Guitarist leaves Korn to pursue Christian rock

[ELVIS]

Associated Press

Feb. 24, 2005 (http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0224Korn-ON.html)

http://www.followtheleader.20m.com/images/brian_head_welch.jpg

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - A founding member of Korn is leaving the band to focus on his religious beliefs.

"Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end," said a statement posted Tuesday on Korn's Web site.

Welch told The Bakersfield Californian that his decision might be surprising to some. "A lot of people think I'm crazy. I don't care."

Welch said he'd become increasingly disenchanted with producing heavy metal music that invokes dark and morbid images.

"Those guys in the band, they're not bad guys. They're just a bunch of kids getting marketed how these guys in the big corporate firms want to do," Welch said. "It makes us look like bad people, but we're really just a bunch of kids who never had a chance to grow up."

Korn is working on its eighth album, set for release later this year. The band's self-titled 1994 debut album sold more than 2 million copies.




:elvis:

[ELVIS]

WELCH LEAVES KORN

Christianity of Brian ‘Head’ Welch is catalyst in his leaving Korn.

THE GUITARIST and founding member of million selling hard rock band Korn, Brian “Head” “Welch, has left the group and rededicated his life to Christianity, according to the group’s management. A statement from the band read, “Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his Savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end. Korn respects Brian's wishes and hopes he finds the happiness he's searching for."

The announcement puts to rest weeks of rumours that Welch was unhappy with Korn's direction. On February 8, he had apparently written a "letter of resignation" to the band's management. In the note, Welch detailed a long list of reasons for leaving the band, including increased moral objections to Korn's music and videos. In particular, he was upset by how he was portrayed in the clip for their cover of Cameo's “Word Up”, off their recently released ‘Greatest Hits, Vol 1’ album. In the video, Welch's face was superimposed on a dog patrolling a strip club.

"I can go up there and play those songs and those solos but ... I distanced myself from Korn for probably a year and a half, two years. I just wanted to fade away, it was crazy. I was so gone," Welch told Bakersfield, California, radio station KRAB on Sunday. "But I found my way out and I want to help anyone that wants to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I had to go through the lows to appreciate the highs and it's not perfect but it's damn near." Welch plans on further explaining his decision to leave Korn this coming Sunday, when he'll address the congregation at the Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California. And on February 28 he plans to leave for Israel.



:elvis:

[FORD]

Good for him, but he's no Phil Keaggy.

Now the obvious question: Why is this thread here?

[LoungeMachine]

Originally posted by FORD
Good for him, but he's no Phil Keaggy.

Now the obvious question: Why is this thread here?

Strength in numbers

It validates their beliefs

[FORD]

Well, as of right now, it can validate the House of Music.

[ELVIS]

:rolleyes:

[FORD]

Quit your bitchin... There wasn't anything remotely political about this thread.

[Rikk]

LMFAO!!!

[PhilFlappoRogan]

I find it amusing when the mods quibble

[Golden AWe]

I've been in the same situation with my cousin...we use to make music for fun, years ago...taped a lot of wacko stuff...nowadays he's concetrating on christian metal and rock, and I've put up a new band...LOL