KoRn
Here's a tough career decision: To be an assistant county coroner or a Rocker. Actually, it wasn't much of a decision for Jonathan "HIV" Davis. Leaving his day job behind Davis became lead singer in Sexart. But when Sexart ran into LAPD (another group) things started to happen. LAPD members James "Munky" Shaffer (guitar) and Brian "Head" Welch (guitar) saw Davis and were impressed. So Sexart was history and KoRn was born with Davis choosing the name. Added to the line-up were Reggie "Fieldy Snuts" Arvizu (bass) and David Silveria (drums). Both had played with the guitarists in previous groups.
KoRn's self-titled '94 debut featured the darkly metallic "Shoots and Ladders." "Life Is Peachy, " released in '96, added to the group's huge fan base. Of course, there was the famous and over publicized Zeeland, MI, incident where a student was sent home for wearing a KoRn tee-shirt. The school's principle claimed the attire was inappropriate since KoRn's music was "indecent, vulgar and obscene." KoRn's marketing department (if they had one) couldn't have said it better.
KoRn's next album, "Follow The Leader, " arriving two years later, was undeniable. Blending Rock and Hip-Hop on "Freak On A Leash" and "Got The Life, " KoRn hit the mark. The group wrote all the songs and the performances were dead-on. On top of it, there was Davis' over-the-edge vocals. Even Ice Cube appeared on "Children Of The KoRn" which contained all the words you still can't say on the radio.
The next stop was '98's wryly titled Family Value's Tour. Blaming the whole "family values" concept on former VP Dan Quayle, they invited him to the concerts. But Quayle was a no-show. Apparently, he was busy or otherwise occupied. Maybe he was just too easy a target.
Returning to a more metallic sound KoRn released "Issues" in '99 with the Grunge influenced riff Rockers "Falling Away" and Trash." After that success KoRn was semi-dormant until "Untouchables" hit in '02. "Take A Look In The Mirror" arrived the next year. Then their label decided to wrap things up with a "Greatest Hits (Vol. 1)" package. KoRn still had a lot of life left but things got a little bumpy.
Welch left in '05. An online post from the band stated that he "has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end." The group continued as a quartet, releasing "See You On The Other Side," led by the single "Twisted Transistor," later that year. The single's video featured Rappers Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Lil Jon and David Banner. "It's basically a video with Hip-Hop stars playing us," explained Davis.
"See You On The Other Side" represented a new direction for the group. "When we started this album we totally wanted to reinvent ourselves and do something different," said Davis. "It's a bit more progressive and a lot more emotional," claimed Munky. "It's not so much anger, anger, anger, like on previous KoRn albums." But isn't anger what KoRn is all about?
Being in KoRn must be rough. First Welch exited, then two years later Silveria took a break to "recuperate" and spend time with his family. In the studio, KoRn used drummer Terry Bozzio (Missing Persons and countless sessions) on nearly half of their 8th studio album (untitled) plus Bad Religion's Brooks Wackerman and Davis, who hadn't played percussion since '99's "Issues." KoRn also enlisted keyboardist Zac Baird for recording. He'd toured with the band.
KoRn's '07 release was untitled, not "Untitled." "It's not titled. It's not going to be titled," said Davis. "We didn't want to label this album. It has no boundaries. It has no limits and why not just let our fans call it whatever they wanna call it?" Still, everyone referred to it as "Untitled." Either way, the first single, "Evolution," made its debut in May on L.A.'s KROQ.
The group's European trek hit a slight snag when tour guitarist Clint Lowery (Welch's replacement) was arrested in Piestany, Slovakia, after getting drunk and trashing his hotel room. "I pulled some Rock 101 stuff," said Lowery, a member of Dark New Day and a former member of Sevendust. "(I'm) not proud of it at all. Cops were called and they took me away." Lowery paid for the damages and was released. Then it was on to the next tour stop.
On the Family Values Tour KoRn enlisted Slipknot's Joey Jordison. "I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to perform with bands that have influenced me as a musician over the years," said Jordison. "When I first heard KoRn they blew me away and I have been a fan ever since." KoRn participated in the '06 revival of the Family Values Tour. That went well so they signed on for the '07 edition, this time co-headlining with Evanescence. "It's gonna Rock," Davis exclaimed prior to the trek. "We were able to make it more of a festival-style tour (in '06) and bring it outdoors. It was successful last year, so we decided to do it again." It all began in Maryland Heights, MO.
With the group on the road "Untitled" was released. "I think it's probably more like a progressive KoRn (than) people are gonna be used to," said Munky. Didn't he use "progressive" to describe their previous album ("See You On The Other Side")? Yes (see above). Must like the word a lot. "Untitled" followed an "MTV Unplugged" set issued earlier in the year.
KoRn added Shane Gibson to their touring line-up in November ('07). Davis said the guitarist reminded him of "Head." "Not in his playing, more about just his presence," explained Davis. "It's kind of cool to have that energy back because I miss . . . 'Head' so much." Also, the group hired Army Of Anyone's Ray Luzier to take over the touring drummer slot from Jordison, who had returned to Slipknot.
When someone uses the words "progressive" and "KoRn" in the same sentence, as Munky did, it conjures up Mars Volta with a harder edge. "Untitled," mercifully, is not that. It is an energetic album where the arrangements get stripped or imploded before building back to the KoRn crescendo. Credit the combined efforts of Bozzio, Wackerman and Davis for providing the backbone and energy to hold it all together. There are a handful of killer tracks, including "Killing," "Innocent Bystander" and the epic "Hold On."
Following a "new age" intro, the set rolls with its best song , the thrash Metal, "Starting Over." A couple OK songs ("Bitch We Got A Problem" and "Evolution") lead into "Hold On" and the surprisingly tough power-ballad "Kiss" ("I'm feeling like I'm sinking, and nothing's there to catch me, keep me breathing"). It provides dagger-in-the-heart drama but "Do What They Say," which tries to be dark and disturbing, is only ponderous. "Hushabye" and "I Will Protect You" end the album on KoRn's core strengths (power, passion and drive).
KoRn has been a "benchmark band" since their debut. Their blend of hardcore Rock with various complimentary styles - Grunge, Hip-Hop and Metal - allowed them to craft a unique and highly original sound that influenced countless other bands. They've reached legendary status. But the trouble with being stylistically innovative is that the bar can be very high. Sometimes expectations out strip reality. That and the loss of the "Head" hamper "See You On The Other Side."
KoRn's trademark sound (Davis' spitting vocals and churning guitars) is evident on several songs including "Politics," "Hypocrites," "Coming Undone" and opening cut, "Twisted Transistor," a dark, moody, incessant Rocker. But other tracks, notably "Throw Me Away" and the "almost pop" of "Open Up," downplay the guitar and seem generic. Davis does manage some interesting vocal interplay on "For No One."
The remaining tracks are OK, and just that. "Love Song" an ode to the dear departed, tries to sound menacing but comes off dull while the set closing ballad "Tearjerker" is a waste. The deluxe edition has a couple remixes of "Twisted Transistor." "It's Me Again" is potent ('you see sky and I see acid rain") and the stilted vocals on "Eaten Up Inside" punctuate the track. "Last Legal Drug" is a great title. Too bad it's not a better song.
KoRn fans have everything the group has produced. That said, "Follow The Leader" and "Issues" are KoRn's best albums for different reasons. "Follow The Leader" has the most going on and manages to consistently succeed. "Issues" is a return to the hard-edged sound that KoRn is known for. Overall, KoRn's self-titled debut is stronger than their sophomore album "Life Is Peachy."