Korn — Korn

Few heavy bands can say they started a genre. Korn can. The Bakersfield, California band are widely credited with pioneering and popularising nu metal, and more than thirty years after they formed, they're still at it.

Bakersfield, 1993

Korn formed in 1993. James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and David Silveria had been in a band called L.A.P.D. The current lineup is Shaffer on guitar, Brian "Head" Welch on guitar, Jonathan Davis on vocals and Ray Luzier on drums. Luzier replaced Silveria in 2007.

Their first demo, Neidermayer's Mind, came out in 1993 and was handed out free to record companies and to anyone who asked.

The rise

The self-titled debut, Korn, arrived in 1994. It opens with "Blind." Life Is Peachy followed in 1996 and became their commercial breakthrough.

Mainstream success came with Follow the Leader (1998) and Issues (1999). Both debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. The run continued with Untouchables (2002), Take a Look in the Mirror (2003) and See You on the Other Side (2005).

Korn were made for the MTV era. Several of their videos got heavy play on Total Request Live and were among the first to be retired from the show, including "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash."

Label changes and new sounds

A greatest hits compilation in 2004 closed out their deal with Immortal and Epic. They signed to Virgin for See You on the Other Side and an untitled album in 2007. Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010) and The Path of Totality (2011) came out through Roadrunner. The Paradigm Shift (2013) came through Prospect Park and Caroline, and The Serenity of Suffering (2016) marked a return to Roadrunner, which also released The Nothing in 2019.

Their most recent album, Requiem, came out through Loma Vista Recordings on February 4, 2022.

Lineup changes

Brian Welch rejoined the band in the early 2010s, ahead of The Paradigm Shift.

In 2021, Arvizu took a hiatus and Ra Díaz of Suicidal Tendencies played bass on that summer's tour. Arvizu said in May 2025 that he didn't expect to return soon. In April 2026 he said he considers himself "retired" from Korn, though he hasn't ruled out a return.

The numbers

As of 2021, Korn had sold more than 40 million records worldwide. Fourteen official releases have reached the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of them the top five. They have won two Grammy Awards from eight nominations and two MTV Video Music Awards from eleven.

Where to start

Start with "Blind" for the raw first album, then "Freak on a Leash" for the moment Korn became one of the biggest bands in the world.