Nu-metal is tricky genre to take on. Overdo it, and you're considered gimmicky. Get too soft, even just a little bit, and people eagerly jump to the phrase "sell-out". But if you do it just right, your status in the world of music can become legendary and revered.
Korn is a band that applies to the latter description. Among any of the highly considered nu-metal bands, they are on act that has stood the test of time. They're a band that has stayed true to their roots of nu-metal while still having the balls to go ahead and experiment. It's incredibly rare that any band is able to do that, let alone pull it off with the same amount of success.
The band are currently on the "Return Of The Dreads" tour with co-headliner Rob Zombie and opening act In This Moment. The band will be making their stop at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA on Friday, July 29th. Before they make their return to the Bay Area, let's take a look back at the history of Korn's legacy and their continued success, album by album.
NOTE: This excludes all live albums, EPs, remix, video and compilation albums. This article focuses solely on full-length studio records.
Korn
Release Date: October 11, 1994
Label: Immortal/Epic Records
Producer: Ross Robinson
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
David Silveria - drums
The years was 1993. The band itself was just starting to take shape. Without a name, but with a creative vision in mind, the band members moved into a small house located in Huntington Beach, California to begin writing. Gigs started in the summer of 1993, one of which led to them being noticed by the A&R rep for Immortal/Epic, Paul Pontius. The band had several offers from other labels, but in the end, they went with Pontius' offer, as it would make sure they weren't "signing away all of their creative freedom".
The group recruited producer Ross Robinson to help them bring their first album to life (Robinson had also worked with the band on their demos). Robinson recommended that they take the recording sessions to Indigo Ranch in Malibu, California. A large portion of the first record was tracked there, while additional tracking too place at Fat Tracks, a studio in Bakersfield. The sessions lasted from May to June of 1994.
The result was the introduction of nu-metal to the world, an unheard-of amalgamation of heavy metal guitar riffs, blistering vocals and spoken-word verses that still send fans into a frenzy. The tone of Korn is dark, and it's only emphasized by the album artwork, which features a man, holding an object of some kind, that's standing over a little girl on a playground swing-set. Not only is this photograph menacing, but the position of the girl's background silhouette in contrast to the "K" in the band's logo makes it look like she's being hanged. Add to it the lyrical themes of child abuse, bullying, and drug abuse, and you have one fucked up cocktail of a genre-defining metal album.
After a not-so-incredibly successful first round of touring to promote the album, success became imminent for them. The band's first album was certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States. It even spent thirty weeks on the RIA of New Zealand charts in 1996, peaking at number ten before leaving in May 1998. By November 10, 1999, the album was certified double-platinum in the United States, and it went on to be certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association, with critical consensus being mostly well-received. Not bad for the album that started nu-metal.
Life Is Peachy
Release Date: October 15, 1996
Label: Immortal/Epic
Producer: Ross Robinson
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, guitar, bagpipes
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
Hot off of the success of their first record, the band immediately wanted to capture the energy and songwriting they had contained when creating the monster that was their first record. The band hit the studio after playing a few gigs in April 1996. They wanted to bring Ross Robinson back in and record at Indigo Studios since their writing sessions proved rather successful. It makes sense: if something works, why change it?
The difference with this writing process, however, was the time in which it was undertaken. The band adopted more of a punk rock mentality when it came to writing, and because of that, the session was far more rushed than their previous effort. In a 2011 interview with ArtistDirect, vocalist Jonathan Davis recalled the mentality of the band at that point in time, stating that they were playing off of the energy of the crowds they encountered night after night, and how they wanted to create a much angrier album then they had previously released. Lyrical themes dealt with topics surrounding sex, revenge, and various social encounters. However, if you notice, not a single Korn album includes printed lyrics to any of their tracks. Davis told MTV in an interview:
"I think music is something that every individual has their own meaning to the song. They can come up with whatever the hell I'm saying and that's the beauty of it and that's what I wanna keep there."
