Brian "Head" Welch of Korn at Replay Guitar Exchange

you [Music] I told the story earlier about a monkey and how he came across the seven-string so it's cool it's pretty cool cuz I got him playing his electric and getting serious about his guitar he and I inspired him because I came over my house he was playing acoustic trying to get that Land of the Lost going again and and so he came on my house and I just played like note-for-note besides the solo docking songs George Lynch is a beast right I love I love George Lynch so um he he was like oh my gosh this guy's you know my age and he's playing these songs and he's killing it and it just sparked something in him he's like man I want to play I want to get an electric and so I wanted a Charvel at the time that would look like Lynch's so I said I said no monkey I said hey won't you buy my guitar and you know sell you this it sounded good it looked good it was like one of those own I think this BC Rich like a star I don't know I forget but uh so I jacked up the price like 100 bucks more than what I bought it for and his dad paid it and so cuz I won the Charvel and it was brand-new and so that's the story that I ripped monkey off of the but I inspired him right but then it turned around like a you know five years later he inspired me because he got the seven string and when I got into the band you know we just it was all because of him it was all Steve ID inventing that guitar you know so we get props to him but monkey was the one that would that went after it and then once we got together and it felt so good to be back with with monkey and Fillion playing again too because you know we had that history and we did go separate ways with different styles and genres or whatever that we were into because of the Faith No More and the Chili Peppers and I was always metal you know I just want to stay metal and so to come back into that relationship with him musically I couldn't I couldn't bond with any musicians I don't know why I think it was meant to be but every every door like closed it was either a flake or or just like it wasn't a good match so you know and so music musical products musical just relationships didn't work after I met the guys those guys when we were kids so when I got back together with them we just started writing just all every song was on the low register that low B this is maybe I don't know what this to new snark tuner who cares but so yeah we came up with this we just wanted to get weird another one of our inspirations were a band called mr. bungle yeah right and they were just doing that that you know back in 89 or whatever it's like you know you're used to hair bands on the MTV every day it's not melody or you know what I'm saying and this bands like and they go like we went saw him in Northern California and they went up they went up on the stage in the dish wing [Music] there for like ten minutes just like we were like what the hell is this crowd start booing them you know they wouldn't nothing they didn't give a rip they're so weird and so we got heavily inspired by them and yes I'll just say it we could just rip him off straight so when we started blind you know we came up with that intro that weird chord and then my first chords were you can tell the influence it's the same bunker chord then then we brought it into the song [Music] [Applause] you know that back and forth thing with me and monkey and so the cool thing was corn was we took a bit of influence from different things cuz we still love the melody we love bungo in the weirdness but what if we took a little bit of that weirdness put it into some heavy groove like Sepultura and prong and biohazard and these and then we had some you know cool melody choruses and just put it in a pot and stirred it so you had weirdness melody hooks groove power you know what I'm saying and so that's what that's what started our sound and rage against machine was a huge influence to because their live shows and they're like dynamics you know they that we borrowed off a lot of influences and so but we but when we you know started it was a it was it morphed into our own unique thing and so in that first record I mean here's the bungle chord again that our song divine [Music] and so you know Jonathan adds his vocals and and and just weird style of singing and you go around you doesn't sound like bungle at all right it sounds like just something new and so great record and then we we always like things that sounded out of tune and you know and just weird like again like that chutes and ladders you know beautiful beautiful bagpipe thing comes in it's like it's got reverb and delay on it and I remember he there we're in Malibu what was it called indigo ranch recording studio and Jonathan walked down this driveway or up this driveway and the might he miked the he put the mics outside Ross did and so you can hear the birds chirping and everything that's in Malibu Hills up there and he's walk yeah he's walking down the driveway with his bagpipes you can hear it getting closer and closer and then that just you know simple but just kind of groovy and hooky and then this to me it's like a Soundgarden he's you know just bit but it's a kind of a unique Bend it just sounds trippy that uh [Music] we called it the bumblebee you know because if you get you got to guitar players doing it it's just like dreamy you know so simple right but it was just like you know that again the weird thing it was we sounded weird and so we were like BAM and then so we hit that I love the chord we did the mute and then that like one stroke of the bumblebee with the mutely [Applause] [Music] there it is he I do it on this pickup so yeah so that was that record and we got the sound out there radio was like we ain't playing this what is this it was like dave like dave you know he said either this is gonna bomb or it's gonna be huge like you can't go either can't go in the middle there but um so but our live show is what you know heavy heavily influenced by Rage Against machines live show especially Zach you know how he's just flipping his dreads around and just going for it and we were like what if we the whole band like