Korn Are Dead, Long Live The New Korn

Singer Jonathan Davis knows that the old Korn — the band with more than a decade's worth of nu-metal thrashers to their name — are gone.

Each year for the past two, they've lost a member. Guitarist Brian "Head" Welch left in 2005 to immerse himself in Christianity; and this past December, drummer David Silveria decided he needed "a break" from the rock 'n' roll lifestyle he'd built with the band.

But from the ashes rises a new Korn, one some fans may have trouble accepting as the real deal.

"People react differently, but they haven't heard this album and seen our shows," says Davis of the self-titled record slated for a July 31 release.

"Sometimes still, the purists are saying it's not Korn anymore. I think the same thing. I don't think it's the original Korn either. That Korn is gone. This is a different Korn, and we're still going."

Davis, bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu and guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer enlisted the assistance of drummers Terry Bozzio and Bad Religion's Brooks Wackerman as well as keyboardist Zac Baird to round out the band for the new disc. It still carries Korn's trademark heavy sound, but with a more progressive edge.

The band chose to leave the new album without a title to avoid pigeonholing the music, Davis explains.

"We didn't title it because we didn't want to title it. It didn't feel right. It seems like when you title an album, it puts it in a certain place and time."

Still, the growling tracks express a great deal about what the singer's life is like today.

"'Bitch We Got A Problem' is about my schizophrenic self," Davis explains. "In my relationship with my wife [former porn actress Deven Davis], it seems like we hit those days where it's like we've got two different people and we're trying to figure out which of those people likes the other one. It seems like we don't ever line up on certain days."

With three sons in the mix, Davis has his hands full trying to fulfill his responsibilities to his family while maintaining a job that keeps him on the road for substantial chunks of time. But though keeping that balance is difficult — "I have three boys. It's a bitch," he laughs — Davis says it also makes everything much more rewarding.

"My family means the world to me," he acknowledges. Davis also appreciates the chance to help other kids through Korn's music. His intensely personal lyrics, which have explored deeply painful topics such as sexual abuse at the hands of a family member, generate heaps of glowing fan mail. Exposing his innermost pain feels natural, he says.

"It's never been hard for me. It's just the way I deal with it and get it out. Doing it helps tons and tons of kids. It makes it really worth it."

Korn are headlining the Family Values tour across the U.S. for the rest of the summer, offering what Davis calls a stripped-down show that carries an "old-school" vibe. No Canadian dates are scheduled.