rock band formed in 1987 by drummer Jeff Herschel, bassist Karl Grable, guitarist Pat Malecek, and singer Steve Ewing...
and included three live tracks.
Follow the Leader, mainstream success (1998–99)
Prior to the release of the band's third album, Korn produced a weekly online TV show, KornTV, which documented the making of the record and featured special guests such as porn star Ron JeremyRon Jeremy
Ronald Jeremy Hyatt , usually called Ron Jeremy, is an American pornographic actor. Nicknamed "The Hedgehog", he was ranked by AVN at number one in their "The 50 Top Porn Stars of All Time" list...
, Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, and 311
311 (band)
311 is an American rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The band was formed in 1988 by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Nick Hexum, lead guitarist Jim Watson , bassist Aaron "P-Nut" Wills and drummer Chad Sexton...
. 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. Korn released their third album, Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader (Korn album)
Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson...
, on August 18, 1998, which featured a number of guest vocalists such as Ice Cube
Ice Cube
O'Shea Jackson , better known by his stage name Ice Cube, is an American rapper and actor. He began his career as a member of the hip-hop group C.I.A. and later joined the rap group N.W.A. After leaving N.W.A in December 1989, he built a successful solo career in music, and also as a writer,...
, Tre Hardson from the Pharcyde, Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
of Limp Bizkit and actor Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
on the hidden track "Earache My Eye
Earache My Eye
"Earache My Eye" is a comedy routine and song by Cheech and Chong which features Alice Bowie .-History:It first appeared on Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album and later on the greatest hits collections Cheech & Chong's Greatest Hit , and Where There's Smoke There's Cheech & Chong, a double-CD...
" (written by Marin himself).
Korn launched a political campaign-style tour to promote the release of Follow the Leader. The tour took the group, on a chartered jet, all over North America to help promote Follow the Leader. 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.
The album was considered by band members a complete success, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with 268,000 copies sold, and, among other singles, spawning two of their biggest singles: "Got the Life
Got The Life
"Got the Life" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their third studio album, Follow the Leader. It was released as the album's second single on November 23, 1998. It was recorded in April 1998 at NRG Recording Studios...
" and "Freak on a Leash
Freak on a Leash
"Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album Follow the Leader. Prior to the album's release, Korn had an instrumental section of the song, described as a "noisy guitar break." The section was taken out of the song after their fans...
". They both exposed Korn to a wider, mainstream audience, with the music videos being mainstays on MTV's Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
. "Got the Life" was the show's very first "retired" video, with "Freak on a Leash" also reaching retirement several months later.
"Freak on a Leash" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form
Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos...
, and received a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance
Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
. The video also earned nine MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
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. It eventually won two awards, one being for Best Rock Video and the other for Best Editing. "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. Follow the Leader is considered by members of Korn to be the band's most commercially–successful album, being certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, and having sold almost ten million copies worldwide.
Issues (1999–2001)
The band's fourth album, Issues, produced by Brendan O'BrienBrendan O'Brien (music producer)
Brendan O’Brien is a record producer, mixer, engineer, and musician.At age 14, O'Brien played guitar for the Atlanta-based cover band Pranks. In the late 1970s, he moved on to writing, performing and recording with the Samurai Catfish band...
, was released on November 16, 1999, featuring cover art designed by Alfredo Carlos, who won a contest held for the fans by MTV. 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, keeping Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre
Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
's album 2001 and Céline Dion's greatest hits album
All the Way... A Decade of Song
All the Way… A Decade of Song is the first English greatest hits album by Canadian singer Céline Dion, released on November 12, 1999. It is her 7th English album and 27th in total. All the Way... A Decade of Song was extremely successful, selling over 22 million copies worldwide...
from hitting number one.
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
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
and broadcast the concert simultaneously across many radio stations. This performance marked the first performance by a rock band since Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
in the late 1950s. This special event featured the New York Police Department marching drum
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
and bagpipe
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
band conducted by Richard Gibbs
Richard Gibbs
Richard “Ribbs” Gibbs is an American film composer and music producer whose credits include the films Sweet Hearts Dance, Dr...
as well as a group of back-up singers to enhance the more melodic choruses Davis used on the album. A snippet of "Falling Away from Me
Falling Away From Me
"Falling Away from Me" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released as the first single from their fourth album Issues, where it appeared in an episode of Comedy Central's animated series, South Park, entitled "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery"...
" was featured on RealVideo
RealVideo
RealVideo is a suite of proprietary video compression formats developed by RealNetworks – the specific format changes with the version. It was first released in 1997 and is at version 10. RealVideo is supported on many platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Solaris, and several mobile...
with a brief interpretive dance
Interpretive dance
Interpretive dance is a family of dance styles that seeks to translates particular feelings and emotions, human conditions, situations, or fantasies into movement and dramatic expression combined...
by bassist Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
, and also featured on their official website as an MP3 file
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
, although its release was against the advice of its attorneys and corporate establishment. The album was also promoted by the band's highly successful Sick and Twisted Tour
Sick and Twisted Tour
-North America, first leg:02.18.00 - Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL 02.19.00 - American Airlines Arena, Miami, FL 02.21.00 - New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA 02.23.00 - Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX 02.24.00 - The Myriad, Oklahoma City, OK...
.
Earlier that year, Korn had appeared on an episode of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
, titled "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery
Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery
"Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery" is the twelfth episode of the third season of Comedy Central's animated series South Park. It originally aired on October 27, 1999...
", in which the first single from Issues, "Falling Away from Me", was premiered. Korn released two more singles from Issues, "Make Me Bad
Make Me Bad
"Make Me Bad" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their fourth studio album, Issues. Many Korn fans interpret the lyrics to be about frontman Jonathan Davis' getting tired of drinking and drug abuse and his decision to get sober a year prior to Issues coming out...
" and "Somebody Someone
Somebody Someone
"Somebody Someone" is a song by Korn and the third single from their fourth album Issues.It was the least successful single from the album, and failed to reach the top 20 of Billboards Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts, although it gained moderate airplay on MTV's Total Request Live...
