How did Korn get their name and logo?
Korn remains one of the most storied bands of their generation. Hailed as pioneers of the controversial nu-metal genre, the band created a form of music unlike anything anyone had ever heard before – both in terms of its darkness and structure. Duly, they took the world by storm, and by the dawn of the new millennium, Korn had been at the top of the game for years.
Inspired by the lyrical themes and gloomy outlook of the grunge movement, although their music is similar in these senses, Korn also did something very different from it. Whilst they also used chromatic harmonies in a similar vein as grunge groups like Alice in Chains, Korn threw out the use of the blues, which was the foundation of grunge and all other established forms of rock.
In fact, Korn and the form of nu-metal they created was the first time an artist had ever moved away from the traditional conception of rock music – in terms of the instruments and vocals. Their music had no pentatonic riffs, no blues melodies, and no guitar solos. It was so pioneering that music producer and YouTuber Rick Beato claims that this changing of the form placed Korn more in keeping with 20th-century classical music than it does standard rock ‘n’ roll, per their heavy use of chromaticism.
From ‘Freak on a Leash’ to ‘Here to Stay’, Korn produced numerous highlights demonstrating how they reformulated rock music, as well as how punishing they made it. The de-tuned guitars of Munky and Head, the percussive bass of Fieldy, and the expressive drumming of David Silveria were augmented by frontman Johnathan Davis’s growl, which became renowned for entering the realm of scat at points.
Whether it be how they changed rock to their role at the infamous Woodstock ’99 festival or even how hip-hop culture influenced their style, Korn’s story is extensive. With internet search interest in nu-metal at its highest point since 2004, it’s an area that some fans are revisiting once more.
One of the most intriguing elements of Korn’s story is how they got their name, which is famously stylised as “KoЯn”. When thinking of a band name in 1993, someone suggested “Corn”, but it was swiftly rejected. Not totally done with the idea, guitarist Munky came up with the idea of using a “K” instead of the “C”, as well as a backwards “R”, therefore changing how the name was perceived and the image it conveyed entirely.
Munky got the idea of using the backwards letter from the iconic logo of toy retailer Toys “R” Us, a company that a few of the members had worked for prior to the band. After settling on their name, Jonathan Davis designed their logo, which is present on most of their album covers. Notably, it added a sinister dimension to that of their 1994 self-titled debut, which signalled to consumers that what was within was no ordinary music.
Of the name, Silveria explained: “The music makes the name because Korn’s a dumb name. But once we get established, it makes the name cool.”
