KORN elevate the art of the livestream.
STRANGER THINGS: THE DRIVE INTO EXPERIENCE, LOS ANGELES, CA, USA
Bakersfield’s nu metal standard bearers reach new heights
AN ANCIENT CHINESE proverb reads, “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” When touring went on ice with the onset of COVID-19, bands turned to livestreaming to stay connected to fans and to bring some much-needed revenue into the coffers. The early wave of bands built the equivalent of walls, basically selling tickets to spiritless gigs in awkwardly empty clubs or jam rooms. A second wave of windmill builders soon followed, with bands using livestream technology as a tool for launching immersive and highly polished performances. Tonight, nu metal pioneers Korn unveil their inaugural livestream, titled Monumental, broadcasting their set from the rooftop of an LA skyscraper.
Like many of the recent concert streams, this performance is not live, but pre-recorded, from the roof of Stranger Things: The Drive-into Experience. Filmed at night with the LA skyline rising above Korn’s massive video walls and dazzling batteries of stage lights slashing across the stage, the vibe is sleek and futuristic. Opening with the pummelling live debut of Victimized, the production is top-notch; highdefinition video and masterful sound mixing give this performance the headbanging potency of a live Korn show, which is no small feat considering how cold it must have been on that rooftop – a fact underscored by the band’s bundled outfits.
Korn released The Nothing in 2019 but the 2020 supporting tour with Faith No More was cancelled. Consequently, in addition to Victimized, the set features the live debuts of You’ll Never Find Me and an absolutely slamming version of Cold, with Jonathan Davis alternating between the soaring pitch of the chorus and a caustic barrage of fearsomely heavy death metal vocals. The song showcases the extent to which Korn have evolved from eclectic nu metal upstarts to a mature and innovative collective who have carried their trademark sound forward through 13 albums, ever refining, expanding and pushing it into exciting new forms. In this way, Korn have managed to retain the feverish support of their diehards while continuing to attract new ones with each album.
In addition to the new material, the 17-song performance pairs live staples like Freak On A Leash, Falling Away From Me and Coming Undone with fan-titillating deep cuts like
Ball Tongue, Throw Me Away and
Thoughtless – a track from 2002’s
Untouchables, which the band haven’t played live for more than a decade. Behind the taut, churning squall of downtuned riffs from guitarists James ‘Munky’ Shaffer and Brian ‘Head’ Welch, the set maintains a steady ferocity. Along with bassist Fieldy, the three breezily dart about and occasionally step into the spotlight for the odd solo. But Korn are very much a collective unit. They entered the scene in the 90s when the exaggerated histrionics of 80s guitar gods were viewed as passé and while Jonathan delivers a compelling and highly energised frontman performance, Korn reach peak force when they’re locked into that bouncy synchronised grooving that underpins their catalogue.
There is virtually zero between-song banter, which isn’t all that unusual given the lack of fans. And thanks to the multiple camera angles zooming in on the different musicians, as well as some ace drone footage giving views from above the rooftop, it’s not really an issue. In fact, the first and only juncture when the missing audience feels apparent is the end of You’ll Never Find Me, when its eerily repeating refrain, ‘I’m not doing fine’, dissipates into a hushed whisper and then silence. In person, the final notes would melt into the rousing assent of the crowd.
In the Monumental pre-show, Jonathan indulges in some impressive hyperbole, stating, “We wanted to do something that was really grand and different. It’s always been Korn’s thing to always push the envelope and… present things in a different way [from] how usually people present things. So we got our team together and came up with this amazing livestream. And it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen for a stream… It’s more of an experience than just sitting there watching a band play on a screen.” In fact, Monumental is very much the experience of sitting there watching a band play on a screen. That’s sort of the definition of a livestream.
The performance closes with Narcissistic Cannibal — a deep cut bursting with minor keys and silvery synths, followed by Here To Stay, which erupts in a storm of slashing riffs and the funked-out percussive wallop of drummer Ray Luzier.
Monumental is a polished and exceedingly well-produced show that ranks among the better streaming performances of the past year.
Looking forward, Korn fans can revel in the news that the band have recorded an entire new album in quarantine, though details beyond the announcement are thin. Nonetheless, to see the band tonight, hitting hard, sounding great and having fun all the while certainly bodes well for their next chapter.
JOE DALY