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Korn (album)

Korn is the self-titled debut album by Korn, released on October 11, 1994 through Immortal/Epic Records.

Korn is arguably the album most responsible for the rise of nu metal. While Follow the Leader is commercially the band's most successful album, Korn has proven the most influential, influencing later nu metal bands such as Limp Bizkit, and even more established bands, such as Sepultura and Machine Head.

Musically the music mixes both metal and hip hop, with the guitarists providing DJ-style noises in the vein of Tom Morello, before playing detuned, heavy riffs. While these elements have been copied by other bands, the album includes elements that are unique to Korn, including scat type vocals on "Ball Tongue", and the use of bagpipes on "Shoots and Ladders", a song whose lyrics comprise mostly of nursery rhymes.

"Daddy", the song closing the album, is emotionally heavy. Opening with harmonised acapella vocals, singer Jonathan Davis begs forgiveness of his mother before the song proper begins. The lyrics are centered on child abuse, a topic hinted at by the album cover's ominous depiction of an adult shadow intruding on a child at play, based on an experience of Davis'. The song ends with the sound of Davis' sobbing.

This album is widely considered to be Korn's greatest work.

Table of contents
1 Track listing
2 Chart positions
3 Personnel

Track listing

  1. "Blind" (Korn) - 4:19
  2. "Ball Tongue" (Korn) - 4:29
  3. "Need To" (Korn) - 4:01
  4. "Clown" (Korn) - 4:37
  5. "Divine" (Korn) - 2:51
  6. "Faget" (Korn) - 5:49
  7. "Shoots And Ladders" (Korn) - 5:22
  8. "Predictable" (Korn) - 4:32
  9. "Fake" (Korn) - 4:51
  10. "Lies" (Korn) - 3:22
  11. "Helmet In The Bush" (Korn) - 4:02
  12. "Daddy" (Korn) - 17:31

Chart positions

1995  Korn        Heatseekers                 No. 1
1996  Korn        The Billboard 200           No. 72

Personnel