", both of which fared well on Billboard. 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
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
effects. Every video was a staple on Total Request Live, two of which made it to retirement. Issues is considered by some critics to be less hip hop-influenced and closer to alternative metal than nu metal. It was certified three-times Platinum, following up the success of Follow the Leader.
Untouchables (2002–03)
On June 10, 2002, Korn re-emerged into the media with their fifth album, UntouchablesUntouchables (album)
* "Here to Stay" is a hidden track on the limited edition, beginning at 5:06 after "No One's There". On some non-limited edition pressings, it is a full track.* "Beat It Upright" was not included on the edited version of the album.-Bonus DVD:...
. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 434,000 in sales. The band has blamed Internet piracy
Warez
Warez refers primarily to copyrighted works distributed without fees or royalties, and may be traded, in general violation of copyright law. The term generally refers to unauthorized releases by organized groups, as opposed to file sharing between friends or large groups of people with similar...
for the drop in sales, as an unmastered version of the album had leaked three months prior to its official release date. On April 2, 2002, the Shock Jock
Shock Jock
Shock Jock was an Australian television comedy series, broadcast on TV1.The series lasted for two series and was created by comedian Tim Ferguson...
s, an American radio program
Radio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
, began airing songs from Untouchables. After playing a few songs, the broadcasters retrieved a cease-and-desist letter from Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
. 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.'" 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.
The album contained experiments and styles never previously attempted by Korn. Allmusic related: "The band is far more experimental this time out, delivering Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
-like ringing guitars that melt and morph into each other, a mix of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
-esque blastbeats and tight funk drumming from the constantly improving David Silveria
David Silveria
David Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
, and memorable riffs that take the shape of dark sound structures and offer more than just a collection of chords." The first two videos from Untouchables, "Here to Stay" and "Thoughtless
Thoughtless
"Thoughtless" is a song written by American nu metal band Korn for their fifth studio album, Untouchables. "Thoughtless" was released as the album's second single sometime in July 2002. It is about Jonathan Davis' being assaulted and harassed in school and dreaming of seeking revenge on those who...
", were directed by the Hughes Brothers
Hughes Brothers
Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes , known together professionally as the Hughes brothers, are American film directors, producers and screenwriters...
. "Here to Stay" earned Korn a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance. "Here to Stay" peaked at number four on both the Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock Songs charts.
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 MirrorTake a Look in the Mirror
Take a Look in the Mirror is the sixth studio album by Korn, and is the last studio album to feature their full original lineup, with Brian "Head" Welch departing from the band soon afterwards...
was released on a Friday, November 21, 2003; four days earlier than its original release date. 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. 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
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
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'." Korn released the single "Did My Time
Did My Time
"Did My Time" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Korn for the film, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. It was released as a single in July 2003 in support of the film, and was later featured on the band's sixth studio album, Take a Look in the Mirror.-Music and...
" on July 22, 2003, which was used to promote the film but did not appear on the soundtrack to Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life is a 2003 action film directed by Jan de Bont, and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. It is a sequel to the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider...
due to unspecified legal issues. "Did My Time" gave Korn another Grammy nomination in the Best Metal Performance category.
Korn released their greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol. 1, on October 5, 2004. The album debuted at number four on Billboard, selling more than 129,000 copies. This album assembles choice tracks from six Korn studio albums between 1994 and 2003. The first single was a cover of the song "Word Up!
Word Up! (song)
"Word Up!" is a funk/hip hop song written and originally recorded by Cameo in 1986. Due to its heavy play on American dance and R&B radio, as well as music video play on MTV , the single became the band's most well-known hit.From the album of the same name, "Word Up!" was Nick's first US Top 40...
", which was originally composed by the group Cameo
Cameo (band)
Cameo is an American soul-influenced funk group that formed in the early 1970s. Cameo was initially a 13-member group known as the New York City Players; this name was later changed to Cameo to avoid a lawsuit from Ohio Players, another group from that era. Since then, Cameo has recorded several...
. Special editions of the album included a DVD titled Korn: Live at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
featuring seven select songs from their November 24, 2003 show at CBGB. Korn participated in the Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution
Projekt Revolution is a music festival hosted by Linkin Park, bringing artists of various genres of music together. Linkin Park started Projekt Revolution in the year 2002 with just one stage...
tour with Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
, and Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
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.'" Since, Welch has released two autobiographies
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, and released one solo album.
See You on the Other Side (2005–06)
Upon completing their record deal with Sony, Korn partnered with EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and signed to Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
. 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.
The band's first album for Virgin, See You on the Other Side, was released on December 6, 2005, and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, scanning close to 221,000 copies. The album managed to stay in the top half of the Billboard 200 for thirty-four consecutive weeks. The first single from the album, "Twisted Transistor
Twisted Transistor
"Twisted Transistor" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn and The Matrix for Korn's seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side...
", was accompanied by a music video directed by Dave Meyers in which hip hop artists Xzibit
Xzibit
Alvin Nathaniel Joiner , better known by his stage name Xzibit , is an American rapper, actor, and television host. He is known as the host of the MTV show Pimp My Ride, which brought him mainstream success...
, Lil Jon
Lil Jon
Jonathan Mortimer Smith , better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, music producer, entrepreneur, and occasional disc jockey who was a member of the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz. Lil Jon formed the group in 1997, and the group released several albums between then and 2004...
, Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg
Calvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
, and David Banner
David Banner
Lavell Crump , better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer and occasional actor. Banner was born in Jackson, Mississippi and graduated from Southern University. He started his music career as a member of the rap duo, Crooked Lettaz before going solo in 2000...
portray Korn. The single itself peaked at number three on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs, Korn's highest entry thus far, and number nine on Alternative Songs. The second single, "Coming Undone
Coming Undone
"Coming Undone" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn and The Matrix for Korn's seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side. It was released as the album's second single in February 2006.-Chart performance:...
", had its performance-based video directed by Little X, who previously helmed hip hop and R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
videos. See You on the Other Side was certified Platinum, and by mid-2007 had sold over 1.2 million copies worldwide.