They were successful in this endeavor. Life Is Peachy was released in October of 1996, featuring far heavier elements than on their first album, and introducing hip-hop elements that would later go on to be explored more in albums like Follow The Leader. The album charted in the Billboard 200, peaking at number 3 overall. It was certified Double Platinum by the RIAA on November 10, 1999. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Life Is Peachy has sold over six million copies worldwide since 2013.
Heavy touring followed, and the band's crowds grew and grew with each successive tour. The band embarked on the Lollapalooza summer tour in 1997, playing alongside acts such as Tool, Snoop Dogg, Jane's Addiction, and The Prodigy. Despite the massive lineup, the band dropped from the tour on July 18th, as guitarist James Shaffer had contracted viral meningitis. But clearly, they're not a band to let any setbacks get in the way of their success, even with taking a little well-deserved time off from the road.
Follow The Leader
Release Date: August 18, 1998
Label: Immortal/Epic Records
Producers: Steve Thompson and Toby Wright
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, guitar, bagpipes
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
The band were quick to follow up on the success of their second album with Follow The Leader, an album that has to this day been credited as one of the records that brought the genre of nu-metal into the mainstream and out of the depths of the underground. This time, in an effort to change things up, the band opted to work with two new producers, Steve Thompson and Toby Wright, but original producer Ross Robinson did remain a vocal coach for Davis throughout the making of the record.
The making of Follow The Leader led the band to indulge heavily in partying, making sure that copious amounts of drugs, alcohol and women were in the studio. Davis even goes on to explain that numerous sexual acts were occurring around him while he was recording the vocal tracks for "It's On". The heaviness and chaotic atmosphere of the record (clocking in around seventy minutes) can be heard throughout, with memorable guest vocalists making appearances throughout, including Ice Cube ("Children of the Korn"), Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit ("All In The Family"), and Cheech Marin on the hidden track "Earache My Eye".
Receiving generally positive reviews, the album hit number one on Billboard 200. Since then, the album has been certified platinum five times, and achieved triple platinum status in the UK. Korn were finally in the eyes of the mainstream.
Issues
Release Date: November 16, 1999
Label: Immortal/Epic Records
Producer: Brendan O'Brien
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, guitar, bagpipes
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
The band's fourth studio album, Issues, proved to be an even quicker follow up to their predecessor. The music created by the band, amidst their first massive wave of success, proved to showcase some variety in songwriting. It was heavier, but the tracks were almost sludgier and slower in comparison to previous efforts. According to the band, working with producer Brendan OBrien was a different, more focused experience than Follow The Leader. Drinking and partying proved to be far less prevalent, and for this I believe the tracks to be far more focused than on previous records. The band finally seemed to know what they wanted musically.
The album received positive reviews, and went onto become a major commercial success for the band. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 575,000 units sold in the first week. A few weeks later, Issues was certified triple platinum in the United States. Since then, the album has believed to have sold over thirteen million copies worldwide.
Untouchables
Release Date: June 11, 2002
Label: Immortal/Epic Records
Producer: Korn & Michael Beinhorn
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, guitar, bagpipes
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
Five albums deep, the band's success only kept growing (and has continued to grow). It's rather incredible to watch. But this doesn't mean that everything behind the scenes is perfect. The writing for the band's fifth studio album, Untouchables, began in early 2001. Tension and distractions came into the mix, and in an effort to alleviate this pressure, the band moved their writing sessions to Scottsdale, AZ. After the writing was finished, the band were en route to Los Angeles to begin recording. According to the book written by bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, there was still a great deal of hostility between the band members by the time recording began. Fieldy was almost fired due to a drug abuse problem, but the band decided against this. It was later revealed in a 2013 Scuzz interview that the overall recording costs of the record ran about $750,000. This was due to keeping their entire 15-person crew on retainer while they took two years to finish the entire album.
