And it’s also given rise to some impossible mashups that should never work, and yet somehow they do.

Case in point: A YouTuber called William Maranci has released a viral mashup a few days ago, impossibly wedding “Circle of Life” from Disney’s 1994 The Lion King with Korn’s “Freak on a Leash” from their 1998 album Follow the Leader.

On paper, this should never have happened. These two songs are so tonally different it is hard to imagine they could ever co-exist, let alone support each other. “Circle of Life” is an African-themed anthem of optimism, while “Freak on a Leash” is a harsh and dark song, complete with Korn’s signature heavily distorted guitars. 

But this is where the magic takes place: When Jonathan Davis’ vocals are superimposed over the Disney music, they somehow harmonize in a way that takes out much of their poignancy — unless, of course, ones listen to the words rather than just the melody. 

The result is a surprisingly uplifting hymn that sounds almost like a prayer. In true mashup fashion, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. 

The only question remaining is how to name this hybrid; comments to the video seem to be divided between “The Lion Korn” and “The Circle of Leash”. What do you think?

The post Viral Lion King/Korn Mashup is Unexpectedly Awesome appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“It’s good to be in good company,” he said in an interview to Maniacs. “Slipknot’s doing really good. I’ve been watching those guys since they were just little f***ing kids beating the f**k out of each other on stage…And to see what they’ve blossomed into is amazing.”

“And then f**k, everyone’s been waiting for a Tool record for how long?” he shifted his attention to his senior rockers. “They’re an amazing band. It just feels really good to see, you know? It feels like a camaraderie of bands. One band being successful helps all of us because we’re becoming a dying breed.”

Despite the success Slipknot, Tool, and even Korn had this year, Davis isn’t happy with how things are run by record companies. “I feel like since the music industry took a turn that there are no more labels willing to spend money to help rock artists be bigger than life rock and roll things anymore,” he complained.

But still, no one can argue with success: “It’s awesome to see that bands like us are still out there doing this and we’re flying the flag for rock n roll. There’s still people who want to come see that and enjoy that.”

The post Jonathan Davis: “Rock Bands are a Dying Breed, But People Still Want to See Us” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“We were ultimately just outcasts. Nobody knew what to f***ing do with us in the early days,” said frontman Jonathan Davis to Kerrang!. “We were doing tours with No Doubt, Pennywise, and KMFDM, but the metal community took us in. We had distorted guitars and were heavy, but no-one knew what to do with us.

“We didn’t fit in anywhere. Who’s this guy with a f***in’ tracksuit playing bagpipes? It’s the weirdest f**ing sh*t,” he added, referring to the song “Shoots and Ladders”.

For many years Davis resented the nu-metal title, not willing to be labeled and be put in a box. But it seems that he has since made his peace with this particular label:

“If we invented nu-metal then f**k yeah, cool. It’s pretty cool to say we helped invent some kind of movement, that’s pretty insane. The last big movement was us. Other bands helped along the way, but we spearheaded that whole thing.”

Korn’s new album, titled The Nothing, is scheduled to come out later this month. In the meanwhile, here’s a Jonathan Davis that has outgrown tracksuits, playing some mean pipes:

The post Jonathan Davis: Korn Invented Nu-Metal appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Munky shared on social media he decided to sit out the shows because he and his wife await the birth of their third-born, a daughter.

“Since our family is waiting any day now for the birth of our daughter, I won’t be performing starting on Tuesday, August 6 through Sunday, August 11,” he wrote. “I’ll be back in Detroit. I’m going to miss you all very much on those dates.”

Joining the band temporarily is JR Bareis, who played alongside Brian “Head” Welch in his Love and Death band and was also a member of Islander and also played with the band Spoken.

“But, you’re in great hands with our close friend and brother J.R. Bareis who is filling in for me,” he added, “and of course the rest of Korn who will carry the load. Thank you to all of our fans for your understanding and support!”

