Korn, occasionally typeset as KoЯn or KoRn, is an American rock band from Bakersfield, California, and is often credited with popularizing the nu metal genre. Along with other bands at the time, they have also inspired many nu metal and alternative metal bands throughout the mid 1990s and early 2000s.
The band’s catalogue consists of nine consecutive debuts in the top ten of the Billboard 200, including a compilation album, Greatest Hits Vol.1, and their untitled eighth album, released on July 31, 2007. To date, Korn has sold over 30 million albums worldwide, including 16.5 in the U.S., whilst earning six Grammy nominations—two of which they have won.
History
Formation, Neidermeyer’s Mind demo, Korn (1993–1995)
Korn formed after the group L.A.P.D. folded, due to singer Richard Morrill’s drug addiction. Musicians Reginald Arvizu, Brian Welch, and David Silveria wanted to continue, and recruited guitarist James Shaffer and vocalist Corey Cinque and started a new band called Creep. Corey was soon dropped due to the band being dissatisfied with him.
In early 1993, the band took notice of vocalist Jonathan Davis after seeing his band Sexart and attempted to get him to join Creep. Davis initially did not want to join the band, but after consulting a psychic he decided to audition and then joined the band. The band soon changed their name to Korn (After Jonathan was recruited, they decided to get a new name. Jonathan suggested Korn as just a brainstorm, but everyone else liked it. So Jonathan got a Crayola crayon and wrote their logo in a child’s handwriting, with a “K” instead of “C” and a backwards upper-case “R”. Korn was born).
In April that year, the band began a working relationship with producer Ross Robinson, which led to their first demo tape entitled Neidermeyer’s Mind. The band had problems getting signed during its first year, due to the 1990s rock scene, which was primarily grunge. After many attempts at a record deal, Paul Pontius from Immortal/Epic Records heard the band in a nightclub and was so impressed, he signed them on the spot. With a producer and a label, Korn started work on their self-titled debut album.
Musically, the album was a mix of both heavy metal, alternative rock, hip hop, and funk the latter elements encompassed in the rhythmic approach to the band’s compositions. “Blind” was the first single from the album, which got a decent amount of airplay and attention. Once Korn saw a release on October 11, 1994, the band toured incessantly with no support from radio or video stations. They relied solely on their intense live shows, which created a large cultlike following of dedicated fans. It was through the effort of this fanbase that helped push Korn onto the Billboard 200, eventually peaking at #72 in 1996, with “Shoots and Ladders” being their first Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance.
On their first large tour, Korn opened for Danzig alongside Marilyn Manson. Other bands for which Korn opened in 1995 included Megadeth, 311, Fear Factory, Flotsam and Jetsam, and KMFDM. However, the first tour that widely exposed the band was opening for Ozzy Osbourne alongside the Deftones. After opening for lesser-known bands such as Dimestore Hoods, Sugar Ray (at the time), and Life of Agony, Korn returned to the studio to record a second album.
Life Is Peachy (1996–1997)
Korn teamed up with Robinson once again for their second album, Life Is Peachy, released on October 15, 1996. Musically, it was similar to the first album, but also showed more of a funk influence on tracks like “Porno Creep” and “Swallow”. The album included two covers, War’s “Low Rider”, with Davis’ bagpipes and Head on vocals, and Ice Cube’s “Wicked”, with guest vocalist Chino Moreno of Deftones.
To help promote their new album, Korn opened for Metallica, along with utilizing the Internet. Life Is Peachy sold more than 106,000 copies in its first week and reached #3 on the Billboard 200. 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, which also did well.
The band gained more popularity after co-headlining the Lollapalooza music festival in 1997 with Tool. However, Korn were forced to drop off the bill after Munky was diagnosed with viral meningitis. Also that year, Korn augmented their growing crossover appeal by collaborating with Los Angeles-based production and remix duo the Dust Brothers on the track “Kick the P.A.”. This track appeared on the motion picture soundtrack of the film Spawn.
In late 1997, Korn formed their own record label, Elementree Records. The first signing was Videodrone, whose singer, Ty Elam, is credited for giving Jonathan Davis singing lessons. Orgy, however, released their debut album prior to Videodrone’s, giving Elementree its first Platinum certification. Orgy’s guitarist, Ryan Shuck, is known for playing alongside Davis and Elam in the band Sexart. Over the next few years, Korn signed other acts like rapper Marz and Deadsy.
