Korner stones, part 1
KORN’S GUITARIST REVEALS THE SONGS THAT HAVE MOST IMPACTED HIS LIFE
“I GOT A GOOD list for ya! It’s unique,” says Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch. “Well, it’s not really unique. [Laughs] Now that I look at it, it’s more along the lines of metal, but I threw in some atmospheric ones that I can’t live without… And you know what’s crazy? I picked all these artists and a lot of them are still going strong. AC/DC is bigger than ever, Ozzy is still going strong. Iron Maiden had a massive resurgence the last five years. Journey is killing it. So… I picked the good ones! [Laughs]”
“BACK IN BLACK” AC/DC Back in Black (1980)
“The album and the song that got me lit with the fire for the passion for rock music. It was my favorite magical Christmas year, when you’re 10 years old and everything’s magical still. I didn’t believe in Santa Claus at all, but just the season of all these new fresh things in your life. I got a stereo that year, a record player, a new bike and Back in Black. When I put on ‘Back in Black,’ something just clicked for me, and I got obsessed. Time has shown that it’s one of the best-selling albums ever, so I guess I had an ear for music… along with millions of other people. [Laughs] That was the year I started to play guitar, and that’s the album that got me going.”
“FLYING HIGH AGAIN” Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman (1981)
“‘Flying High Again’ reminds me of a time in life when it came out. You know when you hear a song and it makes you feel a certain way… in your soul, emotionally, mentally? This one did it for me. Randy Rhoads was one of my greatest heroes. [AC/DC’s] Angus Young opened the door and I wanted more. I was drawn to really play the instrument. Angus is amazing and he can shred and he has his own blues style. But I love melody. And I love the darker classical approach Randy Rhoads took. And that album and that song got me obsessed with Ozzy and Randy.”
“DON’T STOP BELIEVIN’” Journey Escape (1991)
“I was into the heavier darker stuff like Ozzy and AC/DC, but I like the lighter side too. And I got into Journey, a lot. Honestly, I listened to ‘Back in Black’ and Angus, but I couldn’t really play the leads. The first lead I learned was ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.’ I was faking leads up to that point, but once I could nail that one I felt like I had a chance. [Laughs] I’m definitely drawn to Neal Schon’s style, tone and melody. You felt something when you heard his solos.”
“MORE THAN A FEELING” Boston Boston (1976)
“Dude, I can’t live without this song! Even today if I hear that on a classic rock station, I make sure to stop what I’m doing so I can listen to the whole song before I move on to whatever I was doing. If I was on an island, I would definitely want this song. It’s got a sound… like nobody else.”
“THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST” Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast (1982)
“Iron Maiden were along the lines of Ozzy, as far as, like, the theatrical dark edge and the Satanic vibe or whatever. I wasn’t into any spiritual or Satanic stuff, but I was drawn to the dark and I really loved horror movies growing up. And Iron Maiden had it. They had Eddie and the imagery on the cover. And the opening of that song — ‘Woe to you, o’er Earth and Sea’ — where they speak that whole scripture in Revelation. The drive of ‘The Number of the Beast’ and [singer Bruce Dickinson’s] vocal range… just everything. It makes me feel something
“ERUPTION” Van Halen Van Halen (1978)
special when I hear it, even now.”
“Such a crazy piece that Eddie Van Halen invented. I think it was a one-take thing he did... It had to be. I mean, How the hell do you do that? It’s just so perfect. I wanna go deep dive and find something that explains the whole recording process. The effects he had on it… it sounded like something from outer space! It’s hard to wrap your head around it. But I was like, I wanna do that. How do I do that? [Laughs] It’s mind-blowing.”
“MASTER OF PUPPETS” Metallica Master of Puppets (1986)
“I was a late bloomer on Master of Puppets. I got into Mötley Crüe and Ratt and I love Def Leppard… So when Master of Puppets came out I was like, ‘Ew, what? That’s too loud.’ [Laughs] But once I gave it a chance, it really got me. It’s structured like a classical piece of music, through the metal lens. It’s a work of art. James Hetfield’s voice at that time, the scratchiness of it… I think most people can relate to the message of that song: falling into something that’s mastering you, could be a person, or a substance… Great, great idea for the whole thing. It’s amazing.”
“THE REAL THING” Faith No More The Real Thing (1989)
“This is my favorite song by Faith No More. How they put that piece together just blows my mind. It’s a work of art. It starts with the drums, and he does those rim-shots with the dark-sounding synths in the back. It’s an amazing crossover with a thrash feel on the guitars, but not too much. With [Mike] Patton’s freaking bluesy style of singing over very minor music, I thought it was incredible and unique. They were instrumental for me in terms of crossing over into alternative ideas [and realizing] the possibilities are endless about how alternative you can get and mixing different styles of music. They were huge for me and Korn.”
“IT IS FINISHED” Soaking in His Presence & William Augusto Soaking in His Presence, Vol. 10 (2021)
“No one’s going to know William Augusto. I don’t think he’s on any major label or anything. I found him on YouTube… He puts out these instrumental pieces and they get millions of views. I love the song and if I was on an island stranded for the rest of my life, I would really want an atmospheric song so I could just center myself. Because life would pretty much suck without any grocery stores or fastfood joints or friends or family.” [Laughs]
“TIME” Hans Zimmer Inception: Music from the Motion Picture (2010)
“The first lead I learned was ‘Don’t Stop Believin’.’ I was faking leads up to that point, but once I could nail that one, I felt like I had a chance”
“My god, that takes you on a ride. It helps me when I need to think about life, and myself, and centering yourself on positivity and what matters. For me, with prayer and connecting with Christ, that song really helps me. I don’t like organized religion at all, but I love the spiritual aspect of… what I learn about the teachings of the wisdom. This song helps me focus on that and experience that.”
The Korn fun continues! Stay tuned for the November 2022 Guitar World and the James “Munky” Shaffer edition of 60 Minutes.
KORN’S 14TH AND LATEST ALBUM, REQUIEM, IS OUT NOW ON LOMA VISTA RECORDINGS