Adelaide, are you ready? It feels unreal for South Australia, as they're the only Australian state to get a Korn sideshow ahead of the band's headlining performances at Good Things Festival – across the east coast – this weekend.
For Korn, it's a perfect setting to test the Australian waters with a sold-out crowd, in a city they haven't performed for in over decade, at Adelaide Entertainment Centre last evening (4 December).There's been a resurgence of nu metal in the past few years and Korn are leading the charge. Although they've always been close to the top of the bill for most festivals, recently it feels like they fit there more than ever. The sold-out crowd, on a school night, is a testament to this.
In a wonderful surprise addition, Liverpool metalcore outfit Loathe were announced as the support act literally the day before the show. The majority of the audience didn't miss the memo, with the arena half full by the time Loathe came to conquer the stage.
The words 'Loathe As One' fill the screen as Giacomo Puccini's 'Turandot / Act 