- Alternative nu metal band formed in 1993 from Bakersfield California. The original members were Jonathan Davis (frontman, lead vocals, bagpipes), James Shaffer (guitars, backing vocals), Brian Welch (guitars, backing vocals), Reginald Arvizu (bass guitar) and David Silveria (drums). Silveria was replaced by Ray Luzier on drums in 2008. All members of the group contributed to songwriting.
- Shaffer, Arvizu and Silveria were members of Bakersfield-based band L.A.P.D. in 1989. After moving to Los Angeles to gain exposure, L.A.P.D. was signed to a record label and an EP and studio album were released. In 1992, the band split up, and Shaffer, Arvizu and Silveria started recruiting other musicians to start a new band. They hired Welch and they cut a demo with another vocalist, calling their band Creep. In early 1993, not satisfied with the vocals in the group, they discovered Davis when Davis’ band Sexart split up. With Davis in the group, they decided on a name. Corn was suggested and rejected, but they reconsidered when Shaffer suggested using a ‘K’ instead of a ‘C’, and Davis designed a logo that reversed the letter ‘R’ – the band became KoЯn.
- In the summer of 1993, Korn began to play gigs in the Los Angeles area. They recorded a demo, and people that heard it remarked that it had a hard rock sound different than what they had heard before – this sound evolved to what eventually was called nu metal. The demo became a demo album, titled Neidermeyer’s Mind. Very few copies were made – they were given to record companies and to people who filled out a form at a few gigs where the band performed.
- After a record executive heard them perform a show in Huntington Beach, the band was signed to a contract. In the fall of 1994, they released their self-titled debut album. Sales initially were slow, but steady touring increased their exposure, and eventually it was certified 2x platinum. The four singles were not particularly successful, though Shoots and Ladders received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. The song was their first of many that featured the bagpipes, courtesy of Davis.
- Despite practically no radio play for their music, Korn had established a substantial fan base. They released their second studio album in 1996 – Life Is Peachy debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 album chart, and ultimately it was certified 2x platinum. The single No Place to Hide earned them a second Grammy nomination. Singles from the album charted in International markets, but they still did not chart on Billboard charts.
- Their breakthrough came with 1998’s Follow the Leader album. It topped the Billboard album chart and it was their best selling album, certified 5x platinum. The first single Got the Life reached #15 on the Mainstream Rock chart, and the follow-up single Freak on a Leash became their signature song, reaching #6 on the Alternative Airplay chart and #10 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The music video to Freak on a Leash won a Grammy for Best Short Form Music Video in 2000.
- 1999’s Issues album maintained their momentum as the face of nu metal music. It topped the album chart and was certified 3x platinum. The singles Falling Away From Me and Make Me Bad both peaked at #7 on the Mainstream Rock chart. Their fifth album, Untouchables, was released in 2002. Korn experimented with different styles and sounds on this album. The single Here To Stay was their first to chart on the Hot 100 at #72, and it peaked at #4 on the Mainstream Rock chart. The song won the Grammy award for Best Metal Performance in 2003.
- The Take A Look In the Mirror album was released in 2003. It included the group’s highest charting single on the Hot 100 – Did My Time reached #38 on the chart. In early 2005, Welch announced that he was leaving the band. He was hooked on drugs, and he turned to Christianity for rehab. The band performed as a foursome for their next album, See You On the Other Side, in 2005. Silveria departed as the drummer in 2006, and the band’s eighth studio album, an untitled album that unofficially was referred to as Korn II, was released with only three members officially in the band. Ray Luzier joined as drummer in 2008.
- Two albums released in 2010 and 2011 included three singles that charted in the top ten of the Mainstream Rock chart. In 2013, Welch rejoined Korn after performing as a guest at two shows. Now back to quintet, Korn released three more studio albums from 2013 to 2019. Eight singles from these albums reached the top ten of the Mainstream Rock chart, with Never, Never topping the chart – their first #1 song on any Billboard chart.
- Korn’s 2022 album Requiem was their fourteenth studio album, giving them releases in four decades. They are considered pioneers of the nu metal genre, merging heavy metal with hip-hop, grunge and funk. Here’s the Grammy winning video to Freak on a Leash – follow the speeding bullet….