Korn

[Ponyone]

KORN Aiming For Mid-July Album Release

Launch Radio Networks reports: KORN tentatively plans to release its eighth studio album on July 17, according to an interview with the band that ran on a Los Angeles radio station yesterday morning (Tuesday, March 6). The group has been recording the disc with temporary drummer Terry Bozzio and guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer told us that Bozzio has taken KORN's music in a new direction. "It's a little less straightforward, I think, than what we're used to, and it's a lot more technical," he said. "I think it's probably more like a progressive KORN that people are gonna be used to. Very heavy though."

Bozzio is considered one of rock's greatest living drummers and is best known for his work with FRANK ZAPPA and MISSING PERSONS. He is filling in for founding KORN drummer David Silveria, who's taking a "hiatus" from the group this year.

Shaffer also said in the radio interview that his wife recently gave birth to a son named Israel. The guitarist, who was married once before, got hitched to his current wife in May.

KORN's "MTV Unplugged" CD arrived in stores yesterday (Tuesday, March 6). It documents the band's first-ever full-length acoustic performance, which was taped last December in New York City. The CD includes several songs not featured on the broadcast version, which premiered last week.

[Ponyone]

KORN MTV UNPLUGGED REVIEW ON LIVE-METAL.NET

The review of KORN 'MTV Unplugged' is now online at Live-Metal.net:



READ IT HERE:
www.live-metal.net/cdreviews_korn_mtvunplugged.html

[muthagoose]

KORN: New Song Posted Online

A brand new KORN song, entitled "I Will Protect You", has been posted on the group's MySpace page.

www.myspace.com/korn/

The track is expected to appear on the band's as-yet-untitled eighth studio album, due on July 24. "We mixed it last night and we are really excited about this album," vocalist Jonathan Davis wrote in an online posting. "The label will probably get pissed, but fuck it."

Although famed drummer Terry Bozzio worked on much of the record, KORN announced earlier this month that he would not be joining the band on tour. Original KORN drummer David Silveria is taking a hiatus.

The schedule for this summer's Family Values Tour, co-headlined by KORN and EVANESCENCE, has been announced. The 30-city tour will begin on July 20 in Missouri, ending in early September in California. The lineup also includes FLYLEAF, HELLYEAH, ATREYU, TRIVIUM, NEUROSONIC and DROID. KORN has also revealed that SLIPKNOT's Joey Jordison will be the band's guest drummer for both Family Values and this summer's European festival shows. Jordison said, "I'm lucky to have had the opportunity to perform with bands that have influenced me as a musician over the years. When I first heard KORN they blew me away and I've been a fan ever since. I'm looking forward to playing drums with these guys for the next five months!"

[muthagoose]

Former KORN Guitarist To Embark On Book-Signing Tour

Former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch will embark on a low-key tour to promote the release of his forthcoming book.

Due in July, "Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story" shares the inside story of Welch's life with KORN and how his rock-star lifestyle resulted in an all-consuming addiction to methamphetamines, according to Soul Shine magazine.

Welch will make a handful of in-store appearances throughout July across the United States, including New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Phoenix, Los Angeles and more. The details are as follows:

July 05 - 7:00 p.m. - Barnes & Noble (Astor Place), New York, NY
July 06 - 8:00 p.m. - Book Review Bookstore, New York, NY
July 07 - 10:00 a.m. - Bookends Bookstore, Ridgewood, NJ
July 07 - 3:00 p.m. - Barnes & Noble, Moorestown, NJ
July 08 - 1:00 p.m. - Chester County Bookstore, West Chester, PA
July 10 - 7:00 p.m. - Barnes & Noble (Power Plant), Baltimore, MD
July 11 - 7:00 p.m. - Borders, McLean, VA
July 13 - 7:00 p.m. - Books-A-Million, Atlanta, GA
July 16 - 7:00 p.m. - Borders, Mesa, AZ
July 17 - 7:00 p.m. - Borders, Torrence, CA
July 18 - 7:00 p.m. - Book Soup, Los Angeles, CA

"Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story" is available to pre-order in hardback online through Amazon.com for $17.13.