Follow the Leader, mainstream success (1998–1999)
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 Jeremy, 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 a complete success, debuting at #1 on Billboard with 268,000 copies sold, and spawning the 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” reaching that same success months later. The singles also fared well on Billboard, with “Freak on a Leash” peaking in the top 10 of both Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock, the latter of which it spent 27 weeks on—more than any other Korn single to date.
“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, for Best Rock Video and Best Editing. Follow the Leader is the band’s most commercially-successful album, being certified 5x Platinum by the RIAA and having sold almost ten million copies worldwide.
The same year Follow the Leader was released, Korn started their own annual tour called the Family Values Tour. Korn headlined the highly-successful tour along with Incubus, Orgy, Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, and Rammstein. A live CD and DVD were released and earned Gold and Platinum certifications, respectively. In 1999, Limp Bizkit headlined, along with Primus, Staind, The Crystal Method, Method Man & Redman, and Filter. Korn were not featured on the bill and instead only made surprise appearances at a few of the stops to perform “falling away from me” from “Issues”. The tour took a break in 2000.
Issues (1999–2001)
The band’s fourth album, Issues, produced by Brendan O’Brien, 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 #1 on the Billboard 200 with more than 573,000 copies sold, keeping Dr. Dre’s long-awaited album 2001 and Celine Dion’s greatest hits album from hitting #1.
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 made Korn the first rock band, and only the second predominantly white musical group, to ever perform at The Apollo, after the legendary Buddy Holly in the late 1950s. This special event featured the NYPD 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.
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. Videos were shot for all three singles, with longtime 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 3x Platinum, following up the success of Follow the Leader.
Untouchables (2002–2003)
On June 11, 2002, after a year and a half of hard work and a long creative process, Korn re-emerged into the media spotlight with their fifth album, Untouchables. It debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 with 434,000 in sales. Sales were disappointing in comparison to the first four albums, as Untouchables has only been certified Platinum once. 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.
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 U.S. movie theatres. Untouchables featured electronic beats, strings and various guitar effects the band had never used in an album before. The overall feel was drastically different from previous efforts, particularly tracks like “Alone I Break,” “Hating,” and “Hollow Life,” which singer Jonathan Davis claims is one of his favorite Korn songs to this day.
The first two videos from Untouchables were directed by the Hughes Brothers (best known for their films, Menace II Society and From Hell). The first video, “Here to Stay,” has the band playing inside a TV with a static background along with controversial news stories and world issues being presented. The song itself earned Korn a Grammy for Best Metal Performance, and would become their highest-peaking single on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart. The second video, “Thoughtless”, was a nod back to Davis’ childhood as the character in the video (previously featured in the first Vanilla Coke commercial) is picked on and constantly beaten. The third video for Untouchables, “Alone I Break,” was directed by Sean Dack, who won the honor of directing the video through an MTV contest.
Prior to their next album, Korn released a new single, “Did My Time” on July 22, 2003, which was used to promote the film and appeared on the soundtrack to Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Angelina Jolie appeared in the Dave Meyers-directed video. “Did My Time” also gave Korn yet another Grammy nomination in the Best Metal Performance category.
Take a Look in the Mirror, Greatest Hits, Head’s departure (2003–2005)
Take a Look in the Mirror, was released on November 21, 2003, four days earlier than originally planned. Korn produced the album themselves, and released “Right Now”, “Y’All Want a Single”, and “Everything I’ve Known” as singles. “Right Now” and “Everything I’ve Known” had animated music videos, whereas “Y’All Want a Single” featured Korn and a large group of fans destroying a record store. The album was an attempt by the band to return to its roots with a more raw and heavier sound. The album peaked at #9 on Billboard, selling over 179,000 copies in its first full week.
Korn released their greatest hits album, Greatest Hits Vol.1, on October 5, 2004. The album debuted at #4 on Billboard, selling more than 129,000 copies. It featured two cover songs as singles, and a compilation of the band’s hits from the past 10 years. The first single was a cover of the song “Word Up!”, which was originally made popular by the group Cameo. The second single was a medley of all three parts of Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall”. A remix of their hit single “Freak on a Leash” was also included as a bonus track. 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.
