Korn
– MTV Unplugged
Stripping away distortion and raw aggression from a band like Korn should have been a disaster. Their whole identity was built on chugging riffs, primal screams, and Jonathan Davis’ tortured wails cutting through the chaos. But MTV Unplugged does something surprising—it reveals just how much melody and emotion were always lurking beneath the noise. Without the wall of guitars, Korn’s music takes on an eerie, almost fragile quality, and Davis’ voice becomes even more unsettling in its vulnerability.
The setlist pulls from across their catalog, but instead of simply playing acoustic versions of fan favorites, the band reworks each track with strings, percussion, and unexpected collaborators. The result is something both intimate and theatrical, like a haunted cabaret performance. Songs that once felt like pure rage now simmer with sadness and reflection, proving that Korn’s appeal wasn’t just about heaviness—it was about the rawness of the emotions underneath.
It’s also one of the strangest Unplugged sets out there. Guest appearances from The Cure and Amy Lee turn this into something beyond a standard acoustic session, pushing it into gothic, orchestral, and almost cinematic territory. Korn was always an emotional band, but MTV Unplugged strips them down to their most exposed, proving that even without the distortion and dread, their songs still hit like a punch to the gut.
Choice Tracks
Freak on a Leash (feat. Amy Lee)
What was once a nu-metal anthem of bottled-up rage becomes something hauntingly delicate. The stripped-down arrangement lets Davis and Amy Lee trade off vocals like ghosts calling out to each other from across an abandoned house. When Lee’s voice soars in the bridge, it’s not just a highlight of the album—it’s one of the best moments of Korn’s career.
Blind
You’d think removing the crushing guitars would kill “Blind,” but instead, it mutates into something even creepier. The bongos and acoustic bass give it an eerie, tribal pulse, while Davis delivers the lines with an almost whispered menace. It’s unsettling in the best way, proving that tension doesn’t need distortion to feel heavy.
Creep (Radiohead Cover)
Covering Radiohead is risky, but Korn pulls it off by making it their own. Davis’ voice cracks and wavers in a way that makes the song feel even more broken than the original. The band doesn’t overdo it—they keep the arrangement simple, letting the vulnerability shine through. It’s a perfect fit, and somehow, it ends up feeling even more desperate than the original.
Make Me Bad / In Between Days (feat. The Cure)
Bringing in The Cure’s Robert Smith for a mashup of “Make Me Bad” and “In Between Days” is the kind of weird idea that shouldn’t work—but somehow, it does. Smith’s signature melancholia seeps into the track, blending seamlessly with Korn’s brooding intensity. It’s less of a cover and more of an eerie collision of two worlds that actually share more DNA than you’d think.
Falling Away from Me
This version strips away the original’s thick layers of distortion and replaces them with orchestral flourishes and delicate percussion. Davis sings with an almost resigned sadness rather than outright fury, making it hit in a different way. The song was always about feeling trapped, but here, the exhaustion of it all comes through even more clearly.
Korn’s MTV Unplugged is less about unplugging and more about uncovering. It proves that beneath all the angst, distortion, and aggression, these songs always had real weight. It’s eerie, theatrical, and completely unexpected—just like the best reinventions always are.