Recording commenced at Conway Studio in Hollywood and The Village in Los Angeles, this timed fielded by producer Michael Beinhorn and engineer Frank Filipetti. Mixing was done by Andy Wallace and mastering was done Howie Weinberg.
The album received positive reviews, and came in at number two on the Billboard 200, with a first-week of 434,000 units sold (it was surpassed by The Eminem Show). As of 2013, Untouchables has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Take A Look In The Mirror
Release Date: June 11, 2002
Label: Immortal/Epic Records
Producer: Jonathan Davis & Frank Filipetti
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, guitar, bagpipes
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
Things started to take a turn for the not-so-great. Take A Look In The Mirror showcased the band's attempt to return to their original form of full-on, aggressive, heavier nu-metal that was featured on their first three records. Personal drama and tension remained in place, with guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer noting that the band wasn't in the greatest place during the making of the album. The band went on to later admit that they felt the writing was a bit rushed, since the Untouchables sales weren't meeting their expectations and their Ozzfest touring commitments didn't allow much time to write during the summer.
While the album did receive massive acclaim from fans, critical reviews were mixed. The album was the lowest debut Korn had yet, hitting number nineteen on Billboard 200 in the first week, and peaking at number nine. (Note: Internet piracy really began to hit it big at this point in time).
This was the last studio album in the band's recording contract with Immortal/Epic Records, and it would (temporarily) be the last record the band did with Brain "Head" Welch, until 2013. Korn was at point where they were on a steady decline, but this would all soon change.
See You On The Other Side
Release Date: December 6, 2005
Label: EMI/Virgin Records
Producer: Jonathan Davis, Atticus Ross, The Matrix
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals, bagpipes
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitars
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
David Silveria - drums
Sometimes, the departure from your original sound can be a good thing. It can be a progressive act and an exercise in songwriting if you've felt that your band is going through the motions. The change of sound in See You On The Other Side that Korn took on seemed to work highly to their benefit.
Brian Welch ("Head") had left the band. Their deal with Immortal/Epic was done, and the band inked a deal with EMI/Virgin Records. Prior to recording their seventh studio album, Virgin provided Korn $25 million dollars, as long as they promised the label a share in profits on the seventh and eighth records, and cuts of touring and merchandise, as well as a thirty percent stake in the band's ticket sales, licensing, and various other sources of revenue. It was a risky deal, but the deal allowed the band to step out of their comfort zones musically, introducing industrial, gothic rock, and more into the mix. Jonathan Davis went on to explain that it was the band's "most experimental record to date". Part of this change of form can also be attributed to working with producers Atticus Ross and The Matrix (whose experience lies more in the realm of pop artists like Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne).
See You On The Other Side was received in a much better form critically, and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, selling 220,000 copies in its first week. It stayed in the top half of the charts for thirty-four weeks.
This would be the last record to feature long-time drummer, David Silveria. Regardless of the member change, it seemed like things were much better in the world of Korn.
Untitled
Release Date: July 31, 2007
Label: EMI/Virgin
Producer: Atticus Ross
Lineup
Jonathan Davis - vocals, bagpipes, drums (tracks 3 and 9)
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitars
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
The first time in Korn history that the band were without a steady drummer. Fear not, though; the band enlisted the help of legendary Terry Bozzio to play drums on six of the tracks. Brooks Wackerman (at the time, drummer for Bad Religion) played several tracks, and even Jonathan Davis stepped up to record two tracks (something that had not been done since the recording of Issues). Instead of touring with Bozzio, who the band felt wasn't the best fit, they enlisted at-the-time Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison to join them on the Family Values Tour and the Bitch We Have a Problem Tour.
The Matrix, who had worked as a producer on the previous record, left the process early on, leaving Atticus Ross as the sole producer for the Untitled album. The band were not satisfied with how a lot of the material turned out at the time, so Ross helped them re-record. They later went on to describe the sounds on the Untitled album as more "atmospheric."
Speaking of which, notice how the album is just called Untitled? Jonathan Davis went on to explain that he wanted the fans to just "call it whatever they want to call it". Thus, no official name has ever been given to the album.
