KoЯn is known as a Nu Metal band from Bakersfield, California; formed in 1993. They are considered to be the ones who pioneered the sub-genre of nu metal. Their discography is very impressive: KoЯn (1994), followed by Life Is Peachy (1996), Follow The Leader (1998), Issues (1999), Untouchables (2002), Take A Look In The Mirror (2003), See You On the Other Side (2005), Live & Rare (2006), Untitled (2007), Korn III: Remember Who You Are (2010), The Path Of Totality (2011), The Paradigm Shift (2013), and The Serenity of Suffering (2016). They have released two songs in 2019: You’ll Never Find Me and Cold.
In 2005, Brian “Head” Welch left the band to fight his addiction with methamphetamines. Welch said that he tried everything, “rehab, stuff on the Internet, but nothing helped me kick it. I was trying on my own to quit and couldn’t do it. I wanted to die. No one knew what I was going through. I could not quit. Church was my last shot…. I would wonder why people would go up to the front after the service. But one day it was for me. I said [to God], ‘Show me how to quit’” (MTV News). Welch has written a handful of books about his life, experience in the band, his battle with drugs, and his relationship with God. There has also been a film that summarizes his books and talks about him and his daughter.
The band never got another guitarist to fill in Welch’s place, but they continued to release albums and tour. And then on May 5, 2012, Welch joined the band on stage at the Carolina Rebellion in Rockingham to play “Blind” for the first time since his departure seven years earlier. I had friends at that festival and they said that when they saw Welch join the band on stage, they started crying. Not only were people in the audience crying but the singer, Jonathan Davis, and Welch were teary eyed and hugging on stage. The video for it is awesome!
KoЯn has always been one of my favorite bands. I grew up listening to the first three albums and the family would all jam out to it. I first saw KoЯn at the Carolina Rebellion of 2016 and they played their self-titled record in its entirety. It was AWESOME!!! I love KoЯn because you can hear the emotion’s in Davis’ voice and the pain that he is in. Even though I haven’t experienced the things that he and the band has, it’s nice to know that someone else understands the struggles that people go through and it helps create an outlet for people. Oh, and their riffs are killer!! So there’s that!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW