Korn rhythm guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer doesn’t think it matters all that much if heavy metal isn’t mainstream. In an interview with Wall Of Sound, Shaffer comments on nu metal being taken over by other styles of music, saying, “if it’s good and it’s coming from a real place, they come a-knocking.”
He also says, “Pop music has evolved into something so synthetic, it’ll get to the point where it’s so not real, if people crave real instruments and someone that’s actually singing live, that whole thing will come around again because there’ll be a need for it. And it comes in waves. And it’s okay, ’cause we’re not in it for the fame; we’re in it for the fans.”
Some interesting words coming from Shaffer. Korn is a band from the ‘90s that is still filling up stadiums to this day. Pop music may be a dominant force in music, but metal has been fighting the good fight thanks to all the young bands kicking ass today. It’s those bands who are pushing the genre in new and exhilarating ways. You may not hear the likes of 200 Stab Wounds or Gatecreeper playing on the casual rock radio channel, these bands are exploding in the world of metal – each of these and many more are captivating ears around the globe. And though nu metal may not be where it once was in the pop culture, metal still finds its way into the mainstream. Just take a look at Bring Me The Horizon, those dudes just performed with Ed Sheeran at a major British awards show!
You can find Shaffer’s interview with Wall Of Sound below:
Korn just released their 14th studio album, Requiem as of February 4th. And hey, ICYMI, check out this killer fan captured video of Korn performing “Layla” at a backyard party in 1993.
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Words by: Michael Pementel
