Korn (album)
Encyclopedia
Korn is the self-titled debut album by American nu metal
band Korn
, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal
/Epic Records
. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal
/Epic Records
after a performance at Huntington Beach, California
. The band signed to their label because they didn't want to "sign away all of their creative freedom." The band would record at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California with producer
Ross Robinson
, who also produced their 1993 demo Neidermeyer's Mind
. The recording took place from May to June 1994. After the recordings, Korn toured with Biohazard
and House of Pain
.
The album's themes mainly consisted of both drug
and child abuse
. The controversial album artwork depicts a young girl being approached by a large man who is holding what appears to be a horse shoe. The shadow in the background shows the little girl hanging from the letter K in Korn. Photography was done by Stephen Stickler, and the design was directed by Jay Papke and Dante Ariola. The first single
"Blind" charted at number 15 on the Canadian Alternative 30, the album peaked at number ten in New Zealand
, as well as seventy-two on the Billboard 200
. The album has sold in excess of 10 million worldwide.
, south of Los Angeles
, where they began working on songs. Soon after moving, they rented Underground Chicken Sounds, a recording studio
, from Jeff Creath, who had previously allowed lead singer Jonathan Davis
to live in his garage. While they were recording at the studio, they attracted a crowd of people when performing the prelude to "Clown". The band's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
said that the crowd gathered because the bands style sounded so "different."
Korn began playing gigs in the summer of 1993. While performing at Huntington Beach, the band was spotted by Immortal
/Epic
A&R
Paul Pontius. He approached the band offering to record an album through their company. Although the group had offers from several other labels, Korn went with Immortal/Epic because they did not want to "sign away all of their creative freedom."
Ross Robinson
to produce their album. After accepting the offer, Robinson suggested they record at Indigo Ranch, Malibu, California. The band would record the majority of the album there, while additional recording took place at Bakersfield's Fat Tracks. Korn recorded most of the album with all members playing simultaneously, as opposed to recording instruments separately. The "distinctive" sound and quality of music was given off by their instruments, rather than the production. The recording of the introduction to "Shoots and Ladders" took place on a mountain–top, where Davis is heard playing the bagpipes
. This resulted in acoustics that sounded more "natural" as described by Arvizu. Korn finished recording their self-titled album by the end of June 1994.
Since Robinson produced the album, his career was launched by its success, as it "taught Robinson how to produce." In an interview with the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer
, Davis touted Robinson's behavior, saying: "Ross is a very pure and clean-spirited person, and you feel it when you're with him. He's the kind of person that can draw that out of you. I felt very safe with Ross." The album was released on October 11, 1994 through Immortal
and Epic Records
.
During recording, there were two outtakes: "Layla" and "This Broken Soul" both of which were to appear on the 1993 demo "Neidermeyer's Mind" but did not make the final cut. "Twist" was recorded to be included in the final cut but instead was as the first track for their 1996 "Life is Peachy".
After Korn finished recording the album, they began touring with Biohazard
and House of Pain
at free gigs. Korn personally passed out flyers at their performances. Their record company gave them enough money for their own tour bus. Korn's first gig was in Atlanta, Georgia
. About half way through the tour, the tour bus that their record company gave them stopped working, forcing the band to find a new one. This first tour proved very unsuccessful in promoting the album. Aside from them touring, Korn released four singles
. "Blind" was the lead single
, released in 1994, followed by "Need To
", "Shoots and Ladders
", and "Clown
".
and Brian Welch
. Lead vocalist
Jonathan Davis' first line is "Are you ready?", which is now one of the band's trademarks. Davis told Metal Hammer
that on the album's second track, "Ball Tongue", he "didn't sing a goddamn word in that song. I couldn't describe what I wanted to do, so that's how it came out. It's a really heavy sound."
"Shoots and Ladders
" is about Davis' disgust with the society. The song uncovers the hidden messages and concept of nursery rhymes. Davis relates: "'Shoots and Ladders' uncovers the hidden messages in nursery rhymes, the first songs many of us ever hear. 'Shoots and Ladders', to set the record straight, calls out nursery rhymes for what they really are. I choose each rhyme for a different reason—'Baa Baa Black Sheep' has racist overtones. 'London Bridge' talks of all the people of London dying [from the Black Plague, as does 'Ring Around the Roses'. Then there's 'Little Red Riding Hood'—one story tells of the wolf raping Red Riding Hood and killing her.""
