Korn Guitarist Finds God, Leaves Band

[karyn]

from reuters

By Jonathan Cohen
NEW YORK (Billboard) - Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has parted ways with the hard rock act, citing a recent religious awakening.

Welch broke the news Sunday on Bakersfield, Calif., station KRAB-FM.

"I had it in my heart to come here and explain to you," Welch said. "I'm good friends with Korn. I love those guys, and they love me, and they're very happy for me."

Addressing the aggressive tone of the music he made with Korn, Welch said, "Anger is a good thing, and if kids want to listen to Korn, good, but there's happiness after the anger. I'm going to show it through my actions how much I love my fans."

Welch added that he would be appearing at a local church on Feb. 27, during which time he would "speak (about) how I got to this place in my life, and I'll answer all your questions."

On its official Web site (http://www.korn.com), Korn's remaining members said they respect Welch's wishes and hope "he finds the happiness he is searching for." The group is in the studio working on a new album, due in September, which will be its first since fulfilling its contract with Epic last year.

For now, no replacement for Welch has been named, nor has a new label home for the band.

Reuters/Billboard

[Tequila Zaire]

Can't say I was ever a huge fan of Korn...but hey...if he finds happiness with his choice then more power too him.

[kshearsedriver]

woohoo a job opening..........but that whole pesky west coast/fame thing........ummmmm never mind I'll stay in the midwest and be broke

[hewhoisagod]

Korn actually put on a pretty good live show................. I was starting to like the new stuff, it's a shame really. The band's been together for a long time. at least 12 years if memory serves correct.

[kellie]

I work in a psych hospital in Atlanta, I wish I could mention the "rock stars" who have checked in, because they are totally nuts and found god.

[Tequila Zaire]

Korn actually put on a pretty good live show................. I was starting to like the new stuff, it's a shame really. The band's been together for a long time. at least 12 years if memory serves correct.

That's about 12 years too long.

[hewhoisagod]

That's about 12 years too long.

yeah........... I actually stopped listening to them 8 years ago.

[TheDeathKnight]

You have to give them some credit for coming up with an original sound.

[CarnalxKiss]

You have to give them some credit for coming up with an original sound.

Not a huge fan herer either...but...whatever gives him peace and fufilment...more power to ya!!

[Tequila Zaire]

You have to give them some credit for coming up with an original sound.

I dunno about that...original and Korn really don't go together. I always saw their popularity as a case of timing. When they first popped up they were a mediocre opening act kinda band really...and drowned under the weight of bands with actual you know...what's it called...talent. But as the post "alternative" years came and many big bands of the era died out and other megabands weither went into hiding or made shitty albums Korn seemed to be the only mainstream band catering to their audience. I wouldn't go so far as to call them overrated or mind numbing crap but I wouldn't call them original. They DID get better from album to album but that's really not saying much. Sadly they opened the gates for mediocre bands that now drown the airwaves...like New Found Glory and Good Charlotte...and really any band that likes to mix genres for the sake of mass appeal..or in the case of Good Charlotte to hide the fact that they are a fucking boy band.

[TheDeathKnight]

You don't think their drum technique was original?
The rap tap tapping thing was not mainstream.
Their vocal style was not mainstream.

I'm not defending their music.

I only like a handful of their songs.

But I like to give credit to a band that starts out,
and comes up with an interesting sound, and
sticks to it, rather than playing the same sellout
crap that everyone else plays. The sad thing with
them, and Manson, etc, is that as soon as they
get popular, they are seen as part of the problem.
They are seen as sellouts, and commercial, because
everyone likes them. But they all started out with
a unique sound, and stuck to their guns.

I have much less respect for some of the NuMetal bands,
and the Black Metal bands, that tend to all sound the same.
Even the new punk rock bands all sound the same.
At least when I first heard Korn, it was something
different. I did not love it the way some people did,
but I did acknowledge that it was a unique sound...

[Ellis]

YEEEEEEEEEHAW!

Actually, id be much happier if this was about an ICP schism, or Slipknot, or something like that... Korn is really non-offensive in a multitude of ways, and makes damn good backround music for movies.

[Lange]

Son of Bitch....He found God. Was God playing hide and seek?

[memorydream]

That's kind of interesting to me when people leave bands for religious reasons. Even when I've totally felt I've "changed" myself, I seem to go back to the same old standards (especially when I'm broke). I wonder how long he'll last before they, or he, are begging for a reunion of some kind.

[I_bleed_a_tear]

I'm a fan of Korn...I'm happy that the one has found god or whatever more power to them...altho i'm not to thrilled with there new stuff.

[CPRB]

Son of Bitch....He found God. Was God playing hide and seek?

at first they though he was just some roady dude till he used his heavenly powers to move the amps DDDDDDDDDDUUUUUUUUUUUUUDDDDDDDDDDEEEEE