Prior to Korn starting work on their next album, Brian “Head” Welch announced that he had “…chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end,” and was formally leaving Korn. Initial speculations that this was a hoax or practical joke were proven wrong; he has become highly spiritual, even being baptized in the Jordan River and speaking openly about his faith and conversion. This was the band’s first official line-up change in their history.
See You on the Other Side, EMI/Virgin (2005–2006)
Upon completing their record deal with Sony, Korn partnered with EMI and signed to Virgin Records. As part of this innovative arrangement, Virgin paid Korn $25 million upfront in exchange for a share in the profits of their next two studio albums, including tours and merchandising. Virgin also received a 30 percent stake in the band’s licensing, ticket sales and other revenue sources.
The band’s first album for Virgin, See You on the Other Side, was released on December 6, 2005, and debuted on #3 on the Billboard 200, scanning close to 221,000 copies. The album managed to stay in the top 100 of the Billboard 200 for 34 consecutive weeks. The first single from the album, “Twisted Transistor”, was accompanied by a comedic video directed by Dave Meyers in which rap stars Xzibit, Lil’ Jon, Snoop Dogg, and David Banner portray Korn. The single itself peaked at #3 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks, Korn’s highest entry thus far, and #9 on Modern Rock. The second single, “Coming Undone”, had its performance-based video directed by Little X, who previously helmed only hip hop and R&B videos. See You on the Other Side is certified Platinum, and has sold over two 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 26. The resurrection of their Family Values Tour was announced on April 18, 2006, which featured co-headliners Deftones, Stone Sour, Flyleaf, and 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. The band still performed, with guest singers including Corey Taylor of Slipknot/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”. His illness did not affect the 2006 Family Values Tour.
Untitled album, MTV Unplugged, David Silveria’s departure (2006–2008)
In early December it was announced that founding drummer David Silveria would be taking an indefinite “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. In front of a crowd of approximately 50 people, 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 #9 in its first week out. The disc has yet to receive a Gold or Platinum certification because in comparison to all the other albums it was a serious disappointment.
Korn’s untitled eighth album was released on July 31, 2007, debuting at #2 with 123,000 copies in its first week. The album has been certified Gold for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies. It also concludes Korn’s unique 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, Jonathan Davis, and Bad Religion’s Brooks Wackerman, as well as Joey Jordison from Slipknot (who played for the band on live shows) as David Silveria went on a hiatus. “Evolution”, “Hold On” and “Kiss” have been released as singles, with the former two charting on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks at #4 and #9, respectively.
Recent events (2008–present)
Korn was nominated, along with 31 other artists, for the Best of 2007 by Fuse in November 2007. They ended up making it to the final round, but lost to 30 Seconds to Mars by roughly 200,000 votes.
Ubisoft reported in October that “Korn has written and recorded an original song inspired by Ubisoft’s upcoming Haze video game”, simply entitled “Haze”, which was released on April 22, 2008. As a first in the video game industry, “Haze” will be released and promoted as a full-fledged single and music video, not just as an exclusive download with the video game.
In 2008 The band played in Dubai for the annual Dubai Desert Rock Festival.
Korn performed their second leg of the Bitch We Have a Problem Tour in Australia, with drummer Ray Luzier of David Lee Roth and Army of Anyone fame, which was preceded by a Latin American and European run, plus festival dates in the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. Munky left the Bitch We Have A Problem Tour shortly after the beginning the European leg began due to his father becoming ill. Despite rumors that he was leaving the band, Shane Gibson has stated on Kornspace.com that his [Munky’s] father had fallen ill and that Munky was not leaving the band, but Munky returned to the tour in Milan on February 23. This has been confirmed also as a video of Munky playing “Falling Away From Me” surfaced on Kornspace on Feb. 24th, filmed the night before. Due to Munky’s return, Rob Patterson is no longer touring with Korn.
In an interview, Fieldy stated that Korn would be recording a new album sometime this year (2008), and that it would be a return to their heavy roots. He stated in the same interview that he would also be releasing a solo album of funk and jazz fusion pieces, as well as releasing his own book. The recording of the 9th album should take place sometime in November of 2008, with a Spring 2009 album release, Ray Luzier will take over drumming duties unless David Silveria comes out of his hiatus.