Brian "Head" Welch will release his first solo album, "It's Time to See Religion Die", this summer. The CD was recorded at at Fortitude Studios in Phoenix, Arizona with the help of drummer Josh Freese (A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS) and bassist Trevor Dunn (MR. BUNGLE, FANTOMAS). The projected track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Enter
02. Letter
03. Illusions of Happiness
04. Skin
05. Tomorrow's Children
06. Into the Light
07. Tears
08. Coward
09. Jennea
10. Let It Go
11. My Enemy
12. Closing the Door

Welch has also been working on a documentary called "Washed By Blood" that will focus on his life and career.

Welch departed KORN in February of 2005 to devote his life to Christianity and spend more time with his daughter. The band has not permanently replaced him, using touring and session guitarists instead.

[muthagoose]

Korn Are Cracking Up Over Eighth LP's 'Gothic Feel,' Munky Says
Guitarist launches own record label, plans to release solo material.

Korn fans shouldn't be all that surprised to learn that, in guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer's estimation, their forthcoming eighth studio album, due in late July, is one of the heaviest the band has ever put to tape.

After all, Korn are and always have been a "heavy" act — save the band's recent dalliance with acoustic rock (see "Korn Quiet Down With The Cure, Amy Lee For 'MTV Unplugged' "). But Munky doesn't just mean that the music is pummeling, which it is, of course. More than that, though, the overall tone of the album — which remains untitled, although the guys are toying with the idea of self-titling it, as they did with their 1994 debut — is "rife with emotion and has a genuine sadness" to it, Shaffer said.

"It's very musical," he explained. "I would compare it to [2002's] Untouchables. It has a lot of highs and lows throughout it, and it's very gothic, I think. It kind of took on this whole gothic feel, which we didn't set out to do. When we were done with it, we sort of just sat back, and we were all kind of laughing about it, because it has that vibe throughout. I think our fans are going to be stunned by how heavy [the album] is, as far as an emotional sense. A lot of these songs are sad. But at the same time, some of the heaviest stuff we've ever done, musically, is on this record. There are moments here and there that are just tough. This one song, called 'Ever Be,' just has this epic ending to it — like, imagine '300' set to song. It's crazy. Some of the stuff's very epic like that, and then pulls way back, so the dynamics on the record are very wide — from one extreme to the next, and all over the map."



The LP, which Korn worked on with Atticus Ross (who produced 2005's See You on the Other Side) and the Matrix production team (Avril Lavigne, Shakira), began to take shape last fall. The final mix should be done before week's end. While Korn started things off with the Matrix, the songs they'd worked on together were later re-recorded with Ross.

"The songs [Korn did with the Matrix] weren't really taking the direction we wanted them to, so the songs we did write with them we had Atticus rework," Shaffer explained. "When we were working with the Matrix, I started hearing some of the stuff back, and it didn't sound like a band was playing it — it didn't sound like something that was going to translate live, and that's why we ended up retracking the stuff."

When it lands in stores, look for the album to include the tracks "Evolution," "I Will Protect You," "Starting Over" and "Kiss," one of Munky's personal favorites.

"It has piano in it, and there's a very melancholy tone to it," he said, adding that, while the guys did tinker with different instrumentation during their "MTV Unplugged" taping, they didn't experiment much in the studio. "We kept it [to] what we normally do. We did write songs with our keyboard player, Zack [Baird, who has been touring with Korn for years now], which was different for us. It was one of those things that we wanted to try out, and he's so talented that it ended up working really well. It was the first time we'd written material with a keyboard player."

On a different track, "Hushaby," Shaffer plays a "reverb-y" mandolin, and another, which hasn't been officially named yet but was known around the studio as "My Arm Hurts," contains one of the most challenging riffs Korn have ever conceived.

"It's a hard riff to play, and if you keep playing it for an hour, your arm hurts," Munky explained. "[Frontman Jonathan Davis] was in writing the song with us, so he's the one who came up with the riff — because he's not used to playing hours on end. He was kind of the second guitar player, filling in the blanks for me."

As for drummer David Silveria, who announced earlier this year that he'd be taking a hiatus from the band, Munky said he expects the kitman will return by the end of this year.