Bareis will sit in for the band’s performances in Wantagh (N.Y.), Holmdel (N.J.), Mansfield (Mass.), Hartford (Ct.) and Saratoga Springs (N.Y.). 

The post Korn Guitarist to Temporarily Sit Out of Band’s North American Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Lead singer Jonathan Davis and guitar player James “Munky” Shaffer discussed this idea in a recent Q&A at the Live Nation offices in Los Angeles. They’ve recorded a bunch of covers over the years, and it’s just a matter of time before they share them with the world.

“There’s a handful of cover songs that nobody’s ever heard before. We’ve been talking about the cover album forever. But it’s making its way because each year we kind of add to the pile of i. We recorded a couple of more for this [album session] and put it aside,” said the duo.

Korn’s next album is hitting the shelves on September 13th, and they’ve already unveiled the first single “You’ll Never Find Me”.

The post Korn Thinking of Releasing a Covers Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The band announced that the record, titled The Nothing, will be out on September 13th. The album will serve as a follow up to Grammy-nominated The Serenity of Suffering from 2016.

Alongside the announcement, the band also released a new track, “You’ll Never Find Me,” which serves as the first single for the album.

“Deep within our Earth lives an extraordinary force,” said singer Jonathan Davis in a statement.

“Very few are aware of the magnitude and significance of this place where good/evil, dark/light, bliss/torment, loss/gain and hope/despair all exist as one, pulling at us every moment of our lives. It’s not something we can choose to navigate, but rather an awareness of this ‘presence’ that surrounds us with every breath, as if we are being watched at every moment.  It’s the place where black and white energies attach themselves to our souls and shape our emotion, choices, perspective and ultimately our very existence. There is a miraculous and small realm within this vortex, and it’s the only place where balance between these dynamic and polarizing forces exists — where the soul finds its refuge. Welcome to… The Nothing.”

Korn started recording their new album in late 2018, with guitarist Brian Welch revealing at the time that Nick Raskulinecz will produce the project. Welch also indicated that some of the tracks for the album were co-written with Goldfinger’s frontman John Feldmann, while Blink 182’s Travis Barker joins in on drums.

The post Korn’s New Album “The Nothing” Coming in September appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The three-day event will take place between May 10 and 12, and it will feature over 65 across four stages, located at the Rockingham Festival Grounds in Richmond County.

“The creation of the ‘Epicenter of rock n’ roll’ in the heart of North Carolina gives us the ability to expand on the festival experience… all highlighted by a massive music lineup covering the spectrum of rock, metal, and alternative rock music. There’s always the next level to strive for – and after 8 great years of Carolina Rebellion, Epicenter is that next level,” explained festival producer Danny Wimmer.

Korn, Tool and Foo Fighters aren’t the only popular bands taking part in this head-banging music event. Rob Zombie, The Prodigy, Judas Priest and Bring Me the Horizon are also set to perform at 2019 addition of Epicenter Festival.

The post Massive Lineup For 2019 Epicenter Festival Is Here To Rock Your World appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“[Guitarists] ‘Head’ and ‘Munky’ have been writing with a couple different producers, working on riffs and putting them down, cataloging everything,” Davis told WhatCulture on Wednesday. “We’re gonna get together as a band in July and start putting their ideas together in the studio and start working on it. So, yeah, it’s in the future, definitely. When I get back after this European run, I start writing vocals for the stuff that they’ve done. We’re gonna keep working through the year, so hopefully, we’ll have one out, probably, this time next year.”

Besides working on a new album with Korn, Jonathan Davis is also busy promoting his debut solo album Black Labyrinth. The album, which was 15 years in the making according to Davis himself, was released on May 25th, 2018, and received favorable reviews from the critics. He is currently touring in support of the album with scheduled shows in Europe.

The post Korn Aiming to Release New Album in the Summer of 2019 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

And it’s also given rise to some impossible mashups that should never work, and yet somehow they do.

