Is the term ‘nu-metal’ the most maligned and abused one in music history? It’d definitely be up there. By the early to mid 2000s the term had become a convenient catch-all classification for lazy and narrow fans minded to dump the bands they happened to dislike into. How often did you hear words to the effect of ‘oh, (x band) suck, they’re a bit too ‘nu-metal’ for me’?

No matter what you think, however, bands who’ve had an entire sub-genre of music named in their honour are exceptionally rare. Korn are one such band, and what’s more they’ve become true survivors in this, one of the harshest industries on the planet, and one of the most difficult to have a long career in. Almost two decades from their inception in Bakersfield California, and many years after ‘true’ metalheads proclaimed the death of nu-metal, Korn are still going strong, and continue to prolifically release quality albums and do sellout tours.

These days, the band are pretty indifferent to the term, but are precisely the opposite when it comes to the longevity of their career, as guitarist and co-founding member James ‘Munky’ Shaffer explains from the band’s tour bus in Portland, Oregon. “I don’t give a shit,” he puts it bluntly, “as long as it has the word ‘metal’ in it, fuck it! It’s cool, because they didn’t know how to categorize us, so they had to come up with something new. And so there you have it, I can live with that!

“It goes by so fast,” he states, on the length of time the band has been around for, “we’re very grateful to even to what we love to do, and to have a career that’s this long in this industry, it’s really rare. At this point we all know that, and so we try to savour every day.”

Without mentioning any names, Korn certainly spawned their imitators following the release of their seminal self titled debut album in 1993, in sound, style, production and image. When something is massively successful (the first album alone went double platinum and received a Grammy award), people see that success and want a piece of it, and so they jump on the bandwagon. The imitators are rarely as good at it as the originators, but over the years the band’s attitude towards the copycats has changed markedly. “When we wrote our first two album,” he remembers, “we didn’t know what we had, we didn’t know it was going to have such impact on musicians and listeners. At first, it really pissed us off. (it was like) ‘this is our baby. You can’t take the characteristics of our baby and make your own baby!’ People started playing seven string guitars, and all that, and we said ‘this is bullshit!’ But after Life is Peachy came out, it was like, more flattering. It was like the biggest compliment you can get, when someone tries to copy your style, your music, your look, whatever it might be. It’s a compliment in it’s highest form. So it took us a little while before we could swallow that pill.”

Read the full article at TheMetalForge.com.

On Monday 12th July, KOЯN prem iered a live show, recorded in a crop circle, to celebrate the release of their new album KOЯN III- REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE on band's MySpace. Tomorrow (July 29th, 2010), we will take you behind the scenes of the shoot of that show in a Roadrunner exclusive!

Check out the pics from the shoot over in the gallery at their Artists Page. You can see the making of documentary here, tomorrow, at 4pm (UK time).

source: Roadrunner Records UK

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StillWell's Facebook page has posted the following:

Wear your STILLWELL shirt @ the Korn Meet & Greets in Holmdel, NJ, Chicago, IL, Indianapolis, IN, Atlanta, GA, Raleigh, NC or Virginia Beach, VA and get to listen to some of the material from STILLWELL's upcoming album 'Surrounded By Liars' on Fieldy's tour bus before it hits the the planet!

Don't have a shirt? Then say the password 'Street Metal' to Fieldy, Q or Spider and join us on the bus to listen to StillWell!

From Korn.com:

Check out this video clip of our newest single, “Let The Guilt Go”, filmed when we recorded "Korn: The Encounter". We’re working on a new video for the track, so watch for that to come out in August.

Agent eX of BareBonesMusic. com sat down at the Mayhem Tour with drummer Ray Luzier of KORN. Ray talks about recording one his first studio record with the band, KORN III, Remember Who You Are, (Roadrunner Records) but touring with them for the past 3 years. Ray also talks about the recording process and how things were stripped down and getting back to the KORN "sound," and the challenges they faced while making the record. Producing with Ross Robinson and the style he brings to KORN. Ray also prepares to play the drum kit backstage and teach you how to play "Oildale," section by section breakdowns. Plus LIVE Korn Mayhem performance footage!

Ray Luzier, drummer for KORN, sat down with BareBonesMusic. com and gave a drum lesson on how to play "Oildale" from KORN's recently released album, KORN III, Remember Who You Are. Ray breaks down the song section by section and also gives some fundamentals all drummers need to know. Plus, he shows of some very impressive drum skills. Plus, a cameo from guitarist Munky.

BareBonesMusic.com

The five dudes in Korn pretty much single-handedly closed the door on grunge and famously ushered in rap-rock and nu-metal.

Only three of the group’s original members remain, but after more than 15 years their passion, angst and fury haven’t waned.

“It’s unfortunate, but those things kind of taught us some lessons as far as trying to make each other happy and how delicate the relationships are,” said guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer, who comes with Korn to headline the Mayhem Fest at Comcast Center on Tuesday on a bill that includes Rob Zombie and Lamb of God.

Shaffer was referring to the rocky defections of original drummer David Silveria and guitarist Brian “Head” Welch.

“Essentially within a band there’s several different relationships,” Shaffer continued from a tour stop in Cincinnati. “There are several different interactions that always have to coexist. And it’s not always harmonious.”

The Southern California headbangers got their start playing sketchy halls in rural Bakersfield, Calif. Their angsty, metallic sound rocketed them from dark, drug-addled basements to the world’s biggest stages. They experienced down years in the 2000s, but the band’s latest, “Korn III: Remember Who You Are,” made its debut last week at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

For the grim, stripped-down recording, Korn went back to theirroots by locking themselves in a cramped rehearsal room and planting original producer Ross Robinson behind the control board. The result is an ultra-personal, intensely simmering throwback of head-bobbing groove metal.

Read the full article at BostonHerald.com.

Fieldy, Munky and Ray have signed a guitar along with many other musicians for Bare Bones Fight Against Cancer. The guitar will be auctioned.

"The Bare Bones Music Network raising money for The National Foundation For Cancer Research. We will auction off a Schecter Damien 6 guitar, EMG pickups, and pearl "bat" inlays. Signed by some of the biggest names in rock, metal and punk music."

Click here for more info.

Munky was interviewed at Korn's stop in Maine on the Ballroom Blitz tour. Munk discusses Korn III, seven-string guitars, influences and more.

Munky talks recording Korn III, Roadrunner Records, his record label, Fear and the Nervous System, his finger and more in a new interview.

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