"This band hasn't taken a break ever since we started," he said. "It's always been: write album, record it, tour. And then in between, that's usually when a band will take some time off. We never did. We took a couple of weeks off here and there, and then it was back into to the studio and write. It's been that way for 10 years. That schedule can get to a person, and he needed some time with his family. He just needed to step back for a minute, because you lose perspective about real life. It's hard work, and everybody works hard, but after so long, it becomes kind of like a make-believe world that you're living in. ... But after we do these couple of tours, and by the end of the year, I think he'll be ready. But I don't want to put pressure on someone. If he's ready, he'll call us and tell us. I can't keep calling him and asking, 'Are you ready, are you ready, are you ready?' That would just push a guy like David further away."

Silveria, Shaffer said, has every intention of returning to the band, and said as much to the rest of Korn when he informed them of his decision to go on hiatus from the group. On this summer's Family Values Tour, which Korn will headline and features Evanescence, Flyleaf, Trivium, Droid and more (see "Korn, Evanescence, Hellyeah Top Family Values Tour Bill"), Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison will man the kit.

In addition to his work with Korn, Shaffer's been keeping busy with Emotional Syphon Recordings, the label he formed in July. He'll soon release Monster in the Machine's Butterfly Pinned and American metallers Droid's debut disc. Like former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton's Ipecac Records, Munky hopes his label will be a place where lesser-known acts can come to catch a break.

"Basically, what happened is, I'd come home every year from tour, and a lot of my friends were just very talented, and still struggling at home every year, and here I come off these big tours, and I'm like, 'Aw, man, it was awesome,' and they can't even get a gig at a sh---y bar, and they're so talented," he said. "I was thinking, you know, 'How can I help these guys? I could create a record label and put something on the shelves — maybe that would help.' "

The label will also serve as a platform for Munky's future solo endeavors. He plans to bring recording equipment with him on the road this summer and would like to write material for what would be his first album without his Korn bandmates.

"I have a handful of songs, but it seems every time I record a Korn record, it's like I learn all this new stuff in the studio, so I kind of start fresh again," he said. "So that's what I'll do when I'm on the road this year — compiling music, so that when I get home, I can sit down with somebody and just kind of go through it and see what's good and see what I want to use for my own stuff or see if there's anything the guys in the band will want to use for future Korn songs. I always get stuck when I come up with something really great, because I feel like I can't keep it for myself — that I have to give it Korn because that's obviously my first priority."

[muthagoose]

KORN Facing End Of Experimental Record Deal

Launch Radio Networks reports: KORN will officially complete its innovative two-album deal with Virgin Records with the July 31 release of the band's eighth studio effort, "Untitled". The band signed with the label in 2005 and was given a $25 million advance in exchange for Virgin obtaining a 30 percent stake in KORN's merchandise and touring revenue, areas previously off-limits to record companies. KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer told Launch that he would advise anyone starting a label to think about new ways to work with artists. "The record company obviously is changing drastically, and I would look at different ways of developing artists, instead of just a traditional record deal," he said. "You know, sign the band, give 'em money to record, put 'em on the road...I think in the future it's gonna be more about developing an artist, more than just record sales."

Shaffer himself has his own label, called Emotional Syphon Recordings.

KORN's new album is due out on July 31. The band's first disc under the deal with Virgin, 2005's "See You on the Other Side", has sold 1.2 million copies in the U.S.

Shaffer told Billboard that the band wants to re-sign with Virgin, while singer Jonathan Davis said that he was pleased with the way the first deal played out, explaining, "A lot of people criticized us. They said a record company has no f***ing business getting in the touring business or doing any of this. But...it's good. People are scared just because the old way of doing business is broke."

KORN will kick off the 2007 Family Values tour on July 20 in St. Louis, with EVANESCENCE and a number of other acts on the bill.

[muthagoose]

KORN: 'Deluxe' Version Of New Album To Include Bonus DVD

According to Korn-Locker, KORN's self-titled eighth studio album will be available in deluxe edition when it hits stores on Tuesday, July 31 via Virgin Records.

The highly anticipated CD, described by Billboard as the band's most musically serious work since 2002's "Untouchables", will be packaged with a bonus DVD and will be available for around $30.00 at all good outlets.

The deluxe edition of the album, as well as the ordinary edition and clean edition, can all be pre-ordered online now through Amazon.com for $18.98 - $29.98.

The official track listing, artwork and final details regarding contents of the DVD have still yet to be published.

