Korn (album)

Untitled

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.

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 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.

"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.

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, Coal Chamber and Slipknot, 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.

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".

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.

Track listing

1. "Blind" – 4:19
2. "Ball Tongue" – 4:29
3. "Need To" – 4:01
4. "Clown" – 4:37
   • at the beginning of Clown, the band is heard discussing the origins for the lyrics of the song; it is unclear whether or not the skit is intentional.
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 Helmet in the Bush.
12. "Daddy" – 17:31
    • The song Daddy ends at 9:30. After about 5 minutes of silence, dialogue begins at 14:04 and leads to the end of the song. This dialogue appeares to be a husband and wife having a huge argument over an automobile engine. The husband is clearly very angry and curses at his wife almost constantly.

During the recording sessions of this album, several other songs were made. These include:

• "Layla" - (unreleased)
• "Sean Olson" – 4:48 (eventually released on the soundtrack to The Crow: City of Angels)
• "Twist - :50 (as mentioned in the dialog in Clown, released on Life is Peachy)
• "Broken Soul" (unrecorded)
• "Molested" (unrecorded demo of "My Gift To You")
• "Christmas Song" – 2:26 (released on a limited edition 12" single)[2]
• "Alive" - 4:02 (later re-recorded for Take a Look in the Mirror. Elements from the demo version are used in the song Need To).

Chart positions

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

Credits

• Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu - Bass
• Jonathan Davis - Vocals, Bagpipes ("Shoots and Ladders")
• Chuck Johnson - Engineer, Mixing
• Judith Kiener - Vocals (the lullaby at the end of "Daddy")
• Ross Robinson - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
• Eddy Schreyer - Mastering
• James "Munky" Shaffer - Guitar
• David Silveria - Drums
• Stephen Stickler - Photography
• Brian "Head" Welch - Guitar, Vocals

Other Roles

• Michael - man in the discussion (hidden track) about the Dodge dart
• Geri - woman in the discussion about the Dodge dart