It’s worth reminding everyone from time to time that heavy music fans were not prepared for Korn when the band exploded onto the scene with their self-titled debut in 1994. While metal bands had dabbled in groove before, few had ventured into a fusion of hip-hop, extreme metal, and dark alternative like this quintet from Bakersfield, California. Even fewer vocalists brought the same mix of swagger and wounded vulnerability to the mic as frontman Jonathan Davis.
From the very beginning, Korn were a bold, freakish new force to be reckoned with, paving the way for what would become the nu-metal era. They’ve also consistently delivered incredible live performances, whether in an intimate club, an arena with fans caged onstage, or at a massive festival.
But what is the ultimate Korn song to experience live? We turned to Revolver readers for their thoughts. Here are the top five fan-favorite picks..
“Here to Stay”
Korn had already been in the game for nearly a decade when they issued “Here to Stay” as Untouchables’ lead single all the way back in 2002. And like the best kind of Korn songs, the track drills into dark but infectious grooves and next-level vocal acrobatics from Davis. That much wasn’t changing.
The Grammy-winning song is greeted with a hero’s welcome whenever its rumbling subsonic riff pops up in a setlist. Indeed, “Here to Stay” remains a testament to Korn’s resilience.
“Falling Away”
While guitarists Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer’s murky seven-string guitar riffs are often credited for the immediate heaviness of Korn’s music, a lot of credit is likewise owed to Davis’ often bleak and burdened wordplay. With that in mind, Issues single “Falling Away from Me” is a downright chilling account of domestic abuse and the feelings of hopelessness that this brings to its victims.
On the other hand, the song is also about escaping those circumstances and looking forward to a better tomorrow. Korn throw themselves fully into this cathartic, melodic metal anthem, and it’s a cut that fans have rallied behind for ages, too. No issues here, when the band busts out this classic.
“Ball Tongue”
Few songs in the Korn catalog remain as derelict, dangerous and danceable as their self-titled album’s “Ball Tongue.” It’s a fiercely weird piece, steered by a super slappy bass groove from Fieldy and some truly sci-fi-leaning seven-string sounds — and don’t forget the freaked-and-funked hip-hop break.
Sometimes, Davis uses this part of the live show to flex a few salutatory bars pulled from Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock’s “It Takes Two.” But even when he doesn’t feel like going old-school hip-hop, “Ball Tongue” is still the spot where the frontman busts out his uniquely beastly, onomatopoeic scatting style.
“Shoots and Ladders”
First thing’s first: Jonathan Davis is a hell of a frontman. One of the best in the biz. It’s always electrifying to see him stomping around stage like an unleashed freak. And whether he’s dropping into primal screams, vulnerable moans or a wide range of wildly expressive vocal tics, you know he’s giving it all on the mic.
But then again, it’s a whole new ball game once the often-tartan-kilted Korn vocalist straps on those bagpipes to blast into the intro of “Shoots and Ladders.” It’s one of nu-metal’s most uniquely wailing performances, and likewise a cross-cultural concert moment that sets the crowd off every time.
“Blind”
What are the chances that Korn’ll drop “Blind” into the setlist on any given night? Pretty damn good, honestly, with the band’s debut single remaining the number they’ve played live the most throughout their 30-year career. And for good reason, too. That creepy-crawl groove is a certifiable people-pleaser, and — having arguably kicked the nu-metal era into overdrive — it endures as one of heavy music’s most iconic feels.
But even though we know it’s clearly coming, when Korn actually start building into that tension-filled intro, our systems go into panic mode. Standing among thousands of other Korn fans in the pit, there’s no way to actually be ready for the chaos that’s about to ensue.
