The 1990s have come and gone, and while once hit bands such as Limp Bizkit and Staind are no longer as popular, their contemporary Korn is still going strong. The genre-bending group whose rock sounds helped define the latter half of the decade will play the Colisee March 26, along with Mudvayne and 10 Years.
Together since 1993, Korn burst onto the scene in 1996 with its second full-length album “Life Is Peachy.” Featuring the single “A.D.I.D.A.S.,” the record eventually reached the No. 3 position on the Billboard pop chart. Due to the album’s tremendous success, the band was asked to headline the Lollapalooza tour. Unfortunately, David Silveria, its drummer, was afflicted with a viral infection, and the group could not finish the stint.
Besides Silveria, Korn is Jonathan Davis, vocals; James “Mucky” Shaffer, guitar; and Fieldy, bass.
In 1998, Korn stormed back with “Follow the Leader,” an album that included hit songs “Freak On A Leash” and “Got The Life.” The effort sounded similar to “Life Is Peachy” and the group’s 1994 self-titled debut, but strove to expand upon Korn’s trademark mix of alternative, heavy metal and hip-hop. In an attempt to set “Follow the Leader” apart, the album opens with 12 tracks, each filled with five seconds of silence, before the band begins to play on track 13, “It’s On.”
Perhaps signifying a change in musical opinion, Korn’s next three albums, “Issues” (1999), “Untouchables” (2002) and “Take a Look in the Mirror” (2003), were not as well received critically as “Follow the Leader.” To the band’s credit, its fans remained loyal throughout.
Tellingly, the band’s latest album, “See You On The Other Side,” entered the Billboard pop charts at No. 3, marking Korn’s sixth Top 5 entry on this chart. The band’s seventh studio album, it sold 1.5 million copies worldwide in its first month. In a time when album sales are down throughout the industry, this number vastly exceeded expectations.
“Twisted Translator,” the first single from the album, debuted in the Top 10 in the Alternative Music chart. The single’s unique music video features hip-hop stars such as Snoop Doggy Dogg and Xhibit portraying members of the group.
To promote the album and single, Korn played “Saturday Night Live” on Nov. 19, the band’s first ever television studio performance in the United States.
Korn recently signed a unique deal with the record label EMI. The label invested 25 million in the band and Korn owns 70 percent of its sound recordings. Korn also keeps all the revenue from digital media such as downloads from the iTunes music store. It inked a similar deal with Live Nation, a group that organizes tours. Many industry insiders consider these two agreements to be precedent setting.
The heavy metal band Mudvayne, hailing from the Midwest city of Peoria, Ill., first came into national prominence in 2000, with the release of “L.D. 50,” the band’s first record on major label Epic. In 2001, Mudvayne took home the first ever MTV 2 Video Award, given yearly to a band on the brink of stardom. In the following years, the quartet has divided its time between touring and recording, releasing “The End of All Things to Come” in 2001, and “Lost and Found” in 2005.
10 Years, hailing from Knoxville, Tenn, formed in 2002, and released its major label debut, “Autumn Effect,” in 2005. 10 Years comprises Jesse Hasek, vocals; Brian Vodinh, drums; Matt Wantland, guitar; Tater, guitar; and Lewis Cosby, bass.
Fans who purchase a ticket to the March 26 concert will also receive a free one-year membership to the Korn BSC Online Fan Club.
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