KORN

Out of the small town of Bakersfield, California, in the early nineties, came a sound. The voice, talking in low-tuned rhythmic tones, spoke for a generation that would have no more of modern America and its leaders. A generation fed-up with lies, violence and greed from its own society. It grew and grew as more and more people realized the veracity of its claims, and adhered to its cause. The politicians grew fearful, and attempted to end its spread by censoring and denouncing it. Little did they know that, six years later, that small whisper would grow into a deafening scream, a disturbingly present reminder of its own existence, and of its legions of followers...

The angsty rap-metal quintet KoRn has emerged from obscurity to become one of the most popular new bands of the 1990s, building an underground fan base worldwide through touring, not MTV imagery. KoRn has revolutionized heavy music as we know it (or used to know it), by injecting several different musical influences into traditional rock, from hip-hop and rap, to ‘70s funk music. This strange blend gives KoRn a sound of its own. The different styles involved do, theoretically, contradict themselves, but bound together by KoRn's musical savoir-faire, giving the songs such atmosphere that the show-goers cannot simply sit in their seats and say "Hmmm... nice." They feel the urge to jump in the mosh pit and enjoy the music at its core, letting all of their energy flow with the tonal explosion that KoRn puts out for them.

Debuting strongly with its first self-titled album, KoRn introduced itself bluntly to the world, featuring lightning-fast drum arrangements by David, frightening, Halloween-like guitar riffs by guitarists Munky and Head, impressive hammer-style bass lines by Fieldy, and authentically emotional vocals by Jonathan. The largely autobiographical songs written by Jonathan depicted a childhood lost, and were sung with such fierce emotion and energy that he won instant compassion by fans everywhere. The way KoRn achieved its peculiar sound is very different from other bands. The first major difference is the use of seven-string guitars by Head and Munky. The extra string gives the guitar a much lower tonality, allowing KoRn's guitarists a wider range of chords to execute. This gives KoRn's guitar riffs a distinct feel, an almost eerie blend of hard-biting low tones and shrilling high tones. KoRn's first album went double platinum. From the hard, heart-pumping sounds of Ball Tongue, to the slow, devastatingly emotional Daddy, fans were mesmerized by the plethora of music and sentiments presented before them. Also featured in this album was KoRn's show-opening song "Blind," the irreverent "Shoots and Ladders," the mind- numbing fast "Divine" and the universally appealing "Need To." The whole album, in fact, was a metaphor for childhood, from the picture of a young girl on the cover to the child's writing on the inside of the booklet, and the mocking misspelling of "corn" with a K and a reversed R. It became readily apparent to fans that what Jonathan had to say was not the usual "Oh, my girlfriend left me..." insincere vocals projected by most bands. Instead, there were the disconcertingly true tales of a man whose life was ruined by past events. The people of KoRn did not, however, let this early success go to their heads, realizing that fans are the livelihood of a band. The group continued touring massively, steadily earning a name in the underground rock scene.

The 1996 follow-up, Life Is Peachy, produced by Ross Robinson, debuted at No. 3 and spawned the radio hit "A.D.I.D.A.S.," signaling that despite its uncompromising sound, KoRn had become a force to be reckoned with. During a stint on that summer's Lollapalooza tour, KoRn proved to be by far the most popular attraction; two years later it launched its own "Family Values" tour as headliner. Also in 1998, the group garnered massive publicity when a student who wore a KoRn shirt to school in conservative Zeeland, Mich., was suspended because the principal believed KoRn's lyrics were "obscene." The band responded by giving away free t-shirts outside the school.

1998 was a very busy year for KoRn. While spending time perfecting the third album Follow The Leader, KoRn also worked on several other projects, including its own rock festival, The Family Values Tour, its own record label, Elementree Records, and a weekly Internet program called KoRn TV. In making Follow The Leader, KoRn took the time to ensure that this album would benefit from the success of both previous albums, giving Follow The Leader a crisp, higher quality new sound. This album also incorporated various guest artists from Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit and Ice Cube to Trevant Hardson of Pharcyde and Cheech Marin. Needless to say, Follow The Leader was a smash hit. The album reached triple platinum status; the single Got The Life continuously played on the radio, while the Freak on a Leash music video went on to win two awards at the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards. The men from KoRn accomplished the journey from anonymity to megastardom, and while some bands might have felt the urge to give in and sell out, KoRn maintained its integrity, both moral and musical. And now, it is ready to unleash its biggest album yet, to an ocean of thirsty fans.