Korn released a new live DVD, Korn: Live in 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.
Jonathan Davis has stated at some concerts with the AIP tour and in some interviews, the interest of having Brian “Head” Welch back in the band, at a concert in Europe he told the audience “I miss that motherfucker and one day he will be back people”. In an interview with Head, he said that he’s “not ready to come back,” while acknowledging that it’s a possibility.
Korn recently contributed to the album Nightmare Revisited with a cover of the song, “Kidnap the Sandy Claws”.
In a September post from Jonathan on MetalUnderground.com, Jonathan said that Korn would be taking a longer break. He assured that it wasn’t a ‘hiatus,’ but merely a well-needed rest, while he works on his solo album.
Musical style and influences
Although Korn has sometimes been considered to be a part of the alternative metal and nu metal genres, they do not consider themselves to be a part of these genres. Jonathan Davis is quoted as saying:
“We’ve spawned a lot of clones, but let me explain… Well, I hate the nu metal term. We have always just been a band that rocks. We didn’t like when people called us a metal band, we are just Korn. People just use these terms when they cannot describe something, but nu metal… when so many bands started making music that sounded like us, that is when nu metal was born. We don’t have anything to do with it for real, I feel. I wouldn’t wanna call Red Hot Chili Peppers a funk band, and we are not metal or nu metal, we are Korn. Nu metal is just a term that doesn’t mean anything.”
Discography
Studio Albums
Year | Album details |
---|---|
1994 | Korn Released: October 11, 1994 Label: Immortal (EK #66633) Formats: CD, CS, LP |
1996 | Life Is Peachy Released: October 15, 1996 Label: Immortal (EK #67554) Formats: CD, CS, LP |
1998 | Follow the Leader Released: August 18, 1998 Label: Immortal (EK #69001) Formats: CD, CS, LP |
1999 | Issues Released: November 16, 1999 Label: Immortal (EK #63710) Formats: CD, CS, LP |
2002 | Untouchables Released: June 11, 2002 Label: Immortal (EK #61488) Formats: CD, CS, LP |
2003 | Take a Look in the Mirror Released: November 21, 2003 Label: Immortal (EK #90335) Formats: CD, LP |
2005 | See You on the Other Side Released: December 6, 2005 Label: Virgin (#45889 2) Formats: CD, LP, DI |
2007 | Untitled album Released: July 31, 2007 Label: Virgin (#03878 2 3) Formats: CD, LP, DI |
Live Albums
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2006 | Live & Rare Released: May 9, 2006 Label: Immortal (#82247) Format: CD |
22007 | MTV Unplugged: Korn Released: May 9, 2006 Label: Virgin (#86027 2) Format: CD, DI |
Compilations
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2004 | Greatest Hits Vol.1 Released: October 5, 2004 Label: Immortal (EK #92700) Format: CD |
2008 | Playlist: The Very Best of Korn Released: April 29, 2008 Label: Legacy Format: CDVU+ |
Extended plays
Year | Album details |
---|---|
1993 | Neidermeyer’s Mind Released: 1993 Format: CS |
1997 | Live at the Palace Released: 1997 Label: Immortal Format: CD, CS |
1999 | All Mixed Up Released: November 16, 1999 Label: Immortal (A #30388) Format: CD, CS |
Singles
Year | Title | Album |
---|---|---|
1993 | “Christmas Song” | Non-album single |
1995 | “Blind” | Korn |
“Shoots and Ladders” | ||
“Need To” | ||
1996 | “Clown” | |
“No Place to Hide” | Life Is Peachy | |
1997 | “A.D.I.D.A.S.” | |
“Good God” | ||
1998 | “All in the Family” (feat. Fred Durst) | Follow the Leader |
“Got the Life” | ||
1999 | “Freak on a Leash” | |
“Children of the Korn” (feat. Ice Cube) | ||
“B.B.K.” | ||
“Falling Away from Me” | Issues | |
2000 | “Make Me Bad” | |
“Somebody Someone” | ||
2002 | “Here to Stay” | Untouchables |
“Thoughtless” | ||
“Alone I Break” | ||
2003 | “Did My Time” | Take a Look in the Mirror |
“Right Now” | ||
2004 | “Y’All Want a Single” | |
“Everything I’ve Known” | ||
“Word Up!” | Greatest Hits Vol.1 | |
“Another Brick in the Wall Pts. 1, 2, 3” | ||
2005 | “Twisted Transistor” | See You on the Other Side |
2006 | “Coming Undone” | |
“Coming Undone Wit It” (with Dem Franchize Boyz) | Non-album single | |
“Politics” | See You on the Other Side | |