[muthagoose]

Jon Davis Writes Opera, Plans Coffee Table Book

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has revealed to AOL's PopEater music blog that he has begun writing an opera entitled "Oblivion" with Richard Gibbs and Clive Barker.

Davis says the "dark opera" will be "way different" from KORN's style and is about the end of the world. He has just started writing the music for it, but he will not be starring in it.

In other Jonathan Davis news, the singer is putting out a coffee table book of 12 of his favorite horror stories illustrated by 12 of his favorite artists. More information will be revealed in Jonathan Davis' AIM interview, which will be live on Friday, June 22.

[muthagoose]

KORN Working On Covers Album

Gary Graff of Billboard.com reports that KORN frontman Jonathan Davis told reporters yesterday (July 18) the band has started work on what will likely turn into a full set of cover songs in the future.

"We've already done, like, 'Love My Way' from PSYCHEDELIC FURS," said Davis. "We've done 'We Care a Lot' from FAITH NO MORE [and NINE INCH NAILS'] 'Head Like a Hole'. Those are already recorded. We just gotta get in and do some more."

Davis said that he, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer and bassist Reggie "Fieldy" Avizu "keep writing down covers" they'd like to record. Davis' current wish list includes PRINCE's "Erotic City", OZZY OSBOURNE's "Diary of a Madman" and DEBBIE DEB's "Lookout Weekend" as done by LISA LISA & CULT JAM. The group previously covered RADIOHEAD's "Creep" for its "MTV Unplugged" album that came out in March.

There's no word yet if KORN's version of MORBID ANGEL's "God of Emptiness", recorded during the sessions for their 1999 CD, "Issues", will appear on the forthcoming covers set.

[muthagoose]

KORN: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

KORN's entire new album is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

www.myspace.com/korn

The band's eighth studio LP, which has been left untitled, comes out on July 31. The first single is called "Evolution".

According to Launch Radio Networks, simulated virtual reality images of the members of KORN, known as avatars, are performing their new single "Evolution" beginning today (Monday, July 23) at VirtualKorn.mtv.com. Fans are also be able to listen to a preview stream of the band's entire new album, while singer Jonathan Davis, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer and bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu chat live with fans at the site from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.

[muthagoose]

KORN Vs. DEVO

According to MTV.com, new wavers DEVO are lashing out at KORN for allegedly biting the group's "devolution" concept in a fake movie trailer posted on EvolutionDevolution.com.

"We denounce this as imposters playing with fire," Gerald Casale wrote in a post on Devo.com. He told RollingStone.com that KORN fans have been sending him hate mail since he posted the note on the site.

"We went, 'Wow, this is insane. This is a perfect example of devolution. ... Gee, I'm sorry we thought all this up 30 years ago and have been putting it out there and preaching it ever since.' "

[muthagoose]

KORN Frontman: 'Our Hats Are Off To DEVO'

Launch Radio Networks reports: KORN issues its untitled eighth studio album on Tuesday (July 31), marking the group's first release as a trio. The band has also hinted that the new CD represents a major musical progression for the band, just as 2005's "See You on the Other Side" did. Guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer described the record and said where he thought it fits into KORN's catalog. "This record's very musical for KORN," he said. "Very gothic, musical. It's gonna take listeners a little bit of time to let it sink in, but I think they're really gonna love it. In the KORN catalog, I think I would compare it more to, like, our album 'Untouchables'."

"Untouchables", KORN's fifth album, was released in 2002.

The new disc was recorded without original drummer David Silveria, who took a temporary leave of absence from the band last December. Terry Bozzio, Brooks Wackerman and KORN singer Jonathan Davis all contributed drum tracks to the set.

KORN will hold a press conference in New York City's Times Square on Tuesday to announce plans for working with the USO and initiatives to make this summer's Family Values tour more eco-friendly.

The band will perform a free show on Tuesday evening at New York's South Street Seaport to celebrate the release of the new album. More details can be found at jr.com/korn.

The Family Values tour, which also features EVANESCENCE, HELLYEAH, FLYLEAF, ATREYU, TRIVIUM and others in addition to headliners KORN, makes its next stop in Buffalo, New York on Friday (August 3).

Jonathan Davis also responded to DEVO member Jerry Casale's accusation that KORN ripped off DEVO's "de-evolution" concept for a web site called EvolutionDevolution.com that promoted KORN's new "Evolution" video. Davis told RollingStone.com, "KORN never claimed to be the first to expose De-Evolution, our hats are off to DEVO for that...we are glad to see that our efforts have them speaking up again! It's good to have them back."

