It’s been a struggle for artists to convey their art to fans in the midst of a concert moratorium due to the pandemic. Yet with almost 30 years as a band under their belt, Korn knows how to give the fans what they want through the innovation and creativity they’ve built their brand on. With their latest offering, “Korn: Monumental,” the band brought their signature stage presence to fans all over the world via livestream from a visually stunning overlook in Los Angeles, California. While many live streams have focused on giving audiences an intimate experience, Korn managed to amplify the feel of their electrifying live performance to a new level of massive grandiosity. Making expert use of lighting and aerial shots, the band can be seen from all angles being bathed in the blue and white light as stunning visuals are projected off the enormous screens installed as part “Stranger Things: The Drive-Into Experience.”
The setlist chosen for the performance had something special for fans of all eras of the bands illustrious career. Tracks like “Cold,”“You’ll Never Find Me,” and “Can You Hear Me” were chosen to represent the bands latest release, 2019’s “The Nothing” while fan favorites “Falling Away From Me,” “Freak On a Leash” and show closer “Here To Stay” balanced out the set. There were quite a few surprises in there as well, like the deep cuts “Justin” (off 1998’s “Follow The Leader”), “Dirty” (off 1999’s “Issues”) and “Ball Tongue” (off the bands self-titled studio debut album). Having grown up in the early 2000’s blasting Korn’s criminally underrated 2002 CD “Untouchables” from my broken Walkman, it was a real treat to hear the band cranking out tracks like “Thoughtless,” “Hear To Stay”, and the soul-piercing “Alone I Break.”
Korn, with help from Danny swimmer Presents and the city of Los Angeles, delivered a straightforward heavy metal tour-de-force. They’ve created a piece of raw art that will be sure to scratch the itch of Korn fans young and old. In these days of uncertainty, sometimes the best way to numb the pain is a crunchy bass riff and a heavy dose of “Boom-na-da-noom-na-na-ne-ma Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na. Go!”
If you read that out loud, this livestream is for you.
WORDS BY SCOTT SOMMER
PHOTOS BY STEVE THRASHER (WITH PERMISSION OF DANNY WIMMER PRESENTS)