The evolution of Korn: 13 of the Nu-Metal band's biggest moments in photos

A look back at the rise of the Californian legends

Author: Scarlett MartinPublished 1st Nov 2021
Last updated 6th Dec 2021

Since forming in 1993, the band Korn have pioneered the Nu-Metal genre and helped bring it to the mainstream. Made up of members James 'Munky' Shaffer, Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu, Brian 'Head' Welch, Jonathan Davis and Ray Luzier, Korn have sold over 35 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards during their almost 30-year career.

With the band set to play their rescheduled European tour dates for their latest album, 'The Nothing' this summer, we've taken a trip down memory lane and picked out some of the biggest moments from their impressive evolution.

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Korn: An evolution of the Nu-Metal band through the years

1993: Korn's inception

Korn began in 1993 when vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarist James 'Munky' Shaffer, bassist Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu, guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch and drummer David Silveria joined forces. After playing some local shows in their hometown of Bakersfield, California, the band was signed in 1993 and released their first demo, 'Neidermayer's Mind' later that year.

While there have been several stories about the origins of the band's name, the most common is that someone suggested corn and the band didn't like it. However, when Shaffer suggested spelling it with a 'K' and with a backwards 'R', like the Toys R Us logo, the rest of the band soon changed their minds.

1994: The release of the band's self-titled debut album

In 1994 the band released their self-titled debut studio album which featured singles 'Blind', 'Need To' and 'Clown'. 'Korn' has not only gone 2x Platinum since its release, but is widely credited with starting the new wave of metal.

1997: Follow-up 'Life Is Peachy'

The follow up to Korn's debut album, 'Life Is Peachy' debuted at Number 3 on the Billboard 200 after it was released in 1997. The album's lead single, 'No Place to Hide, saw the band's nomination for the Best Metal Performance Grammy Award. They gained further popularity after co-headlining Lollapalooza festival later that year, alongside Tool.

1998: KornTV - a behind-the-scenes look into their third album

In 1998, Korn started KornTV, a weekly online TV show that documented the making of their third album, 'Follow the Leader'. The show featured special guests such as Limp Bizkit and 311, with fans encouraged to call in to ask the band questions.

'Follow The Leader' went on to be a huge success after debuting at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 and selling 268,000 copies during its first week. Thanks to singles 'Got the Life' and 'Freak on a Leash', the album has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. Korn also created and headlined the 'Family Values Tour' alongside acts like Limp Bizkit, Ice-Cube and Incubus in 1998.

1999: Fourth album release and the 'Sick and Twisted Tour'

Korn's fourth album 'Issues' was released in 1999, debuting at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The band promoted the album on their 'Sick and Twisted Tour', which allowed fans to vote for the songs they wanted to see on the setlist through a poll on Korn's official website. During the tour, the band were joined by fellow Nu-Metal bands, Staind and Mindless Self Indulgence.

2002: Fifth album release and second Grammy win

After extensively touring to promote 'Issues', the band re-emerged in 2002 with their fifth album, 'Untouchables'. This is considered one of Korn's more experimental albums and despite being leaked online before its official release, it still managed to reach Number 2 on the Billboard 200. The song 'Here to Stay' won the 2003 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance.

2003: Self-producing and Cameo cover

After making the decision to self-produce an album, Korn released their sixth album 'Take a Look in the Mirror' in 2003, peaking at Number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming Korn's first and only Top 40 hit in the United States. Just a year later, Korn released their greatest hits album, 'Greatest Hits Vol. 1', which included a medley of hits from their previous albums and a cover of the Cameo song 'Word Up!'.

2005: Brian Welch and David Silveria depart

In early 2005, guitarist Brian Welch announced that he would be leaving the band to focus on being a father and pursuing a solo career. Three years later, Welch released his Christian rock album, 'Save Me from Myself'.

After signing a record deal with Virgin Music, Korn released 'See You on the Other Side', which was recorded in frontman Jonathan Davis' home studio in 2005. This was the last album with original drummer, David Silveria before he left the band in 2006.

2006: The 'Family Values Tour' is restarted

Korn's famous tour, 'Family Values' was resurrected in the summer of 2006 after a five-year hiatus. The band was joined by Deftones, Stone Sour and Flyleaf and a year later, Evanescence co-headlined the event.

2007: Korn's untitled eighth album is dubbed 'Korn II' by fans

Korn released their untitled eighth studio album, which is commonly referred to as 'Korn II' by fans, in July 2007 and it featured singles 'Evolution', 'Hold On' and 'Kiss'. Joey Jordison from Slipknot took up drumming duties on all the band's live shows, until Ray Luzier was confirmed as Korn's new drummer.

2008: Contributing to the Nightmare Before Christmas compilation album

In 2008, Korn did a cover of the Nightmare Before Christmas hit 'Kidnap Mister Sandy Claws' for the Disney compilation album 'Nightmare Revisted', which saw many rock bands rework songs from the original soundtrack for the 15th anniversary of the film. Korn were in the company of Evanescence's Amy Lee, Rise Against and The All-American Rejects, among others.

2009-2011: Induction into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame

2009 saw the release of ninth record 'Korn III: Remember Who You Are', and they followed it up with their 10th studio album 'The Path of Totality' in December 2011. The album features contributions from Skrillex, 12th Planet and various other EDM artists and peaked at Number 10 on the Billboard 200. The album's single, 'Get Up' became the band's first single to be certified gold in the US.
Korn were inducted into the Kerrang! Hall of Fame during the 2011 Kerrang! Awards and 'The Path Of Totality' went on to win Album of the Year at the 2012 Revolver Golden Gods Awards.

2012: Brian Welch returns to the fold

Brian 'Head' Welch reunited with Korn on-stage for the first time in seven years at the Carolina Rebellion in May 2012. A year later, he officially rejoined the group. They later released 'Paradigm Shift', their 11th studio album in 2013 - marking their first record since Welch's return. The album sold 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release, and debuted at Number 8 on the Billboard 200. To add to their list of achievements, Korn were also inducted into the world-famous Hollywood Rockwalk in 2013.

2016: 12th album and working with Corey Taylor

'The Serenity of Suffering', Korn's 12th studio album, was released in October 2016 and debuted at Number 4 on the US Billboard 200. Stone Sour and Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor features on album track 'A Different World' and joined Korn on-stage to perform the song on multiple occasions. It was during one of these that Korn announced they would be joining Stone Stour for the 'Serenity of Summer Tour' in 2017, which lasted from July till August and also featured Skillet, Yelawolf, BabyMetal, Islander and Ded.

2018: Celebration the 20th anniversary of 'Follow the Leader'

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of their album, 'Follow the Leader', Korn played three US shows in 2018 where they played the iconic album in full. In August 2019, the band announced they would be releasing a brand new album during a concert in multiplayer game, AdventureQuest 3D, taking part in virtual meet and greets with fans and performing on a digital stage. A month later, the band released 'The Nothing' - the first album the band released since frontman Jonathan Davis sadly lost his wife and mother, reflected most poignantly in the song 'Finally Free'.

2021: Rescheduled shows

Korn had rescheduled a European tour to promote their latest album 'The Nothing' in 2020, but was rescheduled for May/June 2021 due to the global pandemic. Korn are also scheduled to play a two-night stadium stint with System Of A Down and Faith No More in 2021, also rescheduled due to the pandemic.

Guitarist Brian Welch recently shared his concerns about whether or not big shows could go ahead in 2021, but says that Korn will consider other options so they can continue to perform for their fans. There continue to be rumours about a possible Korn cover album, but no dates have yet been announced.