"Clown
"'s concept deals with an incident that happened in San Diego, California
. A skinhead
that told Davis to "go back to Bakersfield" attempted to hit Davis but he dodged and the band's road manager, Jeff, knocked the skinhead out. "Helmet in the Bush" was about Davis' drug abuse, and the fear that gripped him at the height of his drug problem. He pleaded for a divine intervention to deliver him from his nightmare, as if he cannot help himself. Davis explained: "I'd wake up in the morning and do a line to get out of bed. Speed
in the morning, I'd have it all lined up for breakfast so when I'd lay down and go to sleep, I'd wake up and just snort and it's like 'Yeah, okay, I'm up.' It was bad. It's like, you do one line and stay up all night, but then you have shit to do the next day so you have to do another line to be able keep staying up to get that shit done. Eventually you start spinning-out from sleep deprivation. You get hallucinations and shit like that."
"Daddy", the album's longest track saw Jonathan Davis "descending very real tears." Davis said that the song's concept deals with his childhood, saying "People think 'Daddy' was written because my father abused me, but that's not what the song's about. When I was a kid, I was being abused by someone else. I don't really like to talk about that song." Some 14 minutes into "Daddy" — well after the song has ended — a tape that Ross Robinson found in an abandoned house begins to play. The tape depicts an argument between a man and his wife over a Dodge Dart
exhaust manifold. It features such lines as "You're a hard, hard woman to live with. Oh, you motherfucker, you asshole, you stupid son of a bitch!"
, entering on June 23, 1996 and peaking at number ten. The album left the chart on May 18, 1997. It went Platinum in the US on January 8, 1997, and entered the ARIA Charts
on March 28, 1999 at number forty-nine. It maintained a position on the chart for five weeks, and peaked at number forty-six. It peaked at number five on the Top Pop Catalog Albums
chart on April 24, 1999. On July 17, 1999, it entered the MegaCharts
at its peak position of fifty-six. After three weeks, Korn left the chart. On November 10, 1999, it was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
. The album peaked at number one-hundred-eighty-one on the UK Albums Chart
on February 10, 2001. It has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
.
Korn received generally positive reviews from critics.
Korn's debut album is said to have established the new wave of metal
. As said by Joel McIver, Korn "was almost solely responsible for the tidal wave of change that subsequently swept the metal scene." Arnopp stated that the group "positively encouraged America's formerly introverted, apathetic misfits to thrust a livid middle finger in the face of high–school jocks who would traditionally bundle them into a locker and brand them 'faggots' for sporting hair longer than any Army buzz–cut." Bands like Coal Chamber
and Limp Bizkit
were inspired by the album's "churning rage, emphasising similar grooves and song structures," and "the sound's hip–hop elements." Slipknot
, Machine Head
, and Sepultura
were also inspired by the album. The album launched the career of record producer
Ross Robinson
, who has since produced albums such as Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
by Limp Bizkit and Slipknot's first two albums.
Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Korn at number eighteen, just after AC/DC
's Back in Black
and before Burzum
's Filosofem
, in his classification of the best metal albums of all time.
title = Layla
length = 4:19
title = This Broken Soul
length = 5:06
title = Twist
length = 0:49
title = Christmas Song
length = 2:25
Singles
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
band Korn
Korn
Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The current band line up includes four members: Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, and Ray Luzier. The band was formed as an expansion of L.A.P.D.The band released their first demo album,...
, released on October 4, 1994, through Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
/Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. Before recording the album, the band played several gigs in an attempt to promote themselves. They were approached by Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
/Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
after a performance at Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
. The band signed to their label because they didn't want to "sign away all of their creative freedom." The band would record at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California with producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
, who also produced their 1993 demo Neidermeyer's Mind
Neidermeyer's Mind
Neidermeyer's Mind is a demo album by the American nu metal band Korn. It was was produced by Ross Robinson and released in 1993. The demo is very difficult to find...
. The recording took place from May to June 1994. After the recordings, Korn toured with Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
and House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
.
The album's themes mainly consisted of both drug
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
and child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
. The controversial album artwork depicts a young girl being approached by a large man who is holding what appears to be a horse shoe. The shadow in the background shows the little girl hanging from the letter K in Korn. Photography was done by Stephen Stickler, and the design was directed by Jay Papke and Dante Ariola. The first single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
"Blind" charted at number 15 on the Canadian Alternative 30, the album peaked at number ten in New Zealand
Recording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
, as well as seventy-two on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. The album has sold in excess of 10 million worldwide.
Background
Before Korn had developed a name, they moved into a small house together in Huntington Beach, CaliforniaHuntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, south of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, where they began working on songs. Soon after moving, they rented Underground Chicken Sounds, a recording studio
Recording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, from Jeff Creath, who had previously allowed lead singer Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
to live in his garage. While they were recording at the studio, they attracted a crowd of people when performing the prelude to "Clown". The band's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Reginald Arvizu
Reginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
said that the crowd gathered because the bands style sounded so "different."
