Korn (album)

KoЯn is the self-titled debut album by KoЯn, released on October 11, 1994 through Immortal/Epic Records.

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

Musically the music mixes both metal and hip hop, with the guitarists providing DJ-style noises in the vein of Tom Morello, before playing detuned, heavy riffs. While these elements have been copied by other bands, the album includes elements that are unique to KoЯn, 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.

"Daddy", the song closing the album, is emotionally heavy. Opening with harmonised acapella vocals, singer Jonathan Davis begs forgiveness of his mother before the song proper 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'. The song ends with the sound of Davis' sobbing.

This album is widely considered to be KoЯn's greatest work, by both fans and non fans alike. In 2001 Q magazine named it as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time, though it is to be noted that the main riff in "Ball Tongue" was directly lifted from "Angel of Disease", by heavy metal band Morbid Angel. Detractors of this album also claim the sound of the down tuned guitars was ripped off from Helmet and that the emotion set by Davis is forced and tame.

Track listing

1. "Blind" - 4:19
2. "Ball Tongue" - 4:29
3. "Need To" - 4:01
4. "Clown" - 4:37
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
12. "Daddy" - 17:31

Chart positions

1995  KoЯn        Heatseekers                 No. 1
1996  KoЯn        The Billboard 200           No. 72

Personnel

• Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - Bass
• Jonathan Davis - Bagpipes, Vocals
• Chuck Johnson - Engineer, Mixing
• Judith Kiener - Vocals
• Ross Robinson - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
• James "Munky" Shaffer - Guitar
• David Silveria - Drums
• Stephen Stickler - Photography
• Brian "Head" Welch - Guitar, Vocals (Left the Band on February 22, 2005)