just went nuts you know instead of because the other guys enraged they were they you know they groove to but it was more like a just and we we kind of were like what if it didn't really we didn't sit down and today let's just have different characters you know and we'll all look like different it would just happened because we liked style we you know we loved the hip-hop we loved to industrial it you know Jonathan grew up in like um the goth scene and he wore skirts and stuff and makeup to school and all kinds of weird stuff so we we had a balance like of like that that thing that goth weird thing like the this he was wearing skirts you know at the club's that we were at when before we got signed and then Fieldy he was all in the hip-hop you know the L a gangster scene and all that and in so uh Cypress Hill you know and then then we were but but Phil they also loved Pantera so it was a thing where were ya you know there's a lot of influences man and so that it just worked you know so we toured that record came back and did Life is peachy really fast like two months recorded written recorded done out back on the road and we started touring with bands like Deftones and so we got a little bit more I think we were going a little bit more catchy on that record but it was still just weird like that uh that song adidas you know here's the guitar riff this is not tuned right [Music] you you know what I mean and it's like simple but it had like a kind of a hook thing to it and then the chorus was here monkey wrote this [Music] it's really you know it's nice got a nice melody kind of simple and everything but and then but just the bass dude the bass was the fieldy's bass tone that they got early on it was just so deep and rich and just slapping and so on that bridge part you know it was all about the feel of the band you know it wasn't really technical but it was like what makes you move what makes you feel something you know and so the drums the bass of guitar and the vocals everything it's just kind of combined to something good so that was that record and moving along you know we grew we started getting played on MTV a little bit you know we got a heavy not heavy rotation like lip just kind of mediocre rotation on MTV I remember my dad was he would get up in the mornings and he got a treadmill and everything and turn on MTV just going through the channels was on the treadmill and he saw me like getting zipped up in a body bag on that video and he's like I don't I don't like that video you know we painted dad with the makeup and all that and so that was kind of cool to see the growth and we put we toured with bands like Deftones and did theater runs and then we got bigger tours it was it was an honor on our first tour like to our first record to open for Megadeth and yeah man it's like great great you were there - yeah I mean I was well I was I used to love my you know watch Megadeth on MTV every day and just just a cool unique sound that they had and and so really 95 dude crazy 25 years old I was but uh so and then the aussie tour and everything we didn't know what to think cuz I mean dude Ozzy was my jam when I was when I was little and so just to see him like every day back we didn't really hang out with him because he was just kept to himself a lot but we did a little bit you know and he I remember him and Sharon brought us a bottle of champagne when our record went gold on that tour and so yeah and he told us he was just like I don't congratulate you you know I was gonna go and then Sharon's like it interpreted for him you know we think you guys are gonna go very far on this interest in industry so get ready you're gonna have a great career it's easy cuz she kind of spoke it out you know and so that was really cool it was it was surreal actually because I had followed Ozzy like his his whole career and I'm just blown away to be able to be on a panel with you know the guys tomorrow for the great producers had done you know blizzard of aahhhs diary of man man and and Toby Wright who did follow the leader with us which I will get into now that that album we just you know we're just friends we grew up together like I said earlier and we got into a room and wrote music and that was it and just whatever came out and so I think it had something to do with destiny and in everything and so that's what we did and follow the leader and you know the song got the life had that disco beat we were scared of that we were like you know cuz we're known for being heavy and and whatnot and adidas was a little bit more of like a had a lot more melody and everything but it still had the heaviness and so when he came out when David came out with that disco beat you know monkey came up with the risk [Music] [Applause] and I'm like dude we can't do disco beat we're corn you know and we were all scared you know and then Jonathan came up with the with the with the verse though hey something some dots on my table that kick out the froth oh my you know he's he's got screaming it kind of we're like okay that can kind of work because he's he's like heavy voice jar you know and so when he came up with the with the chorus to the lyrics like I remember it just hit like monkey actually said it first it was like [Music] [Applause] whatever I can't sing him play but uh it was God page to me they had the pages back then when we play it live we should be like God text to me because times have changed but yeah it was just so that song it was weird again it the weird thing came into factor but it was it was kind of like you know disco II but with like screaming but with a cool chorus a hooky chorus and so when that came out of the box man empty B was like that song is awesome radio was like okay now we can play corn and it was but it was still corn right it was on the edge of like okay maintenance what it wasn't like selling out it was like we are us but it was a little bit more towards okay this is a little bit more acceptable so maybe we'll start playing them so heavy heavy rotation MTV they actually made a rule for TRL that countdown show because of that video because the fans wouldn't stop voting for it we had a second single and it