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Korn

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Korn
The Korn logo.
The Korn logo.

Korn in 2005
Korn in 2005
Background information
Years active1992–present
MembersJonathan Davis
James Shaffer
Reginald Arvizu
David Silveria
For other uses, see Korn (disambiguation).

Korn (sometimes typed KoЯn to imitate the band's logo) is one fo the greatest alternative metal band from Bakersfield, California. They are often credited with creating the nu metal genre and inspiring a wave of nu metal, alternative metal, and rap metal bands in the mid 1990s and early 2000s, assisting, in particular, Limp Bizkit, Deftones and Slipknot (who have stated themselves that they were a big influence). Since their 1994 debut, Korn have sold 25 million records worldwide(17 million in the U.S), which makes Korn the best selling metal act of the last 12 years. Got the Life, Freak on a Leash, Blind, Here to Stay, A.D.I.D.A.S. and Another Brick in the Wall(Pink Floyd cover) are among their most famous songs.

History

The first incarnation of Korn was a band known as LAPD. At first LAPD stood for 'Love and Peace Dude'; however they later changed the name to 'Laughing as People Die' in order to be taken more seriously as a band. The group consisted of James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, David Silveria and lead singer Richard Morales, who later left the band, and the remaining members changed their name to Creep, adding guitarist Brian Welch. After adding singer Jonathan Davis (former frontman of Sexart) in 1993, they began calling themselves Korn, styling their name with a distinctive backwards letter "Я". The band released their debut album, Korn, through Epic/Immortal Records in October, 1994. Korn is arguably the album most responsible for the rise of nu metal and influencing later nu metal bands such as Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Static-X, Adema and Slipknot.

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

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

File:KORN Follow the Leader.jpg
Korn's "Follow the Leader"

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

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

The band's next album, Issues, was released in November 1999. The album debuted at #1 on The Billboard 200 and was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA, following up the success of Follow the Leader. It featured a broader range of styles and vocals compared to previous albums. 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 special event featured the NYPD marching drum and bagpipe band as well as a group of back-up singers to enhance the more melodic choruses and backing vocals Jonathan Davis used on the album. 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. In the episode, the band helped the boys solve a Scooby-Doo style mystery. Korn released two more singles off of Issues, Make Me Bad and Somebody Someone, both of which would fare well on US charts. Videos were also shot for all three singles, with longtime friend Fred Durst directing the dark Falling Away From Me, and Udo Kier and Brigitte Nielsen starring in a concept video for Make Me Bad. The video of Somebody Someone was a simple performance.

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

In June 2002, after two and a half years of hard work and a long creative process, Korn re-emerged into the media spotlight with their 5th album, Untouchables. The album had a very dark and gothic feel while featuring synths, strings and various 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 the haunting "Hollow Life," which singer Jonathan Davis claims is his favorite Korn song to this day. While the album received critical praise, Untouchables had disappointing sales. The band has blamed Internet piracy for the drop in sales - as an unmixed version of the album had leaked a whole five months prior to its official release date (from Munky's computer).

The album's first single "Here to Stay" earned a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. Untouchables has since been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The first 2 videos from Untouchables were directed by the Hughes Brothers (best known for their films, Menace II Society and From Hell). The first video, "Here To Stay," has the band playing inside a TV on a static background along with controversial news stories and world issues being presented. The second video, "Thoughtless," was a nod back to Jonathan's childhood as the character in the video is picked on and constantly beaten. The character ultimately gains revenge in a rather grotesque but deserving way. The third video for Untouchables, "Alone I Break," was directed by Sean Dack who won the honor of directing Korn's video through an MTV contest. The video kept with the darkness of Korn, showing Jonathan Davis killing off the members of the band after a supposed mistake made by Munky when they were performing. The band later admitted the video would have been more fun to do if the director was actually a Korn fan.

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

Korn's sixth album, Take a Look in the Mirror was released in November 2003. Korn produced this record themselves and cited it as a look back upon their career by returning back to a more stripped down and raw sound. The album featured the singles "Right Now," "Everything I've Known," and "Ya'll Want A Single." The first two singles were animated videos while the third single, "Ya'll Want A Single," was a performance video which featured Korn and a large group of fans destroying a record store. The album peaked at No. 9 on The Billboard 200. Although the album provided what the fans were supposedly looking for, it was considered a disappointment by many who thought the first album could never be duplicated. The album also features the remastered track "Alive," which is the song Davis sang back in 1994 while first trying out for the band.