[Ponyone]

KORN Guitarist Is In No Rush To Find Replacements For Departed Members

Denver Westworld recently conducted an interview with KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Westworld: Let's talk about the new disc, then. You guys started working with the Matrix again, and they you decided to go in a different direction, right?

Munky: Well, we started writing with them in the beginning, and we wrote a few songs. I wrote a lot of guitar stuff with the Matrix, and they had taken the songs and I think me, myself and the Matrix wrote something like eighteen songs over a few months. And then we wrote about ten songs with Atticus Ross after that. So what we did was took the best of both of those sessions. We took the Matrix sessions and rerecorded them with real drums to give those songs a more organic feel. It started to feel like there were two different producers, but we wanted the album to sound all the same as far as recording. So we went and took four of the songs that the Matrix did and I think seven of the songs that Atticus did, and rerecorded the four songs with Atticus, and that gave us the album.

Westworld: When you guys started working with the Matrix in the first place, it was controversial given the kinds of artists they'd worked with in the past. Some people might think you decided not to do a whole album with them again because you had some dissatisfaction with the Matrix. What's your take on that?

Munky: My take on that is, they had a lot of creative input, and somehow it's been downplayed. And just for the record, I think they're a very talented writing team, and they had a tremendous influence on the album.

Westworld: And you in no way want it to seem that they were watering you down? You're still positive about their contributions?

Munky: Absolutely.

Westworld: You said the first batch of songs didn't have live drums on them. Was that because of David [Silveria]'s departure?

Munky: Even on the "See You On the Other Side" album, the drums were programmed to a lot of the songs to the guitar riffs I had written, and then David had come in and retracked the drums and made them better. So that's how they started out again, and since David isn't with us, we had Brooks Wackerman come in and rerecord those four songs we wanted to put on the album.

Westworld: David's departure and Brian's [Welch, guitar] departure not that much earlier meant that there was a lot going on in the band. Had you guys thought about adding two permanent members? Or was the timing such that it didn't make sense in that short a period of time?

Munky: The timing was definitely a factor. It's hard because these are members who were with the band for fifteen years, and they're brothers. If your brother leaves home, you don't just go out and get a new brother. And that's how it is. Until we find the right people, I think it'll just be the three of us for the moment.

Westworld: So you're not opposed to adding new permanent members, but you want it to be organic, as opposed to lining up a bunch of players and having auditions?

Munky: Yeah. That's not our style.

Westworld: The critics seem to be laying for you on this disc. They've been pretty nasty so far. But it seems like you guys have never really been a critic's band. Is your point of view that it doesn't really matter what they think? It matters what the fans think?

Munky: It's always about the fans. I know Jerry Springer might make good TV for some viewers, because people like to bash and it makes for good reading. But ultimately it's the fans' opinion that matters to us. [Pause.] I don't know why I just referenced Jerry Springer…

Westworld: I was trying to figure that one out…

Munky: Don't try to figure it out. I've had a really long morning. But at the end of the day, it's the fans' opinion that counts. That's why we try not to read too many reviews, either good or bad.

Westworld: Speaking of reading, I have to ask if you've read Brian's book.

Munky: I have not.

Westworld: Any interest?

Munky: Do you know why I haven't?

Westworld: Why?

Munky: Because I was with him. I know what the book's about. The only thing that I know, and I've been told, is that I didn't know he had such a bad drug addiction. And nobody else in the band did, either. But everything else, I lived it with him. I was there.

Westworld: But everyone's got a different point of view, and from what I understand — and I haven't read it yet, either — he's pretty hard on the band in general.

Munky: Have you read it?

Westworld: No, I haven't read it. But from what I've read it about it, and from some people's reactions, it suggests that he kind of blames the band for his addiction and him getting into a bad mental state.

Munky: Yeah, I can see how that could happen. Being in a rock band in general, and this type of lifestyle, as everybody knows, it can run you into drug addiction. I'm definitely going to want to pick up the book and read it now, because it's the lifestyle. It's hard to be away from your family. A lot of people don't realize that. You're gone a lot, and when you're a single parent like he was, it becomes very difficult. I'm a single parent, and it's really hard to be away from my daughter. She just turned six, and it was one of my most difficult times to be away from home. I missed her sixth birthday.

