New Delhi, Aug 29 : Grammy-award-winning metal band Korn, who are on their maiden visit to India this September, say it is an honour for them to perform in the country. Formed in 1993, the American band comprising lead vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu and drummer Ray Luzier, said that performing in India for their ‘Path of Totality Tour' would be an experience in itself.
“This was an experience we could not pass up. We have never been to India, and to have the opportunity to play in such a beautiful and important country was an incredible honour. We can't wait to play these shows and see our fans, and enjoy the beautiful sites,” Ray told PTI in an interview. The concert tour in support of Korn's tenth studio album. The tour kicked off on November 3, last year in Boston, Massachusetts.
“On this album, we have been playing some new set lists like never before. We have broken the show into three parts. First, we will play some really old, really heavy deep cuts for all the true Korn fans. We play a lot of hits and classic, well-known Korn tracks. So, there is something for everyone,” frontman Jonathan said.
The India leg of the band's ‘The Path of Totality Tour' will be held in Gurgaon, Mumbai and Bengaluru on September 5, 7 and 9 respectively.
“This is a tour unlike any we have ever done. We have heard from our Indian audiences through Facebook and our website and know that our Indian fans are crazy. These shows are going to be amazing,” Munky said. Ray said that they are hoping to make some connections with Indian artistes during their visit for future collaboration.
“We would love to collaborate with an artiste from here. There is so much talent coming from India. Hopefully we can make some connections while we are in the country,” he said. “We know a bit of both - classical and Bollywood. The Indian scale which is in semi-tones is really interesting, with a lot of half-notes and cool things that are not in Western music. Some of the most talented musicians in the world are from India, so I am really excited,” Jonathan added. Korn are the first band to be labeled as nu metal, starting the New Wave of American Heavy Metal. They have sold 19 million albums in the US and 35 million worldwide. Eleven of the band's official releases have peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200, eight of which have peaked in the top five.
When asked what makes the music of the band a rage with the young, Munky said, “We are very lucky to have a lot of young fans. I often get kids in younger bands coming up to me telling me how we were a big influence on them, and it is a huge honour to hear that.
“We have always been about putting out music we like and what we want to hear - we don't care about what other people call it or try to put it in a box. I would guess that idea of just making music you want to hear, and daring to be different resonates with younger people,” he added.
