Korn frontman Jonathan Davis says while he loves the scene, he doesn’t think Korn are a metal band.
He insists he doesn’t like putting labels on musical styles – and calls Korn the “black sheep” of music as their material is so varied.
He tells Full Metal Jackie: “I’ve always had a problem with the term ‘metal.’ We never were that. Just go back to the beginning when Korn started out. We came out of Huntington Beach, California, and they didn’t know what to do with us.
“The first tour we went out on was with Biohazard and House Of Pain. Second one was Sick Of It All, Orange 9mm and us. We played shows with No Doubt, Cadillac Tramps and Pennywise.
“I think that we went out and did all that stuff, and it seems like the metal community took us in. We were like the black sheep – we had no place to really go – and I really appreciate and I love the metal community.
“But as far as us being a metal band, a metal band, to me, is Judas Priest or Iron Maiden. I don’t think Korn does that. I know it’s something we do that’s different. But I love the scene and there’s some passionate people in it. They don’t care. If they don’t like what you’re doing, they’ll let you know it, and I respect that about them and that scene.”
Asked what he would describe Korn as, Davis adds: “I think we’re just heavy rock. I don’t like categories but we’re more of a heavy rock band than just straight metal. But when it comes all down to it, it’s music, and who cares what the hell it is?
“If you like it, you like it – if you don’t, you don’t. At the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
The dates have been lined up in support of Korn’s 2016 album The Serenity Of Suffering.
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Korn’s The Serenity Of Summer 2017 North American tour
Jun 16: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT
Jun 18: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheater, NM
Jun 20: Chula Vista Sleep Train Amphitheatre, CA
Jun 21: Inglewood The Forum, CA
Jun 22: Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA
Jun 25: Boise Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater, ID
Jun 26: Pocatello Portneuf Wellness Complex Amphitheatre, ID
Jul 19: Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheater, NY
Jul 20: Mansfield Xfinity Center, MA
Jul 23: Hartford Xfiniity Theatre, CT
Jul 25: Toronto The Molson Amphitheatre, ON
Jul 26: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Jul 27: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Jul 29: Noblesville Klipsch Music Center, IN
Jul 30: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
Aug 01: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Aug 02: Cleveland Blossom Music Center, OH