Westworld: That is hard…

Munky: You know, some people use crutches to deal with that type of thing, and those crutches become addictions. But let me tell, just for the record, I love the guy. I really miss him.

Westworld: So it sounds like when you read the book, you're not going to take it personally, because you know how you feel about him, and how he feels about you?

Munky: Yeah. There's probably nothing in there that's going to offend me.

[muthagoose]

KORN Frontman Schedules Solo Acoustic Dates

According to a posting on the KORN fan site Kornspace, KORN frontman Jonathan Davis will embark on a solo acoustic tour beginning early November. So far the following dates have been released:

Nov. 09 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
Nov. 10 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Showroom
Nov. 17 - Hampton Beach, NH - Casino Ballroom
Nov. 20 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Nov. 23 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
Dec. 08 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theatre

Speaking to MTV.com in October 2006, Davis stated about a possible solo tour, "I'm gonna do it more in the style of a lounge thing. I'll be playing KORN songs, the 'Queen of the Damned' [soundtrack] stuff I did and a lot of different covers. When I was growing up, my dad played in a couple of bands where they just went around different clubs and played covers. It's just going to be fun."

Although he's venturing outside of KORN for the tour, Davis has no plans for a solo album.

"The closest thing [I've done to a solo album] was the 'Queen of the Damned' stuff and if I were to [record something solo] again, it'd be something like that," Davis said. "Maybe some day when it's right, but I don't want to distract from KORN. I don't want people to think there's problems with the band. I'm just trying to have fun while the other guys are relaxing or working on their own records or whatever."

[muthagoose]

KORN To Headline DUBAI DESERT ROCK FEST

According to Phride.com, KORN has been confirmed as the headliner of Day 1 of next year's Dubai Desert Rock Fest, set to take place March 7-8, 2008 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The touring lineup for KORN will be as follows;

Jonathan Davis - Vocals, Bagpipes
James "Munky" Shaffer - Guitar
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - Bass

Backing band:

Michael Jochum - Percussion
Zac Baird - Keyboards
Kalen Chase - Backing Vocals, Percussion, Guitar
Ray Luzier - Drums
Shane Gibson - Guitar

Also scheduled to appear is Marky Ramone, the former drummer of the iconic punk group the RAMONES.

Seven more bands will be announced during the coming weeks.

Over the past years four years, Dubai Desert Rock Fest achieved great success, hosting such artists as IRON MAIDEN, MEGADETH, IN FLAMES, STONE SOUR, MASTODON, ROBERT PLANT, TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD, WITHIN TEMPTATION, SEPULTURA and many others.

[muthagoose]

KORN Guitarist Leaves European Tour For 'Personal And Family Reasons'

KORN lead guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer has left the band's current European tour for both personal and family reasons. The group's frontman Jonathan Davis said in a statement, "We fully support Munky's need to be home right now and because we want to come through for all of our European fans, the tour will go on. It's what Munky wants us to do, too. We promise to give it our all every night!"

Shaffer recently posted an update online about his current activities, including his Emotional Syphon Recordings label and KORN's current European tour. But Shaffer also hinted at his own future plans, writing, "Before I hit the road, I wanted to let everyone in on a little secret. I have a big surprise announcement coming very, very soon. It's something I'm extremely passionate about, and I have a feeling everyone is going to love it. Be sure to keep checking this page, because this announcement is going to be big..."

Shaffer did not provide any further details about his "surprise announcement," although there is speculation that he'll record a solo album.

Whatever Shaffer has planned, he'll have some free time to work on it. Although KORN began a European trek on Sunday night (January 13) in Dublin, Ireland, Davis told The Pulse of Radio he doesn't expect the band to schedule any further touring after it's done. "After the world tour, I think we're gonna just take four months off," he said. "We're done and we're gonna do another record, because we've been going solid 14 years and I think me, (bassist) Fieldy and Munky really want to just take that time, get together and regroup, and do an amazing record together."

KORN's current touring lineup includes guitarist Shane Gibson and ex-ARMY OF ANYONE drummer Ray Luzier, in addition to Davis and bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu.

