This hardcore rock band was formed in the early 90s in Bakersfield, California, USA. They toured widely, playing over 200 shows, before releasing their self-titled debut album for East West Records in 1994. Subsequently based in Huntington Beach in California, the quintet, comprising Jonathan Davis (vocals), Reggie Fieldy Arvizu (bass), James Munky Shaffer (guitar), Brian Welch (guitar/vocals) and David Silveria (drums), released their first single, “Blind", which was widely shown on late-night MTV shows. The album gave them their commercial breakthrough and saw them cited in Billboard magazine as “the first debut hardcore rock act to top the Heatseekers chart and one of the first to crack the upper half of the Billboard 200 in the last two years.”
Much of this success arose from the reputation garnered by their live work, which was bolstered by tours alongside House Of Pain, Biohazard, 311, Sick Of It All, Danzig, Marilyn Manson and Megadeth. A second single, “Shoots And Ladders", featured Davis playing the bagpipes. The Ross Robinson-produced Life Is Peachy was another ferocious set, although further breakthrough success was limited by the explicit lyrics liberally laced throughout. In late 1997, Korn established their own label, Elementree. They also made the news by serving a cease-and-desist order to the assistant principal of a Michigan high school, who had suspended a student for wearing a T-shirt featuring the band’s name.
The eagerly anticipated Follow The Leader was recorded with help from Guns N’Roses collaborator, Steve Thompson. The album was a commercial and critical success, debuting at US number 1 in September 1998. Highlights included “It’s On” and first single “Got The Life". Their Family Values touring show also established itself as one of the most successful live ventures of the 90s. The band’s prominence on the hugely popular US alternative scene, alongside acts such as Limp Bizkit, Fear Factory and Slipknot, was confirmed by the chart-topping success of 1999’s Issues.