Korn

Emerging with a visceral and emotionally charged musical identity, Korn quickly rose to prominence as one of the 1990s’ most commercially successful and polarizing rock outfits. Leading the nu-metal and rap-rock wave that defined the period, the band refined a signature approach built around heavily detuned guitars, a propulsive rhythm section, eerie atmospheric textures, and Jonathan Davis’ unflinching lyrics confronting childhood trauma, self-destructive patterns, and personal turmoil. Even Davis’ unconventional use of scatting and bagpipes took on an unsettling edge within this framework. Their groundbreaking self-titled debut from 1994 cultivated a dedicated underground following that propelled the 1996 follow-up Life Is Peachy into the Top Three of the charts. Just four years after forming, they secured their first number-one album with the massive commercial breakthrough Follow the Leader, anchored by the singles “Freak on a Leash” and “Got the Life.” Issues capped the decade at the summit of the Billboard 200, and Korn sustained their stature as a leading American rock act well into the 2000s through a run of platinum-certified releases that included Untouchables in 2002, Take a Look in the Mirror in 2003, and See You on the Other Side in 2005. After exploring varied stylistic paths toward the end of that decade, they ventured into electronic territory by enlisting producers such as Skrillex for the dubstep-driven The Path of Totality in 2011. As the 2010s concluded, albums like The Paradigm Shift, The Serenity of Suffering, and The Nothing demonstrated continued sonic evolution while the group assumed elder-statesman standing. Entering their third decade as a collective, they delivered their fourteenth studio album, Requiem, in 2022.

The quintet originated in Bakersfield, California, as the metal group LAPD, whose lineup featured guitarists James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and drummer David Silveria. Following the release of an LP in 1993, the members encountered Jonathan Davis, then a mortuary science student who also fronted the local band Sexart. Davis accepted their invitation to join, prompting the group to adopt the name Korn. They cut the demo Neidermayer’s Mind in 1993 under the guidance of producer Ross Robinson, who later became one of the most in-demand rock producers of the late ’90s and early 2000s.

After securing a deal with Epic’s Immortal imprint, Korn issued their self-titled debut album in late 1994. A rigorous touring regimen that encompassed support slots for Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Marilyn Manson, and 311 helped the record climb the charts gradually, eventually attaining gold status behind the hit single “Blind.” Blending stark lyrical explorations of child abuse, molestation, discrimination, and substance issues with hip-hop elements and sludgy, downtuned guitars, the band inadvertently spearheaded what would soon be labeled nu-metal. Their Grammy-nominated 1996 successor Life Is Peachy achieved quicker success, peaking at number three on the pop album charts and featuring “A.D.I.D.A.S.” alongside a cover of Ice Cube’s “Wicked” that included Deftones frontman Chino Moreno.

Follow the Leader arrived in 1998 as Korn’s largest commercial statement to that point, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 and generating the hits “Got the Life” and “Freak on a Leash.” The “Freak on a Leash” video earned a Grammy, and the band dominated MTV’s Total Request Live amid the era’s boy bands and pop stars. They also launched the first Family Values tour that year, sharing stages with Limp Bizkit, Ice Cube, German industrial metal outfit Rammstein, and Orgy, the initial act signed to Davis’ Elementree Records label. The album ultimately achieved quintuple-platinum status and surpassed ten million copies sold worldwide.

After performing on the main stage of Woodstock ’99, Korn shifted focus to their fourth album, Issues. Singles such as “Falling Away from Me,” “Make Me Bad,” and “Somebody Someone” kept the group dominant on MTV, rock radio, and the Billboard charts, where the record debuted at number one. The Sick & Twisted Tour supported the release with Staind, P.O.D., Papa Roach, and Powerman 5000. When Silveria suffered a back injury, former Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin stepped in temporarily; Silveria later rejoined after rumors of his departure, which had arisen from earlier modeling work. Later that year the band joined Metallica, Kid Rock, Powerman 5000, and System of a Down on the Summer Sanitarium stadium trek. Before the next album, Fieldy issued a gangsta rap project and Davis composed the score for the film Queen of the Damned. The full band reconvened in the studio at the close of 2001.