[muthagoose]

KORN: Readying Live DVD

The Pulse of Radio reports that KORN plans to issue a concert DVD titled "Live in Montreaux 2004" on May 13. The disc will contain footage of the band performing 17 songs, including hits like "Got The Life", "Falling Away From Me", "Freak on a Leash" and "Here to Stay". Information about bonus content was not available, but since the DVD was taped in 2004, the disc will feature the original lineup of the band, before the departures of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch in 2005 and drummer David Silveria in 2006.

[Vise Evans™]

This message board really should have a Nu-Metal section.

[muthagoose]

Who knows... but there is way more "Cock Rock" news to be reported these days than anything else.

[muthagoose]

KORN Frontman Performs New Versions Of Acoustic Songs For SIRIUS's OCTANE

Jonathan Davis, the lead singer of the multi-platinum, award winning, hard rock band KORN, recorded a set of five solo acoustic songs exclusively for Sirius Satellite Radio's Octane channel. Each of the five songs will have its exclusive debut starting on Monday, April 14 with a new song being played each day at 9:00 a.m. ET through Friday, April 18. The week-long dedication to Jonathan Davis' creations for Octane will conclude with a weekend full of all things KORN, including live tracks, rarely heard songs from various KORN albums and Jonathan's exclusive Octane acoustic songs.

For more information, visit www.sirius.com.

Davis recently scrapped a number of dates on his previously announced "Alone I Play" European tour in May/June, reportedly due to "personal reasons." Cancelled shows include those in Stockholm (Sweden), Belgium, France, and most of the UK leg of the tour, which was scheduled to kick off late May.

[Vise Evans™]

lol.What's cock rock?

[muthagoose]

1. cock rock

The genre is also referred to, often by detractors, as hair metal. This term was popularized by MTV in the 1990s and derives from the tendency amongst most bands to style their long hair in a teased-up fashion. 80's hair metal in which the lyrics consist of sexual euphamisms and content. During its heyday, the genre was often referred to as heavy metal or simply metal.

Examples:

Def Leppard (Pour Some Sugar On Me)
Motley Crue (Girls Girls Girls)
Van Halen (Panama)
Jackyl (She Loves My Cock)
Faster Pussycat (Slip of The Tongue)

The genre's primary audience was (and still is) guys with mullets and Camaros.

Though cock rock still gets plenty of airplay on classic rock radio, there are (mercifully) very few new practitioners of the style.


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Cock Rock is currently having a resurgence with festivals such as Rocklahoma... which rules as I love the cock rock genre. Be on the lookout for only the finest interviews (from yours truly) from the men who defined the genre in the coming months at www.live-metal.net

[muthagoose]

KORN: BRIAN 'HEAD' WELCH Sets Release Date For Solo Debut

Former KORN guitarist and founding member Brian "Head" Welch will release his debut solo album, entitled "Save Me From Myself", on September 9 via Driven Music Group/H2C Records, and distributed by Ryko/Warner Music Group. The CD's first single, "Flush", will be made available exclusively via iTunes on July 8.

A video blog from Head making the announcement can be seen at www.brianheadwelch.net.

Welch's memoir, "Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story", rocketed into the New York Times bestsellers list after its first week of publication last year, debuting at #20 on the "Non-Fiction" list.

[muthagoose]

KORN Singer Working On Solo Album; Ex-Guitarist Not Ready To Come Back

The Pulse of Radio reports: KORN frontman Jonathan Davis is working on his first solo album, sources close to the band have told HardDrive Radio. The project is proceeding at a relaxed pace and is just in its early stages, with no release date or title available. It is also not known yet who will produce it or who Davis will ask to play on the record. The singer embarked on a successful solo tour, his first, in late 2007, after KORN finished its own roadwork in support of that year's untitled eighth album.

KORN itself is expected to reconvene later this year to begin work on its next studio effort.

Davis has also been asked to record a new track for an updated version of the soundtrack to the Tim Burton animated film, "The Nightmare Before Christmas".

In other news, former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has responded to recent comments that Davis made online, in which the singer said he missed Welch badly. The guitarist told The Pulse of Radio that even though he feels the same, he isn't quite ready to rejoin his bandmates. "We went through a lot together and I love those guys so much," he said. "Right now, you know, it's just, even though I haven't done drugs in a long time, they remind me of the old me, and I don't like the old me. And I choose to stay away from those people right now just because of me. It's all me, it's nothing to do with them. And I miss them so much and I just, I know there's a day in the future where I'm gonna feel right about it and it's gonna be all good, you know."

