Why Jonathan Davis Hated Korn Being Called Nu-Metal

Between the Woodstock '99 documentary series on Netflix and the recent announcement of the Sick New World festival next year, there's been a surge in the popularity of nu-metal over the last few months. Korn were one of the pioneers of the rap-metal fusion, and Jonathan Davis has explained why he initially hated the name of it.

While the frontman has come to accept the label in recent years, and has admitted he's proud that his band is known as the one that spearheaded it, he didn't always have such welcoming feelings about being categorized — nor did pretty much any of the other musicians that were too.

"For me, we were making Untouchables, and that was when so many bands were coming out and jumping on the bandwagon. Now I don't mind the tag 'nu-metal' — they named an entire subgenre after my band? Holy shit! That's cool!" Davis told Metal Hammer in a new interview.

"But punk-ass, crazy Korn back then, we were like, 'What the fuck? Fuck everyone! We're going to make this insane record. Keep people guessing.' It had become a parody of itself, [like] 'I don't want to be defined like that!'" he continued. "Nowadays, I don't care, but back then I hated it. I make the music I make… You don't call Metallica 'some thrash band!' They're fucking Metallica! You don't call the Chili Peppers a funk rock band! They're the fucking Chili Peppers!"

Other groups that became associated with the "nu-metal" genre throughout the late '90s and early 2000s were Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, Deftones, Slipknot, Linkin Park, Evanescence, Incubus and Papa Roach, among others. All of the aforementioned groups, with the exception of Limp Bizkit, Slipknot and Linkin Park, will perform with Korn at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas next year. Get all of the details at this location.

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