Korn held a press conference at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Hollywood Forever Cemetery, originally called Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery, is one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles, California. It is located at 6000 Santa Monica Boulevard in the Hollywood...
on January 13, 2006, announcing the See You on the Other Side Tour
See You On the Other Side World Tour
-2005 Promotional Leg:11.19.05 - Saturday Night Live, New York, NY 11.21.05 - MTV TRL Germany, Berlin, Germany 11.22.05 - Huxleys New World, Berlin, Germany 11.24.05 - Top of the Pops, Cologne, Germany 11.25.05 - The Forum, London, UK...
. 10 Years and Mudvayne
Mudvayne
Mudvayne is an American heavy metal band. Their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate visual appearance, which has included face and body paint, masks and uniforms...
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. The resurrection of their Family Values Tour was announced on April 18, 2006, which featured co-headliners Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
, Flyleaf
Flyleaf
Flyleaf is an American alternative metal band, formed in the Belton and Temple, Texas regions in 2000. The band has charted on mainstream rock, Christian pop and Christian metal genres. They performed around the United States in 2003 until releasing their eponymous debut album, Flyleaf, in 2005....
, and the Japanese metal group, Dir En Grey
Dir en grey
Dir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...
on the main stage. Korn and Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
co-headlined the 2007 edition, with Atreyu
Atreyu (band)
Atreyu is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller...
, 2006 alumni Flyleaf, Hellyeah
Hellyeah
Hellyeah is an American heavy metal supergroup, consisting of Mudvayne vocalist Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett, Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell, Damageplan bassist Bob Zilla, and former Pantera and Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul. The idea to form a supergroup originated in 2001 on the...
, and Trivium
Trivium (band)
Trivium is an American heavy metal band from Orlando, Florida, formed in 1999. Signed to Roadrunner Records, the band has released five studio albums, eleven singles, and twelve music videos...
rounding out the main stage.
While promoting See You on the Other Side in Europe, Jonathan Davis was diagnosed with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura is the condition of having an abnormally low platelet count of no known cause . As most incidents of ITP appear to be related to the production of antibodies against platelets, immune thrombocytopenic purpura or immune thrombocytopenia are terms also used to...
, a blood platelet disorder that hospitalized him for the weekend and prevented him from performing at the renowned Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
. Despite the illness, the band still performed, with guest singers including Corey Taylor
Corey Taylor
Corey Todd Taylor sometimes known by the number 8, is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of Slipknot and Stone Sour. Taylor was raised by his single mother. He developed a fond feeling toward classic rock after his grandmother introduced him to it...
of Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
and Stone Sour
Stone Sour
Stone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
fame, Skindred
Skindred
Skindred is a Welsh rock band from Newport. The band was formed in 1998 following the disbandment of vocalist Benji Webbe's previous band, Dub War. Skindred's musical style mixes alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and reggae...
's Benji Webbe
Benji Webbe
Clive "Benji" Webbe is a Welsh singer best known as the lead vocalist for the alternate rock band Skindred and as a former member of Dub War...
and Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
's M. Shadows
M. Shadows
Matthew Charles Sanders , better known by his stage name M. Shadows, is the lead vocalist, songwriter, and founding member for the American metal band Avenged Sevenfold.-Early life and musical beginnings:...
. This led to Korn canceling the rest of their European bill for 2006, including the Hellfest Summer Open Air
Hellfest Summer Open Air
Hellfest is an annual music festival which takes place in Clisson, France in mid-June. It is held within the Val de Moine sport complex in Clisson, approximately 35 km south-east of the city of Nantes, and approximately 400 km south-west of the nation's capital Paris. Billed as an "extreme music...
. 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".
Untitled album, MTV Unplugged, David Silveria's departure (2006–08)
David Silveria
David Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
would be taking an indefinite “temporary hiatus” from the band. Korn then performed at the MTV studios in Times Square
Times Square
Times Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
on December 9, 2006, for the MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-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. Korn played a 14-song acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
set complete with guest appearances by The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and Amy Lee
Amy Lee
Amy Lynn Hartzler , best known as Amy Lee, is an American singer-songwriter and classically trained pianist. She is co-founder and lead vocalist of the rock band Evanescence. She cites influences ranging from classical musicians such as Mozart to modern artists Björk, Tori Amos, Danny Elfman and...
of Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
. 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
MTV Unplugged: Korn
-B-sides:* "No One's There"* "Thoughtless"* "Dirty" - Additional content :The album's booklet contained a special code which granted owners of the recording an opportunity for an exclusive preview of Korn's then forthcoming studio album Untitled.-Chart positions:AlbumSingles...
to number nine in its first week out.
Korn's untitled album
Untitled Korn album
The untitled eighth studio album by American nu metal band Korn was released on July 31, 2007, through Virgin Records. The standard edition holds thirteen tracks, whereas the deluxe edition holds fourteen...
was released on July 31, 2007, debuting at number two on Billboard with 123,000 copies sold in its first week. It concluded Korn's deal with Virgin Records, and features touring keyboardist Zac Baird
Zac Baird
Zachary Baird, born February 16, 1971 in Orange County, California, is a keyboardist and pianist, currently collaborating with the band Korn. He is also noted for using the Moog synthesizer. as well as the Ondes Martenot.-Early life:...
, giving the tracks a deeper, atmospheric sound. Drumming duties were left up to Terry Bozzio
Terry Bozzio
Terry John Bozzio is an American drummer best known for his work with Missing Persons and Frank Zappa.-Biography:Terry Bozzio was born December 27, 1950 in San Francisco, California. He started at age 6 playing makeshift drum sets. At the age of 13 he saw The Beatles premier performance on The Ed...
, and Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
's Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman is the current drummer for the American punk band Bad Religion and the younger brother of Chad Wackerman, formerly a member of Frank Zappa's band.-Career:...