2007 | “Freak on a Leash” (feat. Amy Lee) | MTV Unplugged: Korn |
“Evolution” | Untitled album | |
“Hold On” | ||
2008 | “Kiss” | |
“Haze” | Non-album single |
B-sides
Song | Album |
---|---|
“This Broken Soul” | “Korn” |
“Layla” | “Korn” |
“Twist Acappella” | “Life is Peachy” |
“Chi (live)” | “Life is Peachy” |
“All Washed Up (live)(The Urge)” | “Life is Peachy” |
“Proud” | “I Know What You Did Last Summer OST” |
“Sean Olson” | “The Crow II OST” |
“Kick the P.A.” | “Spawn OST” |
“I Can Remember” | “Got The Life Single” |
“Camel Song” | “End of Days OST” |
“Here to Stay (T Ray’s mix)” | “Untouchables” |
“One (live)” | “Take a Look in the Mirror” |
“It’s Me Again” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Eaten Up Inside” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Last Legal Drug (Le Petit Mort)” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Twisted Transistor (Dante Ross mix)” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Twisted Transistor (Dummies Club mix)” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Too Late I’m Dead” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Inside Out” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“Appears” | “See You on the Other Side” |
“No One’s There” | “MTV Unplugged: Korn” |
“Thoughtless” | “MTV Unplugged: Korn” |
“Dirty (MTV Virtual Hills leak)” | “MTV Unplugged: Korn” |
“Sing Sorrow” | “Untitled” |
“Overture or Obituary” | “Untitled” |
“Haze” | “Untitled” |
“Once Upon A Time” | “Untitled” |
Videos
Year | Album details |
---|---|
1997 | Who Then Now? Released: March 18, 1997 Label: Immortal Format: VHS |
2002 | Deuce Released: June 11, 2002 Label: Immortal Format: VHS, DVD |
Korn Live Released: November 19, 2002 Label: Immortal Format: DVD | |
2006 | Live on the Other Side Released: June 20, 2006 Label: Virgin Format: DVD, Blu-Ray |
Chopped, Screwed, Live and Unglued Released: September 26, 2006 Label: Virgin Format: CD/DVD | |
2008 | Live at Montreaux 2004 Released: May 13, 2008 Label: Eagle Rock Entertainment Format: DVD, Blu-Ray |
Music videos
Year | Title | Director(s) |
---|---|---|
1995 | “Blind” | Joseph McGinty Nichol |
“Shoots and Ladders” | ||
1996 | “Clown” | |
“No Place to Hide” | Footage compiled by MTV | |
1997 | “A.D.I.D.A.S.” | Joseph Kahn |
“Good God” (live) | ||
“Faget” | McG | |
1998 | “Got the Life” | |
1999 | “Freak on a Leash” | Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, Todd McFarlane |
“Falling Away from Me” | Fred Durst | |
2000 | “Make Me Bad” | Martin Weisz |
“Somebody Someone” | ||
2002 | “Here to Stay” | The Hughes Brothers |
“Thoughtless” | ||
“Alone I Break” | Sean Dack | |
2003 | “Did My Time” | Dave Meyers |
“Right Now” (Mirror mix) | Nathan Cox | |
“Right Now” (Lunchbox version) | Gregory Ecklund | |
2004 | “Right Now” (3D version) | Junoon |
“Y’All Want a Single” | Andrews Jenkins | |
“Everything I’ve Known” | Gregory Ecklund | |
“Word Up!” | Antti Jokinen | |
“Another Brick in the Wall Pts. 1, 2, 3” (live) | Bill Yukich | |
2005 | “Twisted Transistor” | Dave Meyers |
2006 | “Coming Undone” | Little X |
“Coming Undone Wit It” (with Dem Franchize Boyz) | ||
“Liar” | Tony Shiff | |
“Politics” | Chris Kantrowitz | |
2007 | “Freak on a Leash” (feat. Amy Lee) | Alex Coletti |
“Evolution” | Dave Meyers | |
“Hold On” | Vikram Gandhi | |
2008 | “Haze” | bootsrfun |
Band members
- Jonathan Davis – vocals, guitar, bagpipes, drums (1993–present)
- James “Munky” Shaffer – guitar (1993–present)
- Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu – bass (1993–present)
Previous members
- David Silveria – drums (1993–2006)
- Brian “Head” Welch – guitar, backing vocals (1993–2005)
Backup band
The backup band only plays live shows with Korn. None of the members of the backup band are considered official members of Korn. For most of 2005, they wore animal masks based on the See You on the Other Side artwork and black uniforms to help better distinguish them as the backup band. Throughout 2007, the members have performed unmasked but occasionally had their faces painted black and white with unique designs. Since the beginning of 2008, the back-up band plays without face paint, and with their ordinary clothes on instead of the black uniforms they had earlier.