Korn began playing gigs in the summer of 1993. While performing at Huntington Beach, the band was spotted by Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
/Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
Paul Pontius. He approached the band offering to record an album through their company. Although the group had offers from several other labels, Korn went with Immortal/Epic because they did not want to "sign away all of their creative freedom."
Recording and production
While Korn was looking for a place to record their debut album, they asked producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
to produce their album. After accepting the offer, Robinson suggested they record at Indigo Ranch, Malibu, California. The band would record the majority of the album there, while additional recording took place at Bakersfield's Fat Tracks. Korn recorded most of the album with all members playing simultaneously, as opposed to recording instruments separately. The "distinctive" sound and quality of music was given off by their instruments, rather than the production. The recording of the introduction to "Shoots and Ladders" took place on a mountain–top, where Davis is heard playing the bagpipes
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from...
. This resulted in acoustics that sounded more "natural" as described by Arvizu. Korn finished recording their self-titled album by the end of June 1994.
Since Robinson produced the album, his career was launched by its success, as it "taught Robinson how to produce." In an interview with the heavy metal magazine Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
, Davis touted Robinson's behavior, saying: "Ross is a very pure and clean-spirited person, and you feel it when you're with him. He's the kind of person that can draw that out of you. I felt very safe with Ross." The album was released on October 11, 1994 through Immortal
Immortal Records
Immortal Records is an independent record label out of Los Angeles, California. Founded by Happy Walters in 1994, the label had helped launched the careers of such influential acts as Korn, 30 Seconds to Mars, and Incubus over the years. The label had also released soundtracks, including Judgment...
and Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
.
During recording, there were two outtakes: "Layla" and "This Broken Soul" both of which were to appear on the 1993 demo "Neidermeyer's Mind" but did not make the final cut. "Twist" was recorded to be included in the final cut but instead was as the first track for their 1996 "Life is Peachy".
Marketing and promotion
Stephen Stickler acted as the band's photographer, and Jay Papke and Dante Ariola directed the album's cover art and booklet. The cover depicts a little girl in a purple dress with a matching bow in her blonde hair, bringing her swing to a stop to squint in the sun at the man standing before her. The man is only seen as a dark shadow on the ground, and is holding what appears to be a horse shoe. The band's logo, a childlike drawing of the band's name created by lead singer Jonathan Davis, is seen on the sandy ground by dark shadow.After Korn finished recording the album, they began touring with Biohazard
Biohazard (band)
Biohazard is a band originally based in Brooklyn, New York. They are acknowledged as one of the earliest bands to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. The original lineup consisted of Vocalist/Guitarist Billy Graziadei, bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Bobby Hambel,...
and House of Pain
House of Pain
House of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
at free gigs. Korn personally passed out flyers at their performances. Their record company gave them enough money for their own tour bus. Korn's first gig was in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. About half way through the tour, the tour bus that their record company gave them stopped working, forcing the band to find a new one. This first tour proved very unsuccessful in promoting the album. Aside from them touring, Korn released four singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
. "Blind" was the lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
, released in 1994, followed by "Need To
Need To
"Need To" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's second single in April 1995.-Music and structure:...
", "Shoots and Ladders
Shoots and Ladders (song)
"Shoots and Ladders" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's third single in 1995.-Music and structure:...
", and "Clown
Clown (song)
"Clown" is the fourth single by nu metal band Korn from their self-titled debut album. The video for this song, directed by McG actually refers to lead singer Jonathan Davis painful experiences from high school, where he was constantly picked on and ridiculed...
".
Composition
Korn begins with "Blind", starting with the dueling riffs of James ShafferJames Shaffer
James Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
and Brian Welch
Brian Welch
Brian Phillip Welch , better known as Head, is an American musician best known as the former guitarist and co-founder of the nu metal band Korn...
. Lead vocalist
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Jonathan Davis' first line is "Are you ready?", which is now one of the band's trademarks. Davis told Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer
Metal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
that on the album's second track, "Ball Tongue", he "didn't sing a goddamn word in that song. I couldn't describe what I wanted to do, so that's how it came out. It's a really heavy sound."
"Shoots and Ladders
Shoots and Ladders (song)
"Shoots and Ladders" is a song written and recorded by American nu metal band Korn for their self-titled debut album. It was released as the album's third single in 1995.-Music and structure:...