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

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

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

On 6 December 2005, Korn released their 7th full-length studio album titled See You on the Other Side, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 charts. The album was a step in a new direction for Korn since parting ways with former guitarist, Brian "Head" Welch. The album also featured production from pop producers The Matrix and Atticus Ross. See You On The Other Side is the closest Korn has ever released to a concept album. The special edition features a bonus disc with three additional original tracks, as well as bonus artwork. The first single from See You On The Other Side was "Twisted Transistor," which featured a Spinal Tap-esque style documentary video where 4 of today's biggest rappers played the parts of Korn. Lil Jon played Jonathan Davis, Xzibit played Fieldy, David Banner played David Silveria and Snoop Dogg played Munky. The real Korn make a guest appearance at the end of the video as record execs for "Fony Records." The idea for the video came from the mind of singer Jonathan Davis who thought of it while in the Caribbean. Plans to turn the video into a full-length movie are in the works. "Twisted Transistor" was also the official theme song for WWE's Taboo Tuesday event in November 2005.

On 13 January 2006, Korn threw a giant party at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery announcing the See You on the Other Side World Tour. Guests at the party included Guns N' Roses lead singer Axl Rose and actress Jessica Biel. The tour, with 10 Years and Mudvayne, began in February 2006 and is expected to run into early 2007. The Australia part of the tour will consist of Korn , 10 Years, Hatebreed, and Disturbed. Support acts for headlining shows past this point have not been confirmed, however, Korn are slated to perform at various European rock festivals over the summer of 2006, many of which feature such legendary bands as Guns N' Roses and Metallica.

On Monday March 13th, 2006, Korn released their second single from their album See You On The Other Side entitled "Coming Undone." The video filmed in what appears to be remote desert area shows a simple performance until the area around them begins to crumble and fall apart from day to night, and night to complete nothingness. Towards the end of the video the band themselves begin to come unraveled and try holding themselves together until the end of the song, however they still "come undone" and float away into nothingness.

The first ever live album from Korn will be released as KoRn: Live and Rare, on May 9th, 2006.


File:K7BGvert.jpg
Ibanez K7, seven string guitar designed for Korn

Style and influences

Davis' distinctive singing — often a series of grunts, whines and bizarre scats (somewhat reminiscent of those used by Mike Patton) — and his lyrics, are inspired in part by the child abuse he suffered as a young boy by an unnamed party. Although the alleged abuser has never been explicitly identified, it is speculated, based upon statements by Davis in various interviews, that it was a family friend or neighbor. Davis has also stated that much of his inspiration is drawn from things such as his parents' denial of his abuse, which is showcased in the song "Daddy." Contrary to popular belief, the song has nothing to do with Davis' father abusing him - Daddy was a nickname he was given in high school. Another inspiration comes from Davis' time spent working at a morgue. "Dead Bodies Everywhere" from 1998's Follow The Leader discusses both his issues with his parents and some of the atrocities Davis reported seeing during his time in the morgue. Likewise, "Pretty," also off of Follow The Leader, was inspired by a particular crime scene Davis observed while working as a coroner's assistant in which a little girl had been raped and murdered. Davis has commented that the crime and the crime scene gave him nightmares for quite some time.

Korn also pioneered the use of seven-string guitars among heavy metal musicians. They are also notable for their collaborations with hip hop artists such as Ice Cube, Nas and Xzibit (in fact some Korn songs feature rapped counterparts). They are one of the few examples of a rock band that has used bagpipes. The band's song structure may be due to the band's pop sensibility. Davis grew up as an avid fan of the new romantic and new wave scene, where the pop song formula is used quite often.

Most likely the best fitting genre for Korn would be alternative metal. They have cited bands such as Mr. Bungle, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ministry, Metallica, Helmet and Primus as key influences, as well as rap group N.W.A..

Korn's catalogue up through Greatest Hits, Volume 1 is published by Zomba Music Publishing, a division of BMG Music Publishing. All releases after that point are published by Virgin Records, a division of EMI.

Members

Previous members

Left the band in 2005 to start a Christian Group

Session Members

  • Rob Patterson (ex-Otep) - touring guitarist for See You on the Other Side but not an official member. Patterson played hidden from view behind the amplifiers on the right side of the stage during most of the 2005 tour, but is now currently playing onstage behind a mask. For the 2006 tour, he is also contributing backing vocals.(2005-2006)
  • Mike Bordin (Faith No More) - filled in for David on the Issues world tour when his wrist was injured (2000)

In addition to Patterson three other musicians have joined the band for the 2006 world tour: an extra percussionist, a keyboard player, and an extra singer. Like Patterson all wear masks, but unlike him their identities are not known. Their presence makes possible the live performance of songs from See You on the Other Side such as Throw Me Away, Love Song, and Tearjerker, as well as experimentation with older songs.

