Korn concert 'The Nothing Album'

At the forefront of the movement nu-metal / rap-rock from the time, they quickly evolved, developing a trademark style that included dissonant guitars, a groove-heavy rhythm section, haunted atmospheric production, and somber lyrics from singer Jonathan Davis.

Korn tackled themes such as childhood trauma, destructive behavior and inner demons.

Their 1994 debut album, Korn, built an audience, 1996 Life Is Peachy, which kicked the band off the charts into the Top Tree.

Only four years after their appearance, they had a number one: the blockbuster Follow the Leader, which houses "Freak on a Leash" and "Got the life".

KORN concert - photo credit Eric CANTO

Closing the decade at the top of the charts with Issues, Korn remained one of America's greatest rock bands in the 2000s, releasing a series of certified platinum albums: Untouchables (2002), Take a Look in the Mirror (2003). ) and See You on the Other Side (2005).

After a few detours in the late 2000s, they turned to the electronic world, hiring DJs like Skrillex to help produce the dubstep-blasted The Path of Totality in 2011.

In the late 2010s, Korn didn't want to move into a comfort zone with The Paradigm Shift, The Serenity of Suffering and The nothing have all fostered their sonic development towards something more mature.

Korn's beginnings 

The group begins its existence as metal group Bakersfield, Calif. based LAPD, which included guitarists James "Munky" Shaffer and Brian "Head" Welch, bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and drummer David Silveria.

After releasing an LP in 1993, the members of LAPD crossed paths with Jonathan Davis, a mortuary science student and lead singer for local band Sexart. They ask Davis to join the group and, upon his arrival, the quintet renames itself Korn .

They record their demo with Ross Robinson (Limp Bizkit, Slipknot ), who would become one of the most sought-after rock producers in the late 90s.

The KORN album

After signing on Immortal, they released their self-titled debut album at the end of 1994.

With an unrelenting tour schedule that includes opening acts from Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Marilyn manson and 311, Korn rose slowly but steadily up the charts, eventually winning a gold record for the single "Blind".

Combining dark lyrical content about child abuse, molestation, discrimination and drug addiction with hip-hop influences and innovative guitars, Korn unwittingly becomes the representative of the movement nicknamed bare-metal.

KORN concert - photo credit Eric CANTO

Life is Peachy // Follow the leader

In 1996, Life Is Peachy, is a more immediate success, reaching the third place of the chart of the pop albums. The album features "ADIDAS" and a cover of "Wicked" by Ice Cube with Deftones frontman Chino Moreno.

In 1998, Korn released Follow the Leader, their biggest album to date. The album debuted at the top of the Billboard 200, spawning the hit singles "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash." They won a Grammy for the video "Freak on a Leash" and, among boy bands and pop starlets.

The same year, the group launched the first relay of their Family Values tour, with a lineup of friends: Limp Bizkit, rapper Ice Cube, the german industrial metal group Rammstein and the early signatories of the Davis imprint, Elementree Records, Orgie. Follow the Leader eventually went quintuple platinum and sold over ten million copies worldwide.

KORN concert - photo credit Eric CANTO

Issues

After wrapping up their summer with a spot on the main stage of Woodstock '99, they begin promoting their fourth effort, Issues. With the singles "Falling Away from Me", "Make Me Bad" and "Somebody Someone", Issues continues to drive Korn's dominance on MTV, rock radios and Billboard.

The band toured the album's release on the Sick & Twisted Tour with Staind, POD, Papa Roach and Powerman 5000. An American stadium tour dubbed Summer Sanitarium followed later that year with Metallica , Kid Rock, Powerman 5000, and System of a Down.

Ahead of the release of their next album, Fieldy released a gangsta rap album and Davis scored the movie Queen of the Damned. At the end of 2001, the group reunited and entered the studio.

Untouchables // Take a look in the mirror

The popularity of the group reaches a dizzying peak, they unveil a new more experimental sound with more vocals from Davis. “Untouchables”, winner of a Grammy, was released in the summer of 2002, number two behind Eminem, with the singles “Here to Stay” and “Thoughtless”.

Korn did a series of dates on Ozzfest and the album was another hit, selling over five million copies worldwide.

Soon after, the band released the self-produced "Take a Look in the Mirror" in 2003. Featured by Korn as a reconsideration of their sound (they even included a rework of Neidermayer's demo track "Alive") , the album is accompanied by Back to the Basics Tour, which saw the band perform in smaller venues with then old friends Limp Bizkit.

Although the album became multi-platinum, this era marked the beginning of the band's decline in popularity, a period further compounded by the departure of founding guitarist Welch, who left the band in 2005 after converting to Christianity.

See You on the Other Side

The following December, Korn released "See You on the Other Side", tracks that featured a bunch of ready-made songs co-written with hit pop production team The Matrix (Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears). Other Side is the band's last work with their founding drummer Silveria, who left the band in 2006.

Live & Rare was released the same year, with the live acoustic recording MTV Unplugged - with Robert Smith of The Cure and Amy Lee of Evanescence - to follow in March 2007. Later that year, the band resurfaced with an album. disappointing that was deliberately left untitled (sometimes referred to as Korn II).

Without Silveria, the band recruited guest drummers to contribute to the studio, including Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa), Brooks Wackerman (Bad Religion) and even Jonathan Davis himself. The group finally found a permanent replacement, the incredible Ray Luzier.

Korn III: Remember Who You Are

In 2010, Korn signed with Roadrunner Records and returned with Ross Robinson. Their ninth album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are, is both a homecoming and a projection into the future.

Seeking new direction, Korn works with electronic producers like Skrillex and Noisia, who help them modify their already heavy sound with dubstep hammering on their electronically-tinged tenth album, The Path of Totality in 2011. The effort debuts topped the Billboard Dance / Electronic charts and was their 11th LP to make the Billboard 200 Top Ten.

In May 2012, prodigal guitarist Welch was invited by the band on a version of "Blind" during a show in North Carolina.

Exactly a year later, he announced that he officially joined the group. With the (almost) original group back, Korn gets to work on their 11th album.

The Paradigm Shift: Head's Return

Welch's first album with Korn in a decade was released in October 2013. Inspired by the melodic brutality of Issues and Untouchables, The Paradigm Shift directly entered the Top Ten of the American, German, Austrian and Australian charts.

For the 20th anniversary of their debut, Korn is touring the world playing Korn, the first album, in its entirety.