Korn

Korn emerged from Bakersfield, California, in 1993, built by former L.A.P.D. members James “Munky” Shaffer, Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu and David Silveria. With Jonathan Davis on vocals and Brian “Head” Welch on guitar, the group developed the down-tuned riffs, rhythmic bass patterns, hip-hop-informed grooves and intensely personal vocal delivery that would help define nu metal. Their 1993 demo, Neidermayer’s Mind, was distributed free to record companies and to listeners who requested it, giving the young band an early underground route beyond conventional industry promotion.

Their self-titled 1994 debut introduced Korn’s raw, unsettling sound, while Life Is Peachy followed in 1996 and became their commercial breakthrough. The band reached a wider mainstream audience with Follow the Leader in 1998 and Issues in 1999, both of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Songs including “Got the Life” and “Freak on a Leash” received heavy rotation on MTV’s Total Request Live and were among the program’s early retired videos. Korn’s mix of metal weight, funk-rooted rhythm and rap-adjacent phrasing became closely associated with the rise and popularization of nu metal.

The group maintained its commercial run with Untouchables in 2002, Take a Look in the Mirror in 2003 and See You on the Other Side in 2005. That period also marked a label change: the 2004 compilation Greatest Hits Vol. 1, which collected a decade of singles, concluded Korn’s recording contract with Immortal Records and Epic Records. The band then signed with Virgin Records for See You on the Other Side and its 2007 untitled follow-up.

Personnel changes followed. Welch left the band before later returning, while Silveria was replaced by drummer Ray Luzier in 2007. Korn’s current lineup features Shaffer, Welch, Davis and Luzier. Later records have arrived through several labels, including Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010) and The Path of Totality (2011) on Roadrunner Records, The Paradigm Shift (2013) via Prospect Park and Caroline Records, and a return to Roadrunner for The Serenity of Suffering (2016) and The Nothing, released September 13, 2019. Requiem, released February 4, 2022, came out through Loma Vista Recordings.

As of 2021, Korn had sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Fourteen official releases had reached the Billboard 200 top ten, including eight top-five entries, and multiple releases had earned RIAA gold, platinum or multi-platinum certification. The band has received two Grammy Awards from eight nominations, as well as two MTV Video Music Awards from 11 nominations.