Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer says the band trawl music streaming sites to be inspired by new music.
Munky says the group – who re-released latest album The Paradigm Shift in an expanded package last year – prefer to listen to current acts rather than harking back to older influences when it comes to writing new material.
He tells Rock Sins: “We try to constantly look on SoundCloud or whatever it is and try to see what people are doing. Or just try to get inspired by music that’s yet to be discovered. We have always done that.
“I think we’ve always tried to stay on the cutting edge of recording techniques and technology and like, ‘Oh listen to this sound. Listen to these sounds.’ I think that’s where the dubstep came into play was we’ve always tried to capture that low-end, that big, heavy bass.
“And the electronic stuff was that extra branch to the tree that needed to grow a little bit and see where it took us.”
The Paradigm Shift recording sessions saw Munky and co welcome back guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch for the first time since 2003’s Take A Look In The Mirror.
And for Munky, it felt like the band were finally able to discard the crutch they were using in Head’s absence.
He adds: “When he left it was very difficult for us. Somebody can’t just come in and replace your best friend and your band mate that’s been there from the beginning.
“But now with him back it’s kind of a lot of pressure taken off me and it’s become fun. There were a lot of ups and downs when he wasn’t there. When we went out on the road live and had to hire different guys. Shane Gibson, rest his soul, who passed away last year, and it was just a mishmash of personalities, you know, did they get it? Did they not get it?
“It just never felt right, but we got by. It was like somebody that’s walking with crutches temporarily until something heals. It was like, you broke your leg or something.”
Korn have just wrapped up the UK leg of the Prepare For Hell tour with Slipknot and King 810.
