Korn (album)

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Korn
Korn cover
Studio album by Korn
Released October 11, 1994
Recorded May–June 1994 at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California
Genre nu metal
Length 65:51
Label Immortal/Epic
Producer Ross Robinson
Professional reviews
Korn chronology
Neidermeyer's Mind
(1993)		 Korn
(1994)		 Life Is Peachy
(1996)
Singles from Korn
  1. "Blind"
    Released: January, 1995
  2. "Shoots and Ladders"
    Released: 1995
  3. "Clown"
    Released: 1995
  4. "Faget"
    Released: 1995
  5. "Need To"
    Released: 1995

Korn (type-set KoЯn) is the self-titled debut album by Korn, released on October 11, 1994 through Immortal/Epic Records and has sold over 3,000,000 copies in the US alone.

Contents

[edit] Music style

Musically its tracks merge heavy metal, punk, as well as hip-hop and funk influences. While these elements have been copied by other bands, the album includes elements that are now unique to Korn, including scat type vocals on "Ball Tongue", and the use of bagpipes on "Shoots and Ladders", a song whose lyrics comprise mostly of nursery rhymes. Additionally, the basslines in the album, composed by bassist Fieldy became well-known for their intricacy and their original use of slap in metal songs.

"Daddy", the song closing the album, is musically and emotionally heavy. Opening with harmonised acapella vocals, singer Jonathan Davis begs forgiveness of his mother before the song properly begins. The lyrics are centered on child abuse, a topic hinted at by the album cover's ominous depiction of an adult shadow intruding on a child at play, based on an experience of Davis', not from his father. The song ends with the sound of Davis' sobbing.

[edit] Influence

Korn is arguably the album most responsible for the rise of nu metal. While Follow the Leader is commercially the band's most successful album, Korn has proven the most influential, influencing later nu metal bands such as Limp Bizkit, Adema, and Coal Chamber, and even more established bands, such as Sepultura and Machine Head.

This album is widely considered to be Korn's greatest work, by their fans, critics, and non fans alike. In 2001 Q magazine named it as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time.

[edit] Album art

The album art depicts a young girl whose name is Justine Ferrara [1] (and who is the niece of Immortal Records rep Paul Pontius) on a swing being overlooked by a man whose hands look like those of either Edward Scissorhands or Freddy Krueger (it was later revealed that the man is holding horseshoes). Also, the Korn logo is positioned so that the young girl's shadow looks as if it had just been hung by the neck by the letter "K" (although this may have been unintentional), and the back of the case shows the empty swing. It primarily depicts abduction of children. The inside art consists of a boy with a mutilated eye in the disc tray (cover art for "Clown") and a table covered with porn magazines with the labels "liar", "bitch", and "whore" covering their eyes (cover art for "Need To"), toys, and a doll with a beetle on it (cover art for "Blind"). The rest of the album art features vague, dark band photographs and the chorus lyrics to "Shoots and Ladders".

[edit] Total sales

Since its release in 1994, the album has proved to be a seller over time, moving over 3,000,000 copies in the US alone and being certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA. It is Korn's third most successful album to date. Although the album was released in 1994, it hit its peak on the Billboard 200 in 1996.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Blind" – 4:19
  2. "Ball Tongue" – 4:29
  3. "Need To" – 4:01
  4. "Clown" – 4:37
    • The first 44 secs. of Clown, the band is heard discussing the playing of the drums. The song Clown is 3:53.
    • At one point, David makes a reference to the song "Twist" which appears on their second album Life Is Peachy, asking if they want to place it at the beginning of "Clown". Jon responds, "You wanna hear it?" which leads Jon also responding "Let's fucking do it damn it!"
  5. "Divine" – 2:51
  6. "Faget" – 5:49
  7. "Shoots and Ladders" – 5:22
  8. "Predictable" – 4:32
  9. "Fake" – 4:51
  10. "Lies" – 3:22
  11. "Helmet in the Bush" – 4:02
    • There is a short telephone message at the start of the track.
  12. "Daddy" – 17:31
    • The song itself ends at 9:32. After 4 mins. 47 secs. of silence, dialogue begins at 14:14 and leads to the end of the track. This dialogue appears to be a husband and wife having a huge argument over an automobile engine part. The husband is clearly very angry and screams and curses at his wife almost constantly. This dialogue is an actual argument and is not staged in any way, as it is a random audio clip that producer Ross Robinson found in an abandoned house.

Several songs from around this era also exist:

  • "Layla" - Unreleased track.
  • "Sean Olson" – Eventually released on the soundtrack to The Crow: City of Angels
  • "Twist - Later re-recorded for Life is Peachy.
  • "Broken Soul" - Unreleased track played at early live shows.
  • "Molested" - Unreleased track played at early live shows.Was later reworked into "My Gift To You" on Follow the Leader.
  • "Christmas Song" – Released on a limited edition 12" single.
  • "Alive" - Recorded for the band's first demo. Parts of the song were used in the track "Need To". "Alive" was later reworked and re-recorded for Take a Look in the Mirror.

[edit] Chart positions

Year Chart Position
1995 Top Heatseekers #1
1996 The Billboard 200 #72

[edit] Credits

[edit] Other Roles

  • Michael - man in the discussion (hidden track) about the Dodge part
  • Geri - woman in the discussion about the Dodge part
v • d • e
Korn
Jonathan Davis · James "Munky" Shaffer · Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu
Brian "Head" Welch · David Silveria
Backup band
Studio albums
Live albums and compilations
EPs
Singles
DVDs
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