, as David Silveria went on a hiatus. Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison
Joey Jordison , is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work as the drummer for the nu metal band Slipknot. He grew up in Waukee, Iowa with his parents and two sisters, and was given his first drum kit at the age of 8...
from Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
played drums during Korn's live shows until the permanent addition of Ray Luzier
Ray Luzier
Raymond Lee "Ray" Luzier is an American drummer. He is currently the drummer of the band Korn, becoming a full-time member of the band in April 2009.-Life and career:...
(Army of Anyone
Army of Anyone
Army of Anyone was a supergroup formed by Filter frontman Richard Patrick with two of the then-former members of rock band Stone Temple Pilots. In addition to Patrick on vocals, the band featured Dean DeLeo and Robert DeLeo on guitars and bass, respectively, and Ray Luzier on drums...
, David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality. Roth was ranked nineteenth by Hit Parader on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Singers of All Time....
). This confirmed David's departure. "Evolution
Evolution (Korn song)
"Evolution" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. The song was the first single to be released from the band's untitled album on June 12, 2007. It is one of the four tracks in which Brooks Wackerman of Bad Religion performed drumming duties...
" and "Hold On
Hold On (Korn song)
"Hold On" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn, The Matrix, and Atticus Ross for Korn's untitled eighth studio album. It was released as the album's second single in October 2007.-Music and structure:...
" were released as singles to promote the untitled album. They each charted on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs chart at number four and number nine, respectively. A third single, "Kiss", had a limited release in April 2008. Korn covered the song "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" in 2008, which was originally performed by Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens
Paul Reubens is an American actor, writer, film producer, and comedian, best known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s and started his career as an improvisational comedian and stage actor...
, Catherine O'Hara
Catherine O'Hara
Catherine Anne O'Hara is a Canadian-American actress and comedienne. She is well known for her comedy work on SCTV, and her roles in the films After Hours, Beetlejuice, Home Alone, and The Nightmare Before Christmas, and also in the mockumentary films written and directed by Christopher Guest...
, and Danny Elfman. It was released on Nightmare Revisited
Nightmare Revisited
- Personnel :1. "Overture"2. "Opening"3. "This Is Halloween"4. "Jack's Lament"- Personnel :1. "Overture": Produced by DeVotchKa: Mixed by Greg Macrae2. "Opening": Produced by Danny Elfman: Narration recorded and mixed by Noah Snyder...
.
Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2008–2010)
UbisoftUbisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
reported in October 2008 that Korn had "written and recorded an original song inspired by Ubisoft's Haze
Haze (video game)
Haze is a first-person shooter video game, developed by Free Radical Design and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3. It was released worldwide in May 2008. A demo for Haze was released on the PlayStation Network on May 6, 2008...
video game, simply entitled "Haze
Haze (song)
"Haze" is a song by American nu metal band Korn, written and recorded for the Ubisoft video game Haze. It was released as a digital single in the US on April 22, 2008. The game itself was released in May 2008 for the PlayStation 3...
", which was released on April 22, 2008. Korn also released a live DVD, Live at Montreux 2004, one of their performances with former guitarist Brian Welch on May 12, 2008. Additionally, a second greatest hits compilation titled Playlist: The Very Best of Korn was released on April 29, 2008. Korn announced in February 2009 that they were playing at the Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin
Cadott, Wisconsin
Cadott is a village in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,345 at the 2000 census.-History:Originally named "Cadotte Falls", It was founded in 1875 by Robert Marriner a Pinoeer Enterpriser. Marriner named it after Jean Baptiste Cadotte, son of French Canadian fur...
, as well as the third annual Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. The band was also confirmed for the Download Festival taking place in the UK, sub-headlining to Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
, as well as the simultaneous German festivals Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.
In a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video, bassist Fieldy affirmed that the "Chi Song" project he was putting together (released as "A Song for Chi
A Song for Chi
"A Song for Chi" is an instrumental alternative metal song recorded by several high profiled rock and metal musicians to raise money for poet and Deftones bassist Chi Cheng who was involved in a car accident in Santa Clara, CA, on November 4, 2008 which left Cheng in a coma, later it was revealed...
") which was released recently to raise money for Deftones
Deftones
Deftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
bassist Chi Cheng
Chi Cheng (musician)
Chi Cheng, is a Chinese American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American band Deftones.-Personal life:...
who was in a car crash in late 2008, which resulted in him falling into a coma. Fieldy revealed that Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
guitarist Jim Root
Jim Root
James Donald "Jim" Root , also known by his number #4, is an American musician known for being the rhythm/lead guitarist of the heavy metal band, Slipknot, and the lead guitarist for rock band, Stone Sour...
, Clint Lowery
Clint Lowery
Clint Lowery is an American musician and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Sevendust. He has also played in Dark New Day and Still Rain and served as the touring guitarist for Korn through most of 2007....
of Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
, drummer Dave McClain of Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
and former Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, would be some of the many musicians playing on the song.
Along with the announcement of the Ballroom Blitz Tour
Ballroom Blitz Tour
The Ballroom Blitz Tour ia a concert tour by Nu metal band Korn in support of their ninth studio album Korn III: Remember Who You Are. The album marks the return of producer Ross Robinson, who produced the band's self-titled album in 1994 and its follow-up Life Is Peachy in 1996. Much like the new...
on March 15, 2010, the title for the new album was revealed as Korn III: Remember Who You Are. Later that month, Munky announced that Korn has officially signed to Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records
Roadrunner Records is an American record label that concentrates primarily on heavy metal bands. It is currently a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.-History:...
. 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." Korn announced the track listing on April 24, 2010, and May 5, 2010, Roadrunner Records released a promotional single titled "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
"Oildale " is the lead single from Korn's ninth studio album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are. It is the first single with new drummer Ray Luzier. It was first played live on March 26, 2010 for fans in Anchorage, Alaska. "Oildale " netted 1.9 million first-week audience impressions over 79 radio...
", for streaming. The single was simultaneously released for radio airplay, peaking at number ten on Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs and number twenty-nine on Alternative Songs. Korn released the music video for "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" on May 31, 2010, and on July 1, 2010, Korn played "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" and premiered a follow-up single, "Let the Guilt Go
Let the Guilt Go
"Let the Guilt Go" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Korn, and the second single for their ninth studio album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are. It was released on July 26, 2010. Korn performed "Let the Guilt Go" on Lopez Tonight....