Korn III: Remember Who You Are
Release Date: July 13, 2010
Label: Roadrunner Records
Producer: Ross Robinson
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Field" Arvizu - bass
Ray Luzier - drums
It was officially time for a return to form. And then some!
Before the recording of the band's ninth studio record, the band took a ten month hiatus. When it came time to return, the band enlisted their original producer, Ross Robinson, to help bring the album to life. Several members began pre-production and writing, while Jonathan Davis purposely avoided hearing the new material so that he could work on writing lyrics after all of the music had been recorded. The band embarked on the "Escape From The Studio" Tour in late 2009, and then returned to the studio to record.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of this record is that it was recorded with the absence of Pro Tools. The entire album was recorded on an analog 24-track tape machine. Nothing could be ironed out and perfected in the technological sense, and it provided a much rawer sound to the album.
With the release coming from Roadrunner Records this time around, the album hit number two on the Billboard 200, selling 63,000 copies in its first week.
The Path Of Totality
Release: December 6, 2011
Label: Roadrunner Records
Producer:s Jonathan Davis, Skrillex, Noisia, Excision, Downlink, 12th Planet, Flinch, Feed Me, Kill The Noise, Datsik, Jim Monti
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Field" Arvizu - bass
Ray Luzier - drums
I will go on record to say that this is by far Korn's most ambitious record to date. 2011 was around the time that electronic music was seriously beginning to rise in the United States. It would grow to become a genre that could not be ignored, in any way, shape, or form, and would soon become a staple among festivals, touring circuits and club culture in the world very soon. It was rather clear that Korn could see this. But rather than simply release a "remix" album, the band opted to actually work with some of the biggest names in the business. Not the ones that were cranking out radio hits, though: the ones that were still technically in the underground, the ones that were making the filthiest and craziest sounds, and the ones that would match the insanity that is a Korn record.
In reference to the name of the album, Jonathan Davis stated the following: "The title Path of Totality" refers to the fact that in order to see the sun in a full solar eclipse, you must be in the exact right place in the exact right time. That's how this album came together. I think all the producers feel the same way. I'm not sure it could ever happen again."
The Path Of Totality is a fusion of the band's thrash/nu-metal stylings with various productions of dubstep and drum & bass. The album received mixed reviews from critics, but this clearly didn't stop it from hitting the top ten in the Billboard 200.
The Paradigm Shift
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Label: Prospect Park, Caroline, Universal
Producer: Don Gilmore
Lineup:
Jonathan Davis - vocals
Brian "Head" Welch - guitar
James "Munky" Shaffer - guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - bass
Ray Luzier - drums
The band's latest release comes in the form of The Paradigm Shift. While The Path of Totality was a serious experimentation in the form of a metal/dubstep collaboration, Paradigm found the band pulling from older albums like Issues and Untouchables for inspiration. Part of this was more than likely to the involvement and return to form of original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch". And another part of this is probably because, well, they're Korn. They experiment and never do the same thing twice.
While the sound was very fresh for the members, it was a bit of a different situation for Davis. He was coming off of depression medication, entered rehab, and then came back to record the album. According to Davis, he had moved into the studio, returning home only on the weekends, and brought his sons with him while he recorded.
The album peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, selling 46,000 copies in the first week.
The Serenity of Suffering and Beyond
It was recently announced that Korn will be releasing their twelfth studio album on October 21, 2016. It is being remarked as, according to Brian Welch, that it will be "heavier than anyone's heard us in a long time". It's only a matter of time before we hear the record, but one thing is for certain: Korn have a knack for not only keeping things fresh with every album they release, but making sure both they and their fans are creatively satisfied with each release. They never seem to do the same thing twice, and that's what I believe has always kept them in the limelight all of these years. Here's to much more music from Korn in the future, and we're looking for to the release of The Serenity of Suffering. Keep it heavy!
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