“We’re Not Afraid To Experiment And Try New Things”

Korn‘s drummer, Ray Luzier, has been keeping the beat for the nu-metal pioneers since 2007, and in a recent interview with Modern Drummer‘s David Frangioni, he reflected on some of his favorite memories with the band, from crafting chart-topping hits to diving headfirst into dubstep experiments.

“I love doing a new record and I love touring to support that… Now that I’m a part of the band, writing with them, being on a record, and then going out and playing those songs live. I love the classics.”

While Korn thrives on a collaborating creative approach, Luzier remembered occasional solo gems: “Sometimes Jon will bring in a finished idea — there’s a song, ‘Never Never’, off of The Paradigm Shift‘ that was a good single for us. It went to No. 1. And that was completely Jonathan.”

“He brought us a song that he wrote, composed it all. And we were, like, ‘Wow, this is catchy. What do we do?’ He said ‘Do whatever you want.’ The drum programming that he put on there was very simple. And I ended up doing a very simplistic part because I didn’t wanna squash the song. It was such a beautifully melodic song. So there’s stuff like that that he brought in,” Luzier recalled.

But Korn isn’t afraid to push boundaries. Luzier remembered the dubstep detour of The Path Of Totality, a bold move that divided fans but also attracted new ones.

“We went full-blown dubstep in 2012 on The Path Of Totality, and Skrillex and 12th Planet and all these dubstep DJs were a part of our existence. And that was a complete left turn. It made some people angry and it also gained some new fans that liked that style of music.”

Experimentation is a Korn hallmark, evident in their diverse discography. Luzier praised The Serenity Of Suffering and The Nothing for their unique flavors and lauded the recent Requiem album for its old-school, jam-room vibe. Witnessing these diverse “roots grow into the song” and resonate with fans is what truly excites him.

“That’s one thing I love about this band. We’re not afraid to experiment and try new things. But going from The Paradigm Shift to The Serenity Of Suffering, which is one of my favorite records. The Nothing is also one of my favorites. And the last one Requiem, we went kind of old school, partly analog, went back to just, like, ‘Let’s get in a room and jam,’ that kind of vibe. And that some of the best moments for me, is watching these roots grow into the song. It becomes something that appeals to the crowds. They’re singing the words back. There’s no better feeling, than rockin’ out on stage, whether it’s 500 or 50,000 people, feeling that energy. You can never, ever replace a live experience.”