Korn guitarist leaves band for God

[Izzy]

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.

Source: MSN

Jesus Saves eh?

[journey]

That's great. It's nice to see someone be true to their beliefs, even if it means giving up fame and fortune.

[Izzy]

That's great. It's nice to see someone be true to their beliefs, even if it means giving up fame and fortune.

At what point do u view someone's actions as just odd?

[journey]

That's great. It's nice to see someone be true to their beliefs, even if it means giving up fame and fortune.

At what point do u view someone's actions as just odd?

It's not like he quit to join a religious cult. That would be different. He just wasn't happy making that kind of music anymore. And he found something that fulfilled him more than the band he was in.

[the dirt]

Korn is working on its eighth album,

I can't beleive these bozos have 7 albums out

[Izzy]

That's great. It's nice to see someone be true to their beliefs, even if it means giving up fame and fortune.

At what point do u view someone's actions as just odd?

It's not like he quit to join a religious cult. That would be different. He just wasn't happy making that kind of music anymore. And he found something that fulfilled him more than the band he was in.

Fair enough - over here in secular UK if ''celebrities'' do stuff like this everyone has a good laugh. It's such an American thing to do, find jesus and then go running off with him

I doubt Jesus cares what style of music you play....

I'm just glad he didn't stay and turn Korn into a christian rock act

[Lord Kayoss]

That's great. It's nice to see someone be true to their beliefs, even if it means giving up fame and fortune.

Had he left around 1995 he would've been giving up fame and fortune.  Every Korn album has at least gone platinum so at this point he's sacrificing nothing but a couple more million to add to the already hefty pile.  I'm sure that made his decision a little easier.

[Mikkamakka]

Korn is working on its eighth album,

I can't beleive these bozos have 7 albums out

Since 1994... 

[Izzy]

Korn is working on its eighth album,

I can't beleive these bozos have 7 albums out

Since 1994...?

Axl should pay attention to that - some bands have managed a huge discography of excellent material in the time Axl took to sort out who he didn't want in his band....

[jgfnsr]

Axl should pay attention to that - some bands have managed a huge discography of excellent material in the time Axl took to sort out who he didn't want in his band....

....except Korn has never managed to put forth anything even close to "excellent." 

[Skeletor]

Axl should pay attention to that - some bands have managed a huge discography of excellent material in the time Axl took to sort out who he didn't want in his band....

....except Korn has never managed to put forth anything even close to "excellent."?

Well, the debut album was groundbreaking, but never mind that.

[disease51883]

I could record myself repeatedly inserting a microphone into my ass while John Mayer and a polka band supply the music, and that'd probably be pretty groundbreaking too.

I'll take excellent over groundbreaking any day.

[Skeletor]

I could record myself repeatedly inserting a microphone into my ass while John Mayer and a polka band supply the music, and that'd probably be pretty groundbreaking too.

No it wouldn't. It would be stupid. Are you stupid?

[disease51883]

The fact that my doing that would be stupid wouldn't mean it'd be any less groundbreaking. Not unlike Korn, who are stupid *and*, arguably, groundbreaking. They don't have to be one or the other.

No, I'm not stupid. But thanks for implying.

Edit: To actually comment on the original topic a little, no matter how I feel about their music, I think it's cool that he isn't associating himself with music that he doesn't believe in. That's commendable.

[Mattman]

I thought that a guitarist in Korn finding Jesus and leaving the band was pretty funny, personally. 

Not that I argue with his right to follow his beliefs, it just seems so odd and unexpected.  In a Spinal Tap kind of way.

Still, I'm a little bewildered by his claim that he also left the band because he didn't agree with the direction their music was taking.  Downtuned metal songs where Jonathan Davis whines and growls about his lousy childhood?  Korn's been doing that on every album.

[mrlee]

msn also said blink 182 have split up because they had a little argument

[Izzy]

Axl should pay attention to that - some bands have managed a huge discography of excellent material in the time Axl took to sort out who he didn't want in his band....

....except Korn has never managed to put forth anything even close to "excellent."?

Aren't u forgeting 'IMHO'

'Follow the leader' is for me an astounding album, and Freak on a leash is possibly my fav metal track.

[Tj]

Good for him 

[GNR_Green]

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.

He's only just noticed.  What a crock of shit.

Let's hope this is the end.  It would take a guitarist like Buckethead to come in to make Korn sound remotely good.

[Saul]

MTV.com is reporting that guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, a founding member of KORN, has left the band and has rededicated his life to Christianity, according to the group's management.

"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," a statement from the band reads. "KORN respects Brian's wishes, and hopes he finds the happiness he's searching for."

The announcement puts to rest weeks of rumors 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.

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.

KORN are currently in the studio working on a new record, which is due in stores in September.