How Korn inspired other nu metal bands

MANILA, Philippines - The continuing emergence in the international music scene of new heavy metal bands with fresh styles and techniques is a testimony to the great appeal and popularity of the new genre among a growing number of fans.

The salutary development that rides on a new wave in heavy metal that has been sweeping the music industry, has been widely attributed to the strong influence of the American nu metal band Korn.  

One of the top nu metal bands in the world, Korn will awe thousands of music enthusiasts with its awesome and electrifying sound when it invades Manila during its much-awaited gig on Aug. 10 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

Slapshock will be featured as opening act in the show that will bring together thousands of metal fans in what is expected to be the ultimate in nu metal concert.

To be presented by Ovation Productions, the one-night musical event titled Korn Live In Manila! marks the debut performance here of the first international band that earned the label nu metal and widely credited for starting the new wave of American heavy metal.

Considered as the third biggest nu metal band in the world, Korn has gone a long way since it was formed in 1993 in Bakersfield, California by a group of musicians as an expansion of the heavy metal band L.A.P.D., with which three of Korn’s original members were associated.

Since then, Korn has taken the world by storm with its fantastic sound that has been hailed by critics as “the new genre of rock,” through its numerous albums and singles.

Among its hit albums are Korn, Life Is Peachy, Follow The Leader, Issues, Untouchables, Take A Look In The Mirror, See You On The Other Side, Untitled Album and Korn III: Remember Who You Are.

It counts among its notable singles Freak On A Leash, Got The Life, Alive, Daddy, Jingle Balls, A Song For Chi, All In The Family, Children Of The Hour, Falling Away From Me, Make Me Bad, Somebody Someone, Here To Stay, Twisted Transistor, and many more.

Behind the popular appeal of the songs of Korn is its nu metal sound that is also often labeled as heavy metal, alternative metal, post grunge, rap metal, thrash rap and pimp rap.

The extraordinary quality of its music accounts for the Korn’s record sales of 16 million albums in the US and over 40 million worldwide, with 10 of its official releases reaching the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, and eight of which peaking on the Top 5.

Eight of these recordings have been certified platinum or multi-platinum and one certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Korn has also released six video albums and 32 music videos. It has 36 singles, 26 of which have charted.

Despite the virtual absence of support by television and radio broadcasters during its initial four years, Korn would go to influence a host of other heavy metal bands, such as Adema, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Evanescence, Cold Stand, Seether, Machine Head, One Minute Silence, Kittie, Endo, Tap Root, Crazy Touch, Otep, Hoobastank, Slip Knot and Frie Pointe O.

Other groups it has inspired with its sound and style were Lacuna Coil, Chriz Volz, Videodrone, Theory of a Deadman, Thousand Foot Krutch, Avenged Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Bleed the Sky, Papa Roach, Coal Chamber, Emmure, Suicide Silence, Impending Doom, Three Days Grace and Flyleaf.

Korn’s rapid rise to the top began in 1993 with the release of its first demo album, Neidermeyer’s Mind, followed in 1994 by its self-titled debut album that peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the Heatseekers Albums charts.

The debut album, which mixed metal, rap, hip-hop, groove and dissonance, received critical reviews from critics and was considered to have sparked the nu metal genre.

Equally successful were the band’s succeeding albums: Life Is Peachy, which opened at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 before peaking at No. 1 on the sales chart of the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand; and Follow The Leader, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two of the group’s biggest singles, Got The Life and Freak On A Leash, both of which exposed Korn to a wider, mainstream audience with the music videos being mainstays on MTV’s Total Requests Live.

Issues, the fourth album released in November, 1999, debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and was eventually certified three-times platinum.

After the three-year hiatus, Korn reemerged in June, 2002 with the release of its fifth album, Untouchables, which debuted at No.2 on the Billboard 200.

Here To Stay, the first of two videos from Untouchables, earned Korn a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

Korn marked a career milestone on Oct. 5, 2004 with the release of its greatest hits album, Greatest Hits: Vol. 1, which featured a compilation of choice tracks from six Korn albums between 1994 and 2003 and which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200.

Other albums that followed were See You On The Other Side (December, 2005), untitled album (July, 2007) and Korn III: Remember Who You Are (July, 2010).

The present line-up of Korn is composed of Jonathan Davis (1993 to present), lead vocals, bagpipes; James “Munky” Shaffer (1993 to present), guitars, backing vocals; Reginald “Fieldy” Arvisu (1993 to present); and Ray Luzier (2007 to present), drums, percussions.

Korn Live In Manila! is presented by Ovation Productions in cooperation with 2nd Avenue, Talk TV, Diva Universal, Basketball TV, Solar Sports, Jack TV, Universal Channel and Dodge. It is also supported by The Philippine Star, BusinessWorld, MYX, 97.9 Home Radio, Mellow 94.7, Monster Radio RX 93.1, RJ 100.3 FM, OptimaSignsolutions, Odyssey Live, Sony Music and ABS-CBN.

Tickets are priced at P4,500, P4,000, P3,500, P2,500, P1,500 and P500 and are available at Ticketnet outlets at all SM Department stores and at the Araneta Coliseum ticket office. For details, call Ticketnet at 911-5555.