," on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. The band released Korn III: Remember Who You Are in the US on July 13, 2010. It debuted at its peak of number two on the Billboard 200 with 63,000 purchases reported. Korn performed "Let the Guilt Go" on the late-night television talk show Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
on August 24, 2010. The song's music video premiered on September 2, 2010. Korn will be co-headlining the Music as a Weapon V tour with Disturbed during winter 2011. The tour will also feature supporting acts Sevendust
Sevendust
Sevendust is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia. Formed in 1994 by bassist Vince Hornsby, drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist John Connolly. After their first demo, lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and guitarist Clint Lowery joined the group...
and In This Moment
In This Moment
In This Moment is an American metalcore band from North Hollywood , California. Formed in 2005, the group has released three albums to date, all through Century Media Records.-Founding:...
. "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.
The Path of Totality (2011–present)
According to guitarist James "Munky" ShafferJames Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
, 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
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
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." It was stated by Jonathan Davis in an interview with ARTISTdirect
ARTISTdirect
Founded in 1994, Artistdirect, Inc. is an online digital media entertainment company. It owns several websites including Artistdirect.com, UBL.com and the Artistdirect Network...
that one track recorded for the album features acoustic guitar, tentatively titled "Lullaby for a Sadist".
Jonathan Davis released a 14-second sample on SoundCloud
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform which allows collaboration, promotion and distribution of audio recordings.-History:SoundCloud was originally started in Stockholm, Sweden, but was established in Berlin, Germany in August, 2007 by sound designer Alex Ljung and artist Eric Wahlforss...
in late March, of a new song entitled "Get Up!
Get Up! (Korn song)
"Get Up!" is a song written and recorded by Korn that appears on their tenth studio album, The Path of Totality. It was released as the album's lead single on May 6, 2011. Since its release it has sold over 200,000 downloads in the United States. It was debuted live at Coachella with Skrillex...
", featuring dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
/electro house artist Skrillex. "Get Up!" is slated to appear on The Path of Totality. The album, which will be released on December 6, 2011, features contributions from Skrillex, 12th Planet
12th Planet (musician)
John Dadzie, better known by his musical alias 12th Planet, is a Los Angeles based dubstep producer and DJ.-Biography:12th Planet, born John Dadzie, grew up in Los Angeles and was first introduced to the electronic music scene in high school when he regularly attended raves and jungle parties...
, Excision, Datsik
Datsik (musician)
Datsik is the alias of Troy Beetles, a Dubstep DJ and music producer from British Columbia, Canada. He frequently works with fellow Canadian Dubstep producers Excision and Downlink. His first release was in the spring of 2009.-Biography:...
, Downlink, Kill the Noise, Noisia
Noisia
Noisia, stylized as NOISIΛ , is a Dutch Electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, The Netherlands. They now produce a wide variety of music including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and house music...
, and Feed Me
Jon Gooch
Jon Gooch, more commonly known by his stage names Spor and Feed Me, is a drum & bass, electro house, dubstep, and intelligent dance music producer and DJ from Hertfordshire, England.- Biography :...
. Korn premiered the full version of "Get Up!" on April 14 via Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
. 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
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3
Amazon MP3 is an online music store owned and operated by Amazon.com. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management from the four major music labels , as well as many independents...
, 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 Billboards Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and number twenty-six on Alternative Songs. 150,000 digital copies of "Get Up!" have been purchased in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Korn made their first Pointfest
Pointfest
Pointfest is a large outdoor rock music festival previously held once but now held twice every year by radio station KPNT in St. Louis, Missouri at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater St. Louis...
appearance on May 15, 2011, at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Maryland Heights, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, and their second Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range
Rock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
appearance on May 21, 2011, at Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
. Korn performed at the Nova Rock Festival
Nova Rock Festival
The Nova Rock Festival, also just Nova Rock, is a music festival that has existed since 2005 and takes place each year in June. It is Austria's biggest rock music festivals, and also one of the largest in Europe. It is located in Burgenland, the easternmost federal state of Austria, near...
2011 in Austria on June 12, 2011, alongside Volbeat, Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy
Cavalera Conspiracy is a Brazilian heavy metal band founded by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera , along with American guitarist and bassist Marc Rizzo and Johny Chow. The band originally formed in 2007 as Inflikted but changed its name for legal reasons...
and other bands. They performed overseas at the Download Festival
Download Festival
The Download Festival is a three day rock music festival held annually at Donington Park, England . It usually takes place in June...
with Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
and System of a Down
System of a Down
System of a Down, also known by the acronym SOAD and often shortened to System, is a rock band from Southern California. The band was formed in 1994. It consists of Serj Tankian , Daron Malakian , Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan...
, and during Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's Summer Sonic Festival
Summer Sonic Festival
The Summer Sonic Festival is an annual two or three-days rock festival held at the same time in Osaka and Chiba. The majority of the bands playing in Osaka the first day go to Chiba the following day and vice versa....
on August 13 with Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne
Avril Ramona Lavigne is a Canadian singer-songwriter. She was born in Belleville, Ontario, but spent most of her youth in the small town of Napanee. By the age of 15, she had appeared on stage with Shania Twain; by 16, she had signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records worth more...
, The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
, Ne-Yo
Ne-Yo
Shaffer Chimere Smith, Jr. , better known by his stage name Ne-Yo, is an American pop and R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and actor. Beginning his career as a songwriter, Ne-Yo penned the hit "Let Me Love You" for singer Mario...
, and the Strokes
The Strokes
The Strokes are an American indie rock band formed in 1999 in New York City. Consisting of Julian Casablancas , Nick Valensi , Albert Hammond, Jr. , Nikolai Fraiture and Fabrizio Moretti ....
. 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
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
and iTunes
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
on October 21, 2011.