Welch has set September 9 as the release date for his debut solo album, titled "Save Me From Myself". The title of the album is the same as Welch's memoir, "Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story", which was published last year.

Welch left KORN in early 2005 to devote his life to Christianity, saying that his life as a rock star and addictions to numerous drugs were destroying his life and his relationship with his daughter.

[muthagoose]

BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH:
Former Korn Guitarist To Release Debut Solo Album September 9

Former Korn guitarist BRIAN “HEAD” WELCH is back to making music with his debut solo album, SAVE ME FROM MYSELF, which will be released September 9 on Driven Music Group (distribution by Ryko/Warner Music Group), the label he co-founded with music execs Greg Shanaberger and Mark Nawara. The first single, “Flush,” will be serviced to radio the last week of June and will be available July 8 for purchase exclusively on iTunes. Fans can hear a portion of the track on Head’s Myspace page.

SAVE ME FROM MYSELF was produced by Head, who recorded the music off and on for the past two years in Phoenix, Arizona. It features renowned musicians Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, David Bowie) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails), and was mixed by Ralph Patlan and Bob Clearmountain. The album is a testimony of Head’s life as he battled with drug addiction and leaving Korn, and finding spirituality. It will leave no doubt in everyone’s mind that Head, as a founding member of Korn, has not lost his passion for the heavy sound that originally helped make his former band famous. The album will remind listeners of Head’s dominant influence in the nu-metal sound that projected Korn to the top of the music charts for over a decade. SAVE ME FROM MYSELF can only be described as a heavy metal epic, with a positive message.

Head’s production team is currently in pre-production on a video for “Flush” and is expected to hit the TV airwaves around the album’s release date.
“I’m really excited about getting my music out there to my fans,” Head declares. “I literally poured everything I had into SAVE ME FROM MYSELF, and I know it’s gonna inspire a lot of people. It’s been a long time since I’ve connected with people musically, and now that the wounds have healed from my past addictions, I’m ready to feel the magic again.”

He continues, “’Flush’ is a perfect way for me to come back into the music world because it’s basically about flushing all the crap in life down the toilet and starting out fresh—exactly what I’ve been doing for the last few years. All the drama that I experienced with getting drunk and doing drugs, all the time seemed interesting and amusing to write about. That lifestyle is total insanity and I’m just glad I’m not dead and I was able to write a song like ‘Flush.’”

In early 2005, Head rocked the music world by announcing his resignation from Korn. At the time, Head was committed to moving away from the craziness of the rock & roll lifestyle to continue to care for his daughter, Jennea, as a single father. Additionally, Head committed his life to his newfound faith with the goal of touching people’s lives and giving back to those most desperately in need.

Only months after his Korn exodus, Head traveled to India to open Head Home, an orphanage that provided housing, food, and education to over 200 orphans in the most unreachable parts of India. Head also continued other philanthropic efforts in other areas throughout the U.S. With his successful charitable efforts and side projects underway, Head began composing and recording SAVE ME FROM MYSELF.
At the time of his resignation from Korn, Head made it clear that although he had retired from Korn, he had not retired from the music and entertainment industry. With his new calling, Head has committed to changing the youth of America through his music and other entertainment ventures, including his autobiography, Save Me From Myself, which was released in July 2007 by HarperCollins. It quickly landed on the New York Times “Best Seller” list (non-fiction) and has sold over 70,000 copies. Head’s team at HarperCollins was so impressed by the book’s success, they quickly exercised the publisher’s option for a second book, Washed By Blood, which is due out June 24. It’s an edited paperback version of Save Me From Myself aimed at a younger audience and doesn’t contain the profanity and gory details of the original version.

A paperback of the original Save Me From Myself will also be released on June 24.

Here is the complete track listing for SAVE ME FROM MYSELF:

L.O.V.E.
Flush
Loyalty
Re-Bel
Home
Save Me From Myself
Die Religion Die
Adonai
Money
Shake
Washed By Blood

www.brianheadwelch.net
www.myspace.com/brianheadwelch
www.drivenmusicgroup.net