was still like getting number top three or whatever so they came up with a rule if you're on the countdown for this long you have to retire the video so they retail we're the first retiree forgot the life and then of course freak on Elyse and we hear that song yeah that uh that song was amazing we wrote that too you know what I liked about that record is we were at the awesome I didn't know you're there and but uh we were like our best friends then you know we we just buy our no management anybody we went into the studio and we just hung out for eight hours a day just wrote laughed in all five of us not four not three Jonathan was there the whole time and we just had fun man we wrote all these songs together you know and you know monkeys day what's monkeys part we're gonna learn it sorry I didn't have a sound check monkeys party there it is that haunting like scary thing you know [Music] me but in its and it's kind of a major you know this sounds like a horror movie some dead chicks and his vocals major so it kind of like it was it was I loved how Jonathan did that he he had the the major feel when we sounded scary and it just kind of mixed together sounded even more creepy because his pretty melody lines over a creepy music was just it just kind of worked you know and so then after that you know those verses came in whatever and then the pre-chorus [Music] nice and nice melody and everything [Music] really hooky and everything but then we get all weird again that bungle influence always comes back manda the bridge yeah Jonathan was in into all that like us he got it from hip hop like remember that hip hop early hip hop they did that like the reggae feel from underneath um but I doubt whatever he took that and I don't know what he it was like early in the day he wasn't on math he wasn't drinking or nothing he just did this I'm gonna go back to the record before that life is peachy he just came in one day and goes got back and we're like what the hell was that Ross Robinson was like dude I just I used to love that when I get a thing but he put some more rasp on her we're like dude do that again and then so we caught them you know the groove of it and we just we're discord you know we wrote a riff with that chord [Music] hell is that we started the damn record with that and it's like wow okay so isn't that cool because we could have you know something that abstract and out there and then and then adidas where it's like pretty it was a balance you know the balance of like cool melody and just out there and so all that to say I went back to that record bro yeah a thing but freak on a leash he brought that back a dump um or just like to your dis so weird and awesome and then you know it's just so out there and it's like go boy dr. Gottman I mean it was just like dude I got the best singer ever right I was so proud to be in a band with him and in the riffs just our backing of his like intensity was just so so cool and so I'm so proud of that record man and we're gonna talk about that record a lot tomorrow with Toby right yeah the immediate sense though one of the gentlemen who produced that record so I think that's all the time we have won't you go one more thing okay good I gotta use the whammy man oh you set it up in a relay so this is 20 minutes right now so give me two more perfect okay we weren't low enough already we started to hear to stay record by that time you guys the the the record industry was just that so much money and we were we were so big that we basically spent like two or three million dollars on this record we got houses in Phoenix when one had a stripper pole put in it one had all of our gear and we wrote these songs in the basement and it was like I was trying to get sober because my wife had left me and she got hooked on crystal meth had these skinheads moving our house I almost committed murder by hiring someone to offer I mean it was bad and so I got sober and everything and meanwhile we wrote this song it was another weird drum beat but filthy I think came up with the riff like he was on his bass is going which is that a nice hook to it you know and we just hit it you know and we found these whammy pedals digitech whammy pedals which if we weren't low enough already it brings an octave down and so well almost knocked a tooth out but uh and they just got the killer killer low sound uh michael bine horn was the producer he got it so i just want to highlight that riff before i go [Applause] [Applause] you know what I mean just really heavy it just head-bobbing just you feel it you know really simple but you feel it and so that that record just brought us to another level and you know I think I'll just stop there because they only gave me 20 minutes but I mean just it it's really uh we're really blessed and we were really creative and I'm proud of my brother's of what we created and you know 20 who would have thought 25 years later we're still going and you know Jonathan had a rough year but we're coming out strong tomorrow his music and his fans are healing you know and so we appreciate all you guys that come out to the show and everything and just you know think about us you know cuz it was been a really hard year and so we can't wait to see you guys get back out in the road you know and rock and roll just keeps us all you know young and and and really just driving you know - it makes us feel better right rock and roll is so good so yeah it's gonna people say what they want about rock and roll but it's gonna come back and it's doing fine to me anyway already so yeah give it up for Brian Head Welch everybody [Music]

Channel: Replay Guitar Exchange

Views: 1,546,401

Keywords: korn, brian head welch, esp guitars, guitar clinic, replay guitar exchange, play back music expo, orange amplifiers

Id: QMdEG1-jY3Q

Length: 23min 22sec (1402 seconds)

Published: Thu Jan 03 2019

Reddit Comments

[u/4thFloorShh]

I remember reading that Patton felt seriously ashamed about inspiring the whole "Nu Metal" thing in the early 2000s.

[u/whales-are-assholes]

And Primus took a jab at Korn, full circle.

[u/[deleted]]

404

[u/ruinawish]

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