The band also promoted their album by doing a tour where they performed a few songs from the The Path of Totality. They split their show into three sections. They kicked off by playing rare, old school songs. They followed with a different stage set up, playing their dubstep influenced songs. The band ended by playing some of their greatest hits. Other appearances came from Datsik, Downlink, and Dope D.O.D.
Style and influences
The band has stated that their primary influences include MetallicaMetallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
, Faith No More
Faith No More
Faith No More is an American rock band from San Francisco, California, formed originally as Faith No Man in 1981 by bassist Billy Gould, keyboardist Wade Worthington, vocalist Michael Morris and drummer Mike Bordin. A year later when Worthington was replaced by keyboardist Roddy Bottum, and Mike...
, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
, Helmet
Helmet (band)
Helmet is an alternative metal band from New York City formed in 1989. Founded by vocalist and lead guitarist Page Hamilton, Helmet has had numerous lineup changes, and Hamilton has been the only constant member....
, Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Slayer
Slayer
Slayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, Primus
Primus (band)
Primus is an American rock band based in San Francisco, California, currently composed of bassist/vocalist Les Claypool, guitarist Larry "Ler" LaLonde and drummer Jay Lane. Primus originally formed in 1984 with Claypool and guitarist Todd Huth, later joined by Lane, though the latter two departed...
, Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, Ministry
Ministry (band)
Ministry is an American industrial metal band founded by lead singer Al Jourgensen in 1981. Originally a synthpop outfit, Ministry changed its style to industrial metal in the late 1980s. Ministry found mainstream success in the early 1990s with its most successful album Psalm 69: The Way to...
, Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle
Mr. Bungle was an experimental band from Northern California. The band was formed in 1985 while the members were still in high school and was named after a children's educational film. Mr. Bungle released four demo tapes in the mid to late 1980s before being signed to Warner Bros. Records and...
, Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
, Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
, and Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
. Much of their work has been inspired by hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, as suggested in the cover song "Wicked
Wicked (song)
Wicked is the first single from rapper Ice Cube's third studio album The Predator. The song's music video was directed by Marcus Raboy and features the band Red Hot Chili Peppers.The song was covered by Korn for their 1996 album Life Is Peachy...
", and "All in the Family".
They are the first band to be labeled as nu metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
, starting the New Wave of American Heavy Metal
New Wave of American Heavy Metal
The New Wave of American Heavy Metal is a movement in that originated in the United States during the early to mid 1990s and has expanded most in the recent 2000s. Some of the bands considered part of the movement had formed as early as the late 1980s, but did not become influential or reach...
. Alongside this genre, the band has also been labeled as rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
, thrash rap
Rap rock
Rap rock is a cross-genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with various forms of rock. Rap rock is often confused with rap metal and rapcore, subgenres that include heavy metal-oriented and hardcore punk-oriented bands, respectively....
, and pimp rock. Their debut album mixed metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
, rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
, hip-hop, groove, and dissonance
Consonance and dissonance
In music, a consonance is a harmony, chord, or interval considered stable, as opposed to a dissonance , which is considered to be unstable...
. Alongside nu metal, the band is often labeled as heavy metal, alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, post grunge, and rap metal
Rap metal
Rap metal is a subgenre of rap rock which fuses vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop music with heavy metal.-History:Rap metal originated from rap rock, a genre fusing vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop with rock...
. Their lyrics focus on pain and personal alienation rather than traditional heavy metal themes. In Nu-metal: The Next Generation of Rock & Punk, Korn was marked as the third biggest nu metal band in the world.
The band's debut album warranted a Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
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
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
"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..." "Kill You" was written in spite of Davis's experiences as a child with his step mother. 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.
Many of Korn's songs do not include a guitar solo
Guitar solo
In popular music, a guitar solo is a melodic passage, section, or entire piece of music written for an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Guitar solos, which often contain varying degrees of improvisation, are used in many styles of popular music such as blues, jazz, rock and metal styles such...
. Bassist
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Reginald Arvizu plays his instrument using both the techniques of fingerstyle
Fingerstyle guitar
Fingerstyle guitar is the technique of playing the guitar by plucking the strings directly with the fingertips, fingernails, or picks attached to fingers, as opposed to flatpicking ....
and slapping
Slapping
In music, the term slapping is often used to refer to two different playing techniques used on the double bass and on the bass guitar.-Double bass:...
. Jonathan Davis was said by Doug Small to be "the eye of the storm around which the music of Korn rages." Small described the band as "a basket-case full of contradictions." Although the band virtually had no support by television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
or by radio broadcasting in its first four years, Korn would go on to influence Adema
Adema
-2003–2004: Unstable, Mark Chavez's and Mike Ransom's departure:Adema's second album, Unstable, was released by Arista in August 2003. It was produced by Howard Benson, whose credits also include producing albums with P.O.D., Hoobastank and Cold....
, Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
, Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
, Evanescence
Evanescence
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1995 by singer/pianist Amy Lee and guitarist Ben Moody. After recording private albums, the band released their first full-length album, Fallen, on Wind-up Records in 2003. Fallen sold more than 17 million copies worldwide...
, Cold
Cold (band)
Cold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
, Staind
Staind
Staind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...
, Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, One Minute Silence
One Minute Silence
One Minute Silence is a four-piece band based in London that combined influences from metal, hardcore punk and rap and as of 2010 they have sold over 500,000 albums. The band consisted of vocalist Brian 'Yap' Barry from Templemore, Co. Tipperary, guitarist Massimo Fiocco from Limerick City, drummer...
, Kittie
Kittie
Kittie is a Canadian heavy metal band formed in London, Ontario in 1996. A quartet of women, the group rose to success in 1999 when the track "Brackish" from their debut album Spit became a hit single...
, Endo
Endo (band)
Endo was a four-piece nu metal music group from Miami, Florida. The band formed in 1995, release two major record label albums in 2001 and 2003, and worked on songs for a third before disbanding in 2007.-History:...
, Taproot
Taproot (band)
Taproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...