On a related note, The Man Show ran a comedy sketch guest-starring Korn, in which Adam Carolla and Jimmy Kimmel were discussed as being past members of the band, playing the trombone and clarinet. Kimmel and Carolla dressed as Korn band members for scenes in this sketch.

Discography

Albums

Year Title US Cert. Label 1st Week Sales/Peak Chart Position German Album Charts
1994 Korn 2x Platinum Sony/Epic 1,100, #72 (charted in 1996)
1996 Life Is Peachy 2x Platinum Sony/Epic #3 #85
1998 Follow the Leader 5x Platinum Sony/Epic 268,000, #1 #12
1999 Issues 3x Platinum Sony/Epic 575,000, #1 #9
2002 Untouchables Platinum Sony/Epic 434,000, #2 #1
2003 Take a Look in the Mirror* Platinum Sony/Epic 91,000 (weekend sales), #9 #8
2004 Greatest Hits, Volume 1 Platinum Sony/Epic 130,000, #4 #17
2005 See You on the Other Side Platinum Virgin/EMI 226,000, #3 #12
  • It is worth noting that Take a Look in the Mirror debuted at #19 and eventually peaked at #9 because it was released a week earlier than originally planned, due to its content being leaked onto the Internet.

DVDs & VHS

  • Who Then Now? - VHS only, official documentary featuring interviews, recording footage, and four music videos. Certified Platinum (100,000+)
  • Korn Live - A DVD of the show Korn performed at the Hammerstien Ballroom in New York to celebrate the launch of Untouchables. The concert was also broadcast simultaneously in many theaters. Certified Gold (50,000+)
  • Deuce - The sequel to Who Then Now. Includes all the band's videos up through Somebody Someone; additional live, backstage, and behind the scenes footage footage; and the entire Who Then Now video. Certified Platinum (100,000+)
  • KoRn - Live at CBGBs - A 7-song concert film/documentary included with some copies of Greatest Hits, Volume 1.
  • R-U-Ready: The Unauthorized Biography
  • Kornography: The Unauthorized Biography
  • Live on the other side: In November 2005 KORN played a sold out show at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, to launch their 7th Studio album, See You On The Other Side.

Singles

Year Title Chart Positions Album
US Hot 100 US Modern Rock US Mainstream Rock UK Singles Chart German Singles Chart
1994 "Blind" - - - - - Korn
1995 "Shoots And Ladders" - - - - - Korn
1995 "Clown" - - - - - Korn
1995 "Need To" - - - - - Korn
1995 "Faget" - - - - - Korn
1996 "No Place to Hide" - - - #26 - Life Is Peachy
1996 "A.D.I.D.A.S" - - - #22 - Life Is Peachy
1997 "Good God" - - - #25 - Life Is Peachy
1998 "All in the Family" - - - - - Follow The Leader
1998 "Got the Life" - #17 #15 #23 - Follow the Leader
1999 "Freak on a Leash" - #6 #10 #24 #58 Follow the Leader
1999 "Children of the Korn" - - - - - Follow the Leader
1999 "B.B.K." - - - - - Follow the Leader
2000 "Falling Away from Me" #99 #7 #7 #24 #86 Issues
2000 "Make Me Bad" - #7 #9 #25 - Issues
2000 "Somebody Someone" - #23 #23 - - Issues
2002 "Here to Stay" #72 #4 #4 #12 #35 Untouchables
2002 "Thoughtless" - #11 #6 #37 #74 Untouchables
2002 "Alone I Break" - #34 #19 - - Untouchables
2003 "Did My Time" #38 #17 #12 #15 #12 Take A Look In The Mirror
2003 "Right Now" - #13 #11 - - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Y'All Want a Single" - - #23 - - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Everything I've Known" - - #30 - - Take a Look in the Mirror
2004 "Word Up!" - #17 #16 - #46 Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
2004 "Another Brick in the Wall, Pts. 1-3" - #37 #12 - - Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
2005 "Twisted Transistor" #64 #9 #3 #27 #63 See You On The Other Side
2006 "Coming Undone" - #37 #19 - - See You on the Other Side

Remixes

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

Soundtrack contributions

Music videos

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

See also

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