At the height of their popularity, Korn introduced a fresh sonic direction marked by greater instrumental exploration and increased vocal melodies from Davis. The Grammy-winning Untouchables surfaced in summer 2002, debuting at number two behind Eminem and spotlighting the singles “Here to Stay” and “Thoughtless.” The band performed Ozzfest dates in support, and the album moved more than five million copies globally. Shortly afterward they self-produced Take a Look in the Mirror, released in 2003 and framed as a return to core strengths, complete with a reworking of the early demo track “Alive.” The Back to Basics tour paired them with Limp Bizkit in smaller venues. Though the album went multi-platinum, this period coincided with a gradual drop in mainstream visibility, exacerbated by Welch’s 2005 departure after his conversion to Christianity.

Proceeding as a quartet, Korn played summer shows and finalized an extensive recording and development agreement with Virgin. See You on the Other Side followed in December 2005, reaching number three and featuring hook-driven material co-written with the pop production team the Matrix. It marked the final album with founding drummer Silveria, who exited in 2006. Live & Rare appeared that year, followed by the live acoustic MTV Unplugged set in March 2007, which included guest contributions from Robert Smith of the Cure and Amy Lee of Evanescence. Later in 2007 the band released an untitled album, sometimes called Korn II, employing guest drummers Terry Bozzio, Brooks Wackerman, and Davis himself before settling on Ray Luzier of Army of Anyone as a permanent replacement. In 2010 they moved to Roadrunner Records and reunited with Ross Robinson for their ninth album, Korn III: Remember Who You Are, a return to earlier intensity that signaled renewed creative momentum.

Seeking bolder electronic directions, Korn collaborated with producers Skrillex and Noisia on their tenth album, The Path of Totality, released in 2011 and saturated with pounding dubstep elements. The project topped the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart and became their eleventh Top Ten entry on the Billboard 200. A live document, Live at the Hollywood Palladium, captured the new sound the following year. In May 2012 Welch made a guest appearance on “Blind” during a North Carolina show, and exactly one year later he officially rejoined the lineup. With the nearly original configuration restored, the band recorded The Paradigm Shift, Welch’s first Korn album in a decade, which surfaced in October 2013 and debuted in the Top Ten across the United States, Germany, Austria, and Australia. To mark the twentieth anniversary of their debut, they toured performing the album in full.

Returning to the studio in 2015, Korn completed their twelfth album, The Serenity of Suffering, issued in late 2016. It featured the lead single “Rotting in Vain” and a guest vocal from Slipknot’s Corey Taylor on “A Different World,” reaching number four on the Billboard 200—their strongest showing since 2010. Amid an extensive world tour they began work on their thirteenth album, The Nothing, again with producer Nick Raskulinecz. Deeply shaped by the 2018 death of Davis’ wife, the intense record included the singles “You’ll Never Find Me” and “Cold.” Although the COVID-19 pandemic suspended touring for the Top Ten release, the band issued a Yelawolf-assisted cover of Charlie Daniels’ “Devil Went Down to Georgia” in summer 2020.

Touring in support of The Nothing resumed in 2021 with former tourmates Staind, and Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies handled bass duties while Arvizu stepped away for personal reasons. Shortly after that run ended, Korn released the single “Start the Healing” from their 2022 album Requiem. Recorded during the pandemic without external deadlines or label constraints, the concise nine-track collection extended the band’s emphasis on emotional growth and maturity while revisiting familiar Korn motifs of loss and catharsis. On the eve of its release the group staged an intimate Requiem Mass performance at the Hollywood United Methodist Church, encouraging attendees to bring tokens honoring deceased loved ones. A live recording of the non-acoustic portion of that event appeared in 2023 as part of a limited-edition deluxe edition of Requiem.