Jonathan Davis Hated When Korn Were Called Nü Metal

There are things in this world that we all simply know to be true. The sky is blue, grass is green and Korn are a nü metal band. The latter fact, however, used to bother Korn frontman Jonathan Davis, as he explained in a new interview with Metal Hammer.

Apparently, around the time that Korn were really taking off in the early 2000s, Davis noticed a lot of other bands also using the nü metal tag. His response?

“For me, we were making Untouchables and that was when so many bands were coming out and jumping on the [nü-metal] bandwagon. Now I don’t mind the tag ‘nü metal’ – they named an entire subgenre after my band? Holy shit! That’s cool! – but punk-ass, crazy Korn back then, we were like, ‘What the fuck? Fuck everyone! We’re going to make tis insane record. Keep people guessing.’ It had become a parody of itself – ‘I don’t want to be defined like that!’”

He went on to explain that he’s more relaxed about it now but likened his feelings to how people don’t refer to Metallica as “some thrash band.”

“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!”

I don’t know about you guys, but I totally call Metallica a thrash band. In fact, you could argue that Metallica are the thrash band. Davis also discussed the band’s desire to always have final say on the music and presentation of the band and music.

“We always told them that it was going to be our way or no way. We got into fights with magazines, fights with video directors, literal physical altercations, because we were so sure that it wasn’t going to go down like that.”