Current members
Kalen Chase – backing vocals, percussion (2006–present)
- Zac Baird – keyboards (2006–present)
- Shane Gibson – guitar (2007–present)
- Ray Luzier – drums (2007–present)
Previous members
- Rob Patterson – guitar (2005–2007, 2008)
- Clint Lowery – guitar (2007)
- Joey Jordison – drums (2007)
- Michael Jochum – percussion (2006–2007)
Reasons for Departures
- Mike Bordin – David Silveria sustained a wrist injury during their 2000 Sic and Twisted tour. Mike Bordin, drummer for Faith No More/Ozzy Osbourne, a good friend of Korn, filled in for Silveria in order to finish the tour. Bordin departed when Silveria recovered and returned to Korn in 2001.
- Brian “Head” Welch – left on February 22, 2005 to become a Christian, build an adoption center in India, and continue making music as a solo musician.
- David Silveria – Went on a “hiatus” in late 2006 to run his 2 restaurants and to spend time with his family. He is not officially out of the band yet, but it is highly unlikely that he will return.
Rob Patterson – played with Korn for 11 months, but was fired after the MTV: Unplugged performance due to personal fallout with Munky. He resurfaced in the Korn world on January 16, 2008, the very same day that Munky went on a “hiatus.” Rob played onstage alongside Shane Gibson, and is expected to play on the 2nd leg of the BWHAP tour. However, Patterson was no longer needed when Munky returned to the band on February 23, 2008.
- Terry Bozzio – initially brought in to play the drums for Untitled. However, after recording only 6 songs, he left Korn after they refused to give him a 25% share in the sales of Untitled and the title of being an official member of the band.
- Brooks Wackerman – was brought in to replace Bozzio, but could only record 4 songs on Untitled due to Bad Religion needing him to return.
- Michael Jochum – initially left because his parts were no longer needed. He returned with the band in early 2007 for Korn’s 2007 European tour but left before 2007’s Family Values Tour.
- Clint Lowery – had to leave Korn 1 month earlier than expected due to a family emergency.
- Joey Jordison – left because of his duty to record Slipknot’s “All Hope Is Gone”.
- Munky – left during early 2008 for personal and family reasons. It was said by Fieldy that he was to return in June and that he will join the band working on a new record in July. However, Munky returned much earlier than expected on February 23, 2008.
Status
None of the members of the backing band are official members of Korn. They are only live/session members. However, there has been talk about letting Zac Baird, Ray Luzier and Shane Gibson into the band as true members, but nothing has been set in stone yet.
References
- “Korn review“. All Media Guide. Retrieved on 2007-10-11.
- “Artist Chart History“. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Top Selling Artists“. RIAA. Retrieved on 2007-11-04.
- “GRAMMY Awards“. All Media Guide. Retrieved on 2007-12-06.
- As mentioned by Jonathan Davis himself in interview in DVD Who Then Now?