, Crazy Town
Crazy Town
Crazy Town is a rap rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1995 by Bret Mazur and Seth Binzer. The band is best known for their 2001 single, "Butterfly", which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart...
, Otep
Otep
Otep is an American heavy metal band formed in 2000 in Los Angeles, California by Otep Shamaya.-History:Otep originally was a four-piece nu metal band that began in Los Angeles, California in early 2000...
, Hoobastank
Hoobastank
Hoobastank is an American rock band, best known for their 2004 hit "The Reason" and other hits "Crawling in the Dark" and "Running Away". They formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, with singer Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They...
, Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence
Suicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music...
, Emmure
Emmure
Emmure is an American band formed in 2003, originally based in Connecticut, but now residing in Queens, New York. The group has a total of seven releases...
, Impending Doom
Impending Doom
Impending Doom is a Christian deathcore band from Riverside, California.-History:Brook Reeves and Manny Contreras started the band in 2005 with ex members Chris Forno, Isaac Bueno, and Jon. After releasing the The Sin and Doom of Godless Men EP, Greg Pewthers joined on third guitar after leaving...
, Five Pointe O
Five pointe o
Five Pointe O was a six-piece alternative metal music group from Joliet, Illinois.-Name origin:The meaning of Five Pointe O is as follows. Five represents the fifth element of the earth: everything that comes from within the human mind and soul. Pointe gives the fifth element a sense of direction...
, Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil
Lacuna Coil is an Italian gothic metal band from Milan. Formed in 1994, the group has had two name changes since being previously known as Sleep of Right and Ethereal and was inspired by the combination of gothic imagery and music...
, Chris Volz
Chris Volz
Chris Volz is a renowned American alternative metal/hard rock singer/songwriter. He is the lead vocalist of Flaw and created the now dormant Five Bolt Main. In 2006, Chris Volz announced plans for a solo project. He has recently revealed that his debut solo album will be released through the...
, Videodrone
Videodrone
Cradle of Thorns is a five piece industrial rock band from Bakersfield California, USA. The band put out one record as Videodrone on Korn's Elementree Records as well three albums under their original name. One was independently released, and other two were released by Triple X Records...
, Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman
Theory of a Deadman is a Canadian rock band from Delta, British Columbia, formed in 2001. The band is currently signed to Roadrunner Records as well as Island Records. The band also includes traits of other music styles, such as country and acoustic, as well as their post-grunge and alternative...
, Thousand Foot Krutch
Thousand Foot Krutch
Thousand Foot Krutch is a Canadian Christian rock band formed in 1995. They have released five major studio albums: Set It Off , Phenomenon , The Art of Breaking , The Flame In All of Us , and Welcome to the Masquerade . They also have one live album, Live at the Masquerade...
, Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold
Avenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
, Disturbed, Bleed the Sky
Bleed the Sky (band)
Bleed the Sky is an American groove metal band formed in Orange County, California in 2003. The band is currently signed to Nuclear Blast.-Formation and Paradigm in Entropy :...
, Papa Roach
Papa Roach
Papa Roach is an American rock band from Vacaville, California. Their first major-label release was the triple-platinum album Infest . The group's success continued with their gold album Lovehatetragedy , their platinum album Getting Away with Murder , The Paramour Sessions , and Metamorphosis...
, Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber. They disbanded in 2003 after ten years together, but announced a reunion in...
, Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
, Trapt
Trapt
Trapt is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, California in August 1997. The group is composed of lead singer Chris Taylor Brown, lead guitarist Robb Torres, bass guitarist Peter Charell, and drummer Aaron "Monty" Montgomery...
, Skalped, and other bands. Korn also created a fan-base described by both Doug Small and Eaton Entertainment
Eaton Corporation
Eaton Corporation is a global diversified power management company with 2010 sales of $13.7 billion. The company is a leading provider of electrical components and systems for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment;...
as extremely loyal.
Vulgarity in lyrics
Prior to the release of 1998's Follow the LeaderFollow the Leader (Korn album)
Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson...
, Gretchen Plewes, a Zeeland
Zeeland, Michigan
Zeeland is a city in Ottawa County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,805 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the western edge of Zeeland Charter Township which is politically independent. Its name is derived from the Dutch province of Zeeland...
high school assistant principal, said in an interview for a Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
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. WKLQ
WBBL-FM
WBBL-FM is a radio station broadcasting an all-sports format in Grand Rapids, Michigan. WBBL is sometimes received on the east side of the state during certain atmospheric conditions and during the Spring and Summer months, the signal tends to trickle into East Michigan. It first began...
was filmed giving away hundreds of free Korn T-shirts, which were donated by the band, outside the school. Ottawa
Ottawa County, Michigan
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 238,314 people, 81,662 households, and 61,328 families residing in the county. The population density was 421 people per square mile . There were 86,856 housing units at an average density of 154 per square mile...
County policemen helped hand out shirts as well. Korn filed a cease and desist
Cease and desist
A cease and desist is an order or request to halt an activity and not to take it up again later or else face legal action. The recipient of the cease-and-desist may be an individual or an organization....
order against Plewes and the school district for their comments. They also threatened with a multi-million dollar lawsuit, but both files were dropped due to the band members' personal lives.
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. Welch denied the claims via his MyspaceMyspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, 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
Royalties
Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party to another for the right to ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property...
due to him. Weeks later, in reference to Korn's early albums, Davis stated in an interview with pulseoftheradio that Welch had not contributed to writing material because of his drug usage.
Awards and nominations
Grammy AwardsThe Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s are awarded annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
. Korn has received two awards from seven nominations.
|-
| || "Shoots and Ladders
Shoots and Ladders (song)
"Shoots and Ladders" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's third single in 1995.-Music and structure:...
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "No Place to Hide" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
|rowspan="2"| ||rowspan="2"| "Freak on a Leash
Freak on a Leash
"Freak on a Leash" is a song by the American nu metal band Korn, featured on the group's 1998 studio album Follow the Leader. Prior to the album's release, Korn had an instrumental section of the song, described as a "noisy guitar break." The section was taken out of the song after their fans...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| Best Short Form Music Video ||
|-
| || "Here to Stay
Here to Stay (Korn song)
"Here to Stay" is a Grammy Award-winning song by Korn that appears on the band's fifth studio album, Untouchables as the album's opening track. It was released as the album's first single in February 2002. The song won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance, as well as winning an award...