" is about Davis' disgust with the society. The song uncovers the hidden messages and concept of nursery rhymes. Davis relates: "'Shoots and Ladders' uncovers the hidden messages in nursery rhymes, the first songs many of us ever hear. 'Shoots and Ladders', to set the record straight, calls out nursery rhymes for what they really are. I choose each rhyme for a different reason—'Baa Baa Black Sheep' has racist overtones. 'London Bridge' talks of all the people of London dying [from the Black Plague, as does 'Ring Around the Roses'. Then there's 'Little Red Riding Hood'—one story tells of the wolf raping Red Riding Hood and killing her.""
"Clown
Clown (song)
"Clown" is the fourth single by nu metal band Korn from their self-titled debut album. The video for this song, directed by McG actually refers to lead singer Jonathan Davis painful experiences from high school, where he was constantly picked on and ridiculed...
"'s concept deals with an incident that happened in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. A skinhead
Skinhead
A skinhead is a member of a subculture that originated among working class youths in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, and then spread to other parts of the world. Named for their close-cropped or shaven heads, the first skinheads were greatly influenced by West Indian rude boys and British mods,...
that told Davis to "go back to Bakersfield" attempted to hit Davis but he dodged and the band's road manager, Jeff, knocked the skinhead out. "Helmet in the Bush" was about Davis' drug abuse, and the fear that gripped him at the height of his drug problem. He pleaded for a divine intervention to deliver him from his nightmare, as if he cannot help himself. Davis explained: "I'd wake up in the morning and do a line to get out of bed. Speed
Amphetamine
Amphetamine or amfetamine is a psychostimulant drug of the phenethylamine class which produces increased wakefulness and focus in association with decreased fatigue and appetite.Brand names of medications that contain, or metabolize into, amphetamine include Adderall, Dexedrine, Dextrostat,...
in the morning, I'd have it all lined up for breakfast so when I'd lay down and go to sleep, I'd wake up and just snort and it's like 'Yeah, okay, I'm up.' It was bad. It's like, you do one line and stay up all night, but then you have shit to do the next day so you have to do another line to be able keep staying up to get that shit done. Eventually you start spinning-out from sleep deprivation. You get hallucinations and shit like that."
"Daddy", the album's longest track saw Jonathan Davis "descending very real tears." Davis said that the song's concept deals with his childhood, saying "People think 'Daddy' was written because my father abused me, but that's not what the song's about. When I was a kid, I was being abused by someone else. I don't really like to talk about that song." Some 14 minutes into "Daddy" — well after the song has ended — a tape that Ross Robinson found in an abandoned house begins to play. The tape depicts an argument between a man and his wife over a Dodge Dart
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is an automobile built by the Dodge division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1960-1976 in North America, with production extended to later years in various other markets. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-size Dodge in 1960 and 1961, became a...
exhaust manifold. It features such lines as "You're a hard, hard woman to live with. Oh, you motherfucker, you asshole, you stupid son of a bitch!"
Reception
On January 10, 1996, Korn went Gold in the United States (US), and on February 10, 1996, the album charted at number seventy-two. The album spent 30 weeks on the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand chartsRecording Industry Association of New Zealand
The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...
, entering on June 23, 1996 and peaking at number ten. The album left the chart on May 18, 1997. It went Platinum in the US on January 8, 1997, and entered the ARIA Charts
ARIA Charts
The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June...
on March 28, 1999 at number forty-nine. It maintained a position on the chart for five weeks, and peaked at number forty-six. It peaked at number five on the Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums
Top Pop Catalog Albums is a fifty-position weekly albums chart produced by Billboard magazine which ranks the best selling catalog titles, regardless of genre. Billboard defines a catalog title as one that is more than eighteen months old and that has fallen below position 100 on the Billboard 200...
chart on April 24, 1999. On July 17, 1999, it entered the MegaCharts
MegaCharts
MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top...
at its peak position of fifty-six. After three weeks, Korn left the chart. On November 10, 1999, it was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
. The album peaked at number one-hundred-eighty-one on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on February 10, 2001. It has been certified platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
Australian Recording Industry Association
The Australian Recording Industry Association is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry which was established in 1983 by six major record companies, EMI, Festival, CBS, RCA, WEA and Universal replacing the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers which was formed in 1956...
.
Korn received generally positive reviews from critics.
Korn's debut album is said to have established the new wave of metal
Nu metal
Nu metal is a subgenre of heavy metal. It is a fusion genre which combines elements of heavy metal with other genres, including grunge and hip hop...
