Brian ‘Head’ Welch Speaks on Korn Creating Nu Metal

Korn is perhaps linked to the nu-metal movement more than any other band. The group's guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch recently spoke to Metal Hammer about the band being credited as the creators of nu metal.

“We’re proud to be seen as scene elders,” says Head. He went on to say that many nu-metal bands didn't like the title, mostly because it was given to them rather than being something they created themselves.

"When you’re in a band, you want to call the shots, you want to be In charge of your branding, and it was someone else who branded us that," Head explains. "And so we were like, No, that's not cool. So we didn't like it.

“But nu metal, love it or hate it, and Korn, has stood the test of time. And we're very grateful that we can be looked at as the originators, and that we started something that still reverberates all these decades later, and people are still liking it."

Additionally, he spoke about the energy that surrounds the genre.

“The nu-metal era was a fun time,” Head insists. “I'll tell you what, you know, these type of shows, there were no boring shows. People can say all they want about nu metal, or whatever, but you come to a Korn show, you’re going to see energy, you're going to see a party, and it’s going to be a fun time. Even as we're getting older, it's still just a rush, every show. We love our fans, we love the energy, and we’re grateful for what we created.”

Earlier this week, Korn released the second single from their forthcoming album Requiem, the melodic "Forgotten." Before the release, Korn hid easter eggs throughout the internet to tease the new track.