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "Did My Time
Did My Time
"Did My Time" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Korn for the film, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. It was released as a single in July 2003 in support of the film, and was later featured on the band's sixth studio album, Take a Look in the Mirror.-Music and...
" || Best Metal Performance ||
|-
| || "Let the Guilt Go
Let the Guilt Go
"Let the Guilt Go" is a song written and recorded by American rock band Korn, and the second single for their ninth studio album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are. It was released on July 26, 2010. Korn performed "Let the Guilt Go" on Lopez Tonight....
" || Best Metal Performance ||
MTV Asia Awards
The MTV Asia Awards
MTV Asia Awards
The biannual MTV Asia Awards is the Asian equivalent of the Europe MTV EMA. Established in 2002, the show gives recognition and awards to Asian and international icons in achievement, cinema, fashion, humanitarian, and music. Just like the EMA, most of the awards are voted for by the viewers from...
is an annual Asian awards ceremony established in 2002 by the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
television network. Korn has received one award.
|-
| 2006 || "Twisted Transistor
Twisted Transistor
"Twisted Transistor" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn and The Matrix for Korn's seventh studio album, See You on the Other Side...
" || Favorite Video ||
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
is an annual awards ceremony established in 1994 by MTV Europe
MTV Europe
MTV Europe is a pan-European 24-hour entertainment cable and digital television network launched on August 1, 1987. Initially, the channel served all regions within Europe being one of the very few channels that targeted the entire European continent...
. Korn has received one nomination.
|-
| 2006 || Korn || Best Alternative Act ||
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
were established in 1984 by MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
to celebrate the top music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s of the year. Korn has received two awards from eleven nominations.
|-
|rowspan="9"| ||rowspan="9"| "Freak on a Leash" || Best Rock Video ||
|-
| Breakthrough Video ||
|-
| Best Direction ||
|-
| Best Special Effects ||
|-
| Best Art Direction ||
|-
| Best Editing ||
|-
| Best Cinematography ||
|-
| Viewer's Choice ||
|-
| Video of the Year ||
|-
| || "Falling Away from Me
Falling Away From Me
"Falling Away from Me" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released as the first single from their fourth album Issues, where it appeared in an episode of Comedy Central's animated series, South Park, entitled "Korn's Groovy Pirate Ghost Mystery"...
" || Best Rock Video ||
|-
| || "Here to Stay" || Best Rock Video ||
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards
MuchMusic Video Awards
The MuchMusic Video Awards are annual awards presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic to honour the year's best music videos....
is an annual awards ceremony presented by the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic
MuchMusic
MuchMusic is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel owned by Bell Media. MuchMusic is dedicated to music-related programs, pop and youth culture.-History:...
. Korn has received one award from two nominations.
|-
| 1999 || "Freak on a Leash" || Best International Video ||
|-
| 2002 || "Here to Stay" || Best International Video (Group) ||
Kerrang! Awards
|-
| 1997 || Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy
Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Korn, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal/Epic Records. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut, Korn earned a second double platinum album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry...
|| Best Album ||
|-
| 2011 || Korn || Hall of Fame ||
Band members
Current- Jonathan DavisJonathan DavisJonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
– lead vocals, bagpipes (1993–present) - James "Munky" ShafferJames ShafferJames Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
– guitars, backing vocals (1993–present) - Reginald "Fieldy" ArvizuReginald ArvizuReginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
– bass (1993–present) - Ray LuzierRay LuzierRaymond Lee "Ray" Luzier is an American drummer. He is currently the drummer of the band Korn, becoming a full-time member of the band in April 2009.-Life and career:...
– drums, percussion (2009–present)
Former
- Brian "Head" Welch – guitars, backing vocals (1993–2005)
- David SilveriaDavid SilveriaDavid Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
– drums, percussion (1993–2006)
Touring
- Wes Geer – guitar (2010–present)
- Zac BairdZac BairdZachary Baird, born February 16, 1971 in Orange County, California, is a keyboardist and pianist, currently collaborating with the band Korn. He is also noted for using the Moog synthesizer. as well as the Ondes Martenot.-Early life:...
– keyboard, piano, backing vocals (2006–present)
Discography
Studio albums- KornKorn (album)Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal band Korn, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal/Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at...
(1994) - Life Is PeachyLife Is PeachyLife Is Peachy is the second studio album by the American nu metal band Korn, released on October 15, 1996 through Immortal/Epic Records. Following the success of their 1994 self-titled debut, Korn earned a second double platinum album in the United States, certified by the Recording Industry...
(1996) - Follow the LeaderFollow the Leader (Korn album)Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on August 18, 1998, through Immortal/Epic. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson...
(1998) - Issues (1999)
- UntouchablesUntouchables (album)* "Here to Stay" is a hidden track on the limited edition, beginning at 5:06 after "No One's There". On some non-limited edition pressings, it is a full track.* "Beat It Upright" was not included on the edited version of the album.-Bonus DVD:...
(2002) - Take a Look in the MirrorTake a Look in the MirrorTake a Look in the Mirror is the sixth studio album by Korn, and is the last studio album to feature their full original lineup, with Brian "Head" Welch departing from the band soon afterwards...
(2003) - See You on the Other Side (2005)
- Untitled albumUntitled Korn albumThe untitled eighth studio album by American nu metal band Korn was released on July 31, 2007, through Virgin Records. The standard edition holds thirteen tracks, whereas the deluxe edition holds fourteen...
(2007) - Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010)
- The Path of TotalityThe Path of TotalityThe album has received acclaim, both with critics and fans. Swedish heavy rock magazine Close-Up Magazine gave the album an 8/10 rating, citing "[the band] has created an album with content just as dramatic and atmospheric as the title"...
(2011)