A tribute to Korn

Pictures courtesy of :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ognam/3381790978/in/set-72157615746198825/










I was in Form 3 when the name Korn first seemed appealing. In Form 1, the Metallica craze of being Old Skool still rung in my mind (before Iron Maiden sealed its place forever lol) but Korn was always viewed as a Nu Metal band, along with the likes of System of a Down, Killswitch Engage and so on. As a non-conformist, i let my bitter ego shade me for appreciating the works of art by these bands and it was only after a while that i took into my stride the era of nu metal (btw Linkin park isn't here - Linkin Park are Ipod metal - some shit you mix on a computer and play for others)

I once wondered if I was born into an era 20 years behind, as in my Infatuation with the works of Jimi and Led Zeppelin and how the music scene is slowly being killed by the likes of R&B and Hiphop- no offence to the fans of these music.
I once heard Sam Dunne (anthropologist on the evolution of Metal) call Metal the only male orgasm that lasts. I always puzzled at it. Jack Black got 1000 people to beg "the God's of Rock and Roll" Led Zeppelin for the right to use 'The Immigrant Song' for the movie School Of Rock.
And for once i understood exactly what it meant.
Having Korn, especially Jon Davis racing from behind the curtains with a spinechilling scream in Kilts send every ounce of blood in me into a rapture. It was so breathtaking just admiring what was going on stage. The deafening yells of the crowd in unison with the strumming of Munky and the Smacking Bass by Fieldy - alongside their new drumming phenomenon Ray Luzier, with his ass cracking double paddles.

It was the fastest 90 minutes of my life. And the beauty of it is that, thats the only detailed memory I have of sunburst 2009. I mean we had so many other bands, but nothing redefined that night like Korn.
"Valhalla, I'm Coming Home'' (immigrant song). The manner in which Johnny Plant uttered the mentioned words explained my every emotion during the 90mins of baptism. Valhalla is a mystical place in Viking Mythology in Asgard owned by the God Oden. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Folkvangr. In short Valhalla means hall of the chosen dead. Where eternal life is bestowed upon those who arrive at its doorstep.
A proper metal concert felt like that, like your soul had left your body into Jonathan's hands as he molds your emotions as you yell out 'Something takes a part of me' (freak on a leash). I have always admired the way JD expresses every emotion that he had when he wrote the song on the canvas that represents his face. I now realise why I have been told to see Korn live. Jonathan Davis relives every moment of his life in that very song. Someone told me today that Metal is too loud. Its too noisy. But thats how true aggression is expressed. When you do badly in an exam, guys especially, they don't feel like crying, they feel like smashing a window or breaking a door down. Anger is the most expressive of all emotions and aggression is the most definitive form of anger. A burning desire to set yourself free from the clutches of the world. i've always pictured it as someone running hard away from a bubbling muck that pulls him back into a pit. There is a need to break free. a need to be unshackled. and nothing satisfies this desire more than metal. No offence to Coldplay, but it would never have offered me such an escape. I waited there in the front row for 2.5 hours with Renuka's brother Govind, and a part of me thought what if Korn turns out to be disappointing, and watching the showmanship on NERD, I was beginning to wonder if Korn could live up to it. And I had a refresher course in why metal is the only element in my blood. Plain simple, it made me feel like crying and ripping my shirt off at the same time.
A lady in heels stepped on my foot many times while the crowds were jostling during the concert. A bunch of idiotic white guys were in front of me, one guy claiming he came to Sunburst for Erykah Badu.. and i felt so cheated. I mean really, you take the place of a fellow metalhead just cos u felt like it? (seeing that he was in front of the railings. and when you're at the railings ur supposed to bust your gut. lean over the fence and take the moshpit's after effects as you yell out the words to Got The Life and not stand a foot away and ensure no one cuts your queue. Metalheads are about the nicest people you'll ever meet. So back to that lady who stepped on my foot. I kinda ensured she wasn't affected to badly by the mosh pit by placing her between me and another guy in front and absorbing the shocks of the pit. no it had nothing to do with her looks or her hot pants, its chivalry, every metalhead has it. and like she stepped on my foot many times in her heels. During one song, Blind, I smiled at her and said "BiTCH!! MY FOOT!!" (as the music had got my adrenaline running) and she said sorry. We smiled and got on with it. When i explained the incident to a friend of mine she said i was rude. but it's hard to explain the actual situation to her.

Frank Zappa's band was called Mothers' of invention.
In metal terms mother is short for mother fucker and its not what it means in hip hop n R&B:)
mind you mother fucker means someone that's fucking awesome at playing the guitars. Bitch just means lady, and Son of a bitch means guy.

My lady friend found the song faget quite offensive without knowing that JD is actually referring to himself. Many a time JD relates his personal experience and undying need to break away from the shackles of his life as he lived a hard life of being an outcast.

This phenomena enables him to so vividly express it in words. The scream of JD is like none other. the raw hoarseness of his voice shrieks the devils inside everyone and its an invitation to sail away into another time and space, so much so you wake up from it wondering what happened.

To Sunburst I thank you for KORN.
To Korn, i thank you for reinstilling my faith that there can be none better than metal.
To Led Zep, i thank you for the invitation to the court of Oden,
To Metal, i thank you for quenching my desire,
To Jack Black, i understand how the hammer of thor feels when it knocks on your door. The title Gods in metal is a very feasible term. there're only few that can take your breath away and give you a new lease of life in that very instant.