Case in point: A YouTuber called William Maranci has released a viral mashup a few days ago, impossibly wedding “Circle of Life” from Disney’s 1994 The Lion King with Korn’s “Freak on a Leash” from their 1998 album Follow the Leader.

On paper, this should never have happened. These two songs are so tonally different it is hard to imagine they could ever co-exist, let alone support each other. “Circle of Life” is an African-themed anthem of optimism, while “Freak on a Leash” is a harsh and dark song, complete with Korn’s signature heavily distorted guitars. 

But this is where the magic takes place: When Jonathan Davis’ vocals are superimposed over the Disney music, they somehow harmonize in a way that takes out much of their poignancy — unless, of course, ones listen to the words rather than just the melody. 

The result is a surprisingly uplifting hymn that sounds almost like a prayer. In true mashup fashion, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. 

The only question remaining is how to name this hybrid; comments to the video seem to be divided between “The Lion Korn” and “The Circle of Leash”. What do you think?

The post Viral Lion King/Korn Mashup is Unexpectedly Awesome appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“It’s good to be in good company,” he said in an interview to Maniacs. “Slipknot’s doing really good. I’ve been watching those guys since they were just little f***ing kids beating the f**k out of each other on stage…And to see what they’ve blossomed into is amazing.”

“And then f**k, everyone’s been waiting for a Tool record for how long?” he shifted his attention to his senior rockers. “They’re an amazing band. It just feels really good to see, you know? It feels like a camaraderie of bands. One band being successful helps all of us because we’re becoming a dying breed.”

Despite the success Slipknot, Tool, and even Korn had this year, Davis isn’t happy with how things are run by record companies. “I feel like since the music industry took a turn that there are no more labels willing to spend money to help rock artists be bigger than life rock and roll things anymore,” he complained.

But still, no one can argue with success: “It’s awesome to see that bands like us are still out there doing this and we’re flying the flag for rock n roll. There’s still people who want to come see that and enjoy that.”

The post Jonathan Davis: “Rock Bands are a Dying Breed, But People Still Want to See Us” appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“We were ultimately just outcasts. Nobody knew what to f***ing do with us in the early days,” said frontman Jonathan Davis to Kerrang!. “We were doing tours with No Doubt, Pennywise, and KMFDM, but the metal community took us in. We had distorted guitars and were heavy, but no-one knew what to do with us.

“We didn’t fit in anywhere. Who’s this guy with a f***in’ tracksuit playing bagpipes? It’s the weirdest f**ing sh*t,” he added, referring to the song “Shoots and Ladders”.

For many years Davis resented the nu-metal title, not willing to be labeled and be put in a box. But it seems that he has since made his peace with this particular label:

“If we invented nu-metal then f**k yeah, cool. It’s pretty cool to say we helped invent some kind of movement, that’s pretty insane. The last big movement was us. Other bands helped along the way, but we spearheaded that whole thing.”

Korn’s new album, titled The Nothing, is scheduled to come out later this month. In the meanwhile, here’s a Jonathan Davis that has outgrown tracksuits, playing some mean pipes:

The post Jonathan Davis: Korn Invented Nu-Metal appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Munky shared on social media he decided to sit out the shows because he and his wife await the birth of their third-born, a daughter.

“Since our family is waiting any day now for the birth of our daughter, I won’t be performing starting on Tuesday, August 6 through Sunday, August 11,” he wrote. “I’ll be back in Detroit. I’m going to miss you all very much on those dates.”

Joining the band temporarily is JR Bareis, who played alongside Brian “Head” Welch in his Love and Death band and was also a member of Islander and also played with the band Spoken.

“But, you’re in great hands with our close friend and brother J.R. Bareis who is filling in for me,” he added, “and of course the rest of Korn who will carry the load. Thank you to all of our fans for your understanding and support!”

