Korn are certainly not rookies to writing and recording an album, as their upcoming Requiem record will serve as their 14th full-length release. However, Jonathan Davis admitted that this was the first album he really got to write the way he wanted to.
The COVID-19 pandemic put normal work life on hold for most musicians. Whether they'd been planning to head out on tour when the lockdowns first started or they were simply planning to head into the studio to work on more material, things changed for everyone. But Davis explained that the forced downtime actually benefited Korn in a way, because they were really able to take their time during the writing process for the follow-up to 2019's The Nothing.
"It's different. We're always constantly evolving," the vocalist said of their new single "Start the Healing" during an Audacy Check In. "There's still our core sound there. But this time we did this, we had the luxury, we were on a forced timeout, we had all the time in the world."
"Every single Korn record I've ever done, the band gets all the time in the world to get their stuff done," he continued, adding that he prefers to wait until all of the music is done before he starts writing lyrics to round out the songs.
"And they always book some tour, and it's coming up, and I'm always hurrying and rushing to try and get it done. So this time, we had time. We came together. We'd do it in blocks — a week block, and write a week, and then be off, once a month. I think we did three or four sessions and got the record recorded. It took me four or five months to do vocals. But overall, we're really, really proud of it."
Check out the full update from Davis below. Requiem will be out Feb. 4, 2022 via Loma Vista. Pre-order it here now.