Korn performed a prescription show in Prague
The American founders of nu-metal Korn presented a show in Prague, which did not surprise anything extra, but was characterized by maximum professionalism and a great setlist, which did not lack any major gems from her long career. The support in the form of the band The Fever333 also worked quite well for the atmosphere of the evening.
Live: Korn
support: The Fever 333
place: Fortuna Sports Hall, Prague
date: May 27, 2022
setlist: Falling Away From Me, Got The Life, Here To Stay, Start The Healing, Cold, Shoots And Ladders, Insane, Lost In The Grandeur, Y’All Want A Single, Worst is on its Way, Coming Undone, Freak On A Vodítko , It’s on! / Trash / Did My Time, Twist, ADIDAS, Drum Solo, Blind
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© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
As the frontman of the main stars of the evening has rightly pointed out, it has been five years since the last visit of California’s Korn nu-metal ancestors to our capital. But the covid was to blame for the gap, because otherwise this legendary group has been coming to us quite regularly since the second half of their existence. The band has managed to release two studio albums in the meantime, and especially behind this year’s “Requeim” cut, it’s obviously worth a lot, because unlike previous shows, it didn’t include only one or two singles from the news, but we saw a few pieces (still in the European part of the tour is missing compared to the US single (“Forgotten”). The evening in the unfortunately traditionally tragically obsolete hall at the Exhibition Center kicked off with the eighth pre-crime festival discovery The Fever 333. This three-member group combines nineties rapmetal with modern rock full of electronics and teenage post hardcore choruses in the style of Bring Me The Horizon. What they definitely can’t believe is the commitment and living energy that sprays hectoliters from their live concerts. Once again, one feels that one does not see the band in the old phase of one’s career, but in its rupture, when the musicians put everything into every performance. Singer Jason Aalon Butler flew around the stage like a madman, and thanks to his short haircut, he recalled the first years of Linkin Park and the then marathon running performances of the late Chester Bennington.
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
He also reminded him of that vocally in some of the vaulted choruses. Frontman’s social-critical speeches, sparked by associations to Zach de la Rocha and Rage Against The Machine, also demonstrated the passion. Unfortunately, the catastrophic sound hurt them a lot and it must be added that compositionally it is definitely not a miracle. Nevertheless, they had a lot of fans in the hall, which is why the atmosphere of the event was right from the very beginning. Korn himself launched his booming depression circus by a quarter to ten, betting on his greatest classics “Falling Away From Me” and “Got The Life”. With this choice and dedication to the publications, it was a great experience from the very beginning and the band held the reins of the evening firmly in their hands. The word professionalism could characterize their entire performance, which was musically absolutely accurate, as perhaps the ever-improving singing of Jonathan Davis every year. He even easily and playfully adjusted some of his older vocal lines, so during the wood classic “Shoots And Ladders” he switched from fake straight to death metal growling with absolute ease.
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
For the last ten years or so, Korn has been relatively dominant over Davis. Unfortunately, it can also be heard on the last records, which maintain their quality standard, but the song structure has become very predictable and, let’s say, classic rock, built precisely for its comfortable vocal performance. Not only the spontaneity of old albums has disappeared (perhaps everyone understands that), but also the desire to experiment. Today, Korn sounds a lot of metal in the traditional sense of the word, including the accentuated role of the singer compared to the original five equivalent works of the resulting stylistic collage. This is not a thought off topic and a confusion of a concert report for a review of the album, but it also applies to a rated show. Don’t get the author wrong, it was a great concert, absolutely accurate, but maybe too much, with an overly dominant frontman. Unfortunately, the guitarist Head is no longer such a personality after his return, or he does not have as much space to express himself as an author, and even live one would expect to see more, including backing vocals.
© Tom Jajo Rozkovec / musicserver.cz
But what you can have absolutely no reservations about is the setlist. No one will really think of a major gem that would be missing that evening. The band also filled the relatively short playing time with the so-called medley, when in one whole at least a part of a song and often a cover will be heard. For example, we didn’t lose “Did My Time” that way. The drum solo may have been a bit superfluous, but Ray Luzier simply has to perform. Original drummer David Silveria played more for the whole. Overall, it was a very successful, maximally professional concert, with a minimalist but impressive concert scene, where there was no major hit and extra pleasing after many years the inclusion of scathing psychopathy “It’s On!”. Korn will probably not be fundamentally surprised, not even in concert, but again, you are sure that you will get what you want, in the maximum professional packaging. When they arrive again in a few years, the concert will probably look very similar. But even such certainty in today’s great life uncertainties can, with its predictability, please and be such a beacon in turbulent times.