Bareis will sit in for the band’s performances in Wantagh (N.Y.), Holmdel (N.J.), Mansfield (Mass.), Hartford (Ct.) and Saratoga Springs (N.Y.). 

The post Korn Guitarist to Temporarily Sit Out of Band’s North American Tour appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

Lead singer Jonathan Davis and guitar player James “Munky” Shaffer discussed this idea in a recent Q&A at the Live Nation offices in Los Angeles. They’ve recorded a bunch of covers over the years, and it’s just a matter of time before they share them with the world.

“There’s a handful of cover songs that nobody’s ever heard before. We’ve been talking about the cover album forever. But it’s making its way because each year we kind of add to the pile of i. We recorded a couple of more for this [album session] and put it aside,” said the duo.

Korn’s next album is hitting the shelves on September 13th, and they’ve already unveiled the first single “You’ll Never Find Me”.

The post Korn Thinking of Releasing a Covers Album appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The band announced that the record, titled The Nothing, will be out on September 13th. The album will serve as a follow up to Grammy-nominated The Serenity of Suffering from 2016.

Alongside the announcement, the band also released a new track, “You’ll Never Find Me,” which serves as the first single for the album.

“Deep within our Earth lives an extraordinary force,” said singer Jonathan Davis in a statement.

“Very few are aware of the magnitude and significance of this place where good/evil, dark/light, bliss/torment, loss/gain and hope/despair all exist as one, pulling at us every moment of our lives. It’s not something we can choose to navigate, but rather an awareness of this ‘presence’ that surrounds us with every breath, as if we are being watched at every moment.  It’s the place where black and white energies attach themselves to our souls and shape our emotion, choices, perspective and ultimately our very existence. There is a miraculous and small realm within this vortex, and it’s the only place where balance between these dynamic and polarizing forces exists — where the soul finds its refuge. Welcome to… The Nothing.”

Korn started recording their new album in late 2018, with guitarist Brian Welch revealing at the time that Nick Raskulinecz will produce the project. Welch also indicated that some of the tracks for the album were co-written with Goldfinger’s frontman John Feldmann, while Blink 182’s Travis Barker joins in on drums.

The post Korn’s New Album “The Nothing” Coming in September appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

The three-day event will take place between May 10 and 12, and it will feature over 65 across four stages, located at the Rockingham Festival Grounds in Richmond County.

“The creation of the ‘Epicenter of rock n’ roll’ in the heart of North Carolina gives us the ability to expand on the festival experience… all highlighted by a massive music lineup covering the spectrum of rock, metal, and alternative rock music. There’s always the next level to strive for – and after 8 great years of Carolina Rebellion, Epicenter is that next level,” explained festival producer Danny Wimmer.

Korn, Tool and Foo Fighters aren’t the only popular bands taking part in this head-banging music event. Rob Zombie, The Prodigy, Judas Priest and Bring Me the Horizon are also set to perform at 2019 addition of Epicenter Festival.

The post Massive Lineup For 2019 Epicenter Festival Is Here To Rock Your World appeared first on Hot Pop Today.

“[Guitarists] ‘Head’ and ‘Munky’ have been writing with a couple different producers, working on riffs and putting them down, cataloging everything,” Davis told WhatCulture on Wednesday. “We’re gonna get together as a band in July and start putting their ideas together in the studio and start working on it. So, yeah, it’s in the future, definitely. When I get back after this European run, I start writing vocals for the stuff that they’ve done. We’re gonna keep working through the year, so hopefully, we’ll have one out, probably, this time next year.”

Besides working on a new album with Korn, Jonathan Davis is also busy promoting his debut solo album Black Labyrinth. The album, which was 15 years in the making according to Davis himself, was released on May 25th, 2018, and received favorable reviews from the critics. He is currently touring in support of the album with scheduled shows in Europe.

The post Korn Aiming to Release New Album in the Summer of 2019 appeared first on Hot Pop Today.