. As said by Joel McIver, Korn "was almost solely responsible for the tidal wave of change that subsequently swept the metal scene." Arnopp stated that the group "positively encouraged America's formerly introverted, apathetic misfits to thrust a livid middle finger in the face of high–school jocks who would traditionally bundle them into a locker and brand them 'faggots' for sporting hair longer than any Army buzz–cut." Bands like Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber
Coal Chamber is an American alternative metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1993. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez Fafara and Meegs Rascón formed the band She's In Pain in 1992. The two decided to create Coal Chamber. They disbanded in 2003 after ten years together, but announced a reunion in...
and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
were inspired by the album's "churning rage, emphasising similar grooves and song structures," and "the sound's hip–hop elements." Slipknot
Slipknot (band)
Slipknot is an American heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa. Formed in 1995, the group was founded by percussionist Shawn Crahan and bassist Paul Gray...
, Machine Head
Machine Head (band)
Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California. Formed on October 12, 1991, the group was founded by Robb Flynn and Adam Duce. There have been 4 member changes since their inception. The current lineup of the band comprises Flynn , Duce , ex-Vio-Lence guitarist Phil Demmel ,...
, and Sepultura
Sepultura
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte, formed in 1984. The band was a major force in the death metal, thrash metal and ultimately groove metal realms during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments melding nu metal, hardcore punk and industrial.Sepultura...
were also inspired by the album. The album launched the career of record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson
Ross Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
, who has since produced albums such as Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
Three Dollar Bill, Yall$
Three Dollar Bill, Yall$ is the debut album by American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, released July 1, 1997 through Flip/Interscope. It was produced by Ross Robinson and was certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA in July 2001 in the US...
by Limp Bizkit and Slipknot's first two albums.
Music critic Piero Scaruffi includes Korn at number eighteen, just after AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
's Back in Black
Back in Black
Back in Black is an album by Australian rock band AC/DC. It is the seventh Australian and sixth internationally released studio album by the band....
and before Burzum
Burzum
Burzum is a musical project by Varg Vikernes . It began during 1991 in Bergen, Norway and quickly became prominent within the early Norwegian black metal scene...
's Filosofem
Filosofem
Filosofem is the fifth release by the Norwegian black metal artist Burzum. It was recorded in March 1993 and was the last recording before Varg Vikernes' imprisonment. However, the album was not released until January 1996....
, in his classification of the best metal albums of all time.
Track listing
Outtakes:title = Layla
length = 4:19
title = This Broken Soul
length = 5:06
title = Twist
length = 0:49
title = Christmas Song
length = 2:25
Chart positions
Album| Chart (1995–2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... ) |
46 |
| Netherlands (MegaCharts MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... ) |
56 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 10 |
| UK Albums (The Official Charts Company UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... ) |
181 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
72 |
Singles
| Song | Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| "Blind" | Canada (RPM Alternative 30 RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... ) |
22 |
Credits
- Jonathan DavisJonathan DavisJonathan Houseman Davis is the lead vocalist and frontman for the nu metal band Korn. Davis was ranked 16th on Hit Parader 's list of "Heavy Metal's All-Time Top 100 Vocalists".-Early life:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, bagpipesBagpipesBagpipes are a class of musical instrument, aerophones, using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. Though the Scottish Great Highland Bagpipe and Irish uilleann pipes have the greatest international visibility, bagpipes of many different types come from... - James "Munky" ShafferJames ShafferJames Christian 'Munky' Shaffer is the guitarist for the nu metal band Korn . According to Korn's video "Who Then Now?", The nickname 'Munky' is a reference to his feet which resemble monkey's hands when spread...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - FieldyReginald ArvizuReginald Quincy "Fieldy" Arvizu is the bassist for the nu metal band Korn, and guitarist for the hard rock band StillWell.-Musical career:...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Brian "Head" WelchBrian WelchBrian Phillip Welch , better known as Head, is an American musician best known as the former guitarist and co-founder of the nu metal band Korn...
– guitar, vocals - David SilveriaDavid SilveriaDavid Randall Silveria is a former-drummer, best known as the drummer for the band Korn from early 1993 until leaving the band in late 2006.-1993 to 2006: Korn:...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Judith Kiener – vocals on the lullaby at the end of "Daddy"
- Chuck Johnson – engineer, mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
- Ross RobinsonRoss RobinsonRoss Robinson, son of Byron Katie, is an American multi-platinum music producer, who has discovered successful acts such as Korn, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, Repeater, Slipknot and Limp Bizkit. Robinson has also worked with Machine Head, Vanilla Ice, The Cure, Sepultura and many others...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, engineer, mixing - Eddy Schreyer – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced...
- Stephen Stickler – photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
- Jay Papke/Dante Ariola – art direction and design