- Liner notes for Greatest Hits Vol. 1
- “Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance“. Rock on the Net. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- “KoRn Off Lolla Due To Guitarist’s Illness“. MTV (1997-08-01). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Adema Prep New Songs, Mourn Loss Of Rage Against The Machine“. MTV (2002-02-13). Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- “Korn Frontman Shoots Videodrone Clip; Family Values CD/Video On Way“. MTV (2000-01-25). Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- “Orgy Celebrate New LP In Rock ‘N’ Roll Style“. MTV (2000-10-17). Retrieved on 2007-12-03.
- “Korn To Do It Themselves On “Korn TV”“. MTV (1998-03-02). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Kicks Off Kampaign ‘98 In Los Angeles“. MTV (1998-08-17). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Tops Album Heap In Chart Debut“. MTV (1998-08-26). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Hall of Fame“. The TRL Archive. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Artist Chart History“. Billboard. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “42th Grammy Awards – 2000“. Rock on the Net. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “1999 MTV Video Music Awards“. Rock on the Net. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Asks Fans To Design Next Album Cover“. MTV (1999-09-17). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Tops Dre, Celine, Will Smith On Album Chart“. MTV (1999-11-24). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Fills Apollo With New Sounds, Rabid Fans, And V.I.P.s“. MTV (1999-11-16). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn To Premiere New Track During “South Park” Special“. MTV (1999-10-11). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Issues review“. All Media Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-25.
- “Korn Can’t Kick Eminem From Top Of Billboard Chart“. MTV (2002-06-19). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Shock Jocks Give New Korn LP Premature Premiere, Perturbing Label“. MTV (2002-04-02). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Whip Out Maggots, Flames, Crucifix-Emblazoned Dress At NY Concert“. MTV (2002-06-11). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Do ‘Time’ For Lara Croft“. MTV (2003-06-11). Retrieved on 2007-11-30.
- “Korn Releasing Take A Look In The Mirror Early Due To Leak“. MTV (2003-11-17). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Jay-Z’s Farewell Album Hasn’t Said Goodbye To The #1 Slot“. MTV (2003-12-03). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “George Strait Tops Usher In Billboard Albums Chart Recount“. MTV (2004-10-13). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Brian ‘Head’ Welch Leaves Korn, Citing Moral Objections To Band’s Music“. MTV (2005-02-22). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Eminem Scores Fourth #1 Bow With Curtain Call“. MTV (2005-12-14). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Announce Tour Dates While Surrounded By Dead Celebrities“. MTV (2006-01-13). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Rock Hometown, Have Street Named After Them On ‘Official Korn Day’“. MTV (2006-02-27). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn Resurrect Family Values Tour With Deftones, Stone Sour“. MTV (2006-04-18). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn, Evanescence, Hellyeah Top Family Values Tour Bill“. MTV (2007-03-26). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “KORN Frontman To Sit Out U.K.’s DOWNLOAD Festival, Guest Singers To Step In“. Blabbermouth (2006-06-10). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “KORN: European Tour Officially Cancelled“. Blabbermouth (2006-06-13). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “KORN Frontman JONATHAN DAVIS: ‘I Should Be Healthy To Play In A Few Weeks’“. Blabbermouth (2006-06-12). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Notorious B.I.G. Is The Greatest: Hits LP Debuts At #1“. MTV (2007-03-14). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Common Creams Korn, Coasts To First Billboard #1“. MTV (2007-08-08). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Untitled Certified Gold“. Kornspace. Retrieved on 2007-11-01.
- “Korn Goes Experimental, Vents Anger On New Album“. Billboard (2007-06-01). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “KORN Is ‘Having A Lot Of Fun’ Working With Drummer TERRY BOZZIO“. Blabbermouth (2007-01-09). Retrieved on 2007-10-03.
- “Korn To Release Original Song For Ubisoft’s Haze Video Game“. Games Press. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
- “Ray Luzier Joins Korn“. Retrieved on 2007-11-11.
- “Korn to Play in United Arab Emirates.“.
- “Munky to Return to Euro Bitch We Have a Problem Tour“.
- Video Korn Bassist Fieldy Talks About Brian “Head” Welch new book – korn, bassist, fieldy, talks, book – Dailymotion Share Your Videos
- BLABBERMOUTH.NET – KORN Singer Working On Solo Album; Ex-Guitarist Not Ready To Come Back
External links
- Official website
- Korn Music Club (Official fan club)
- Korn at MySpace
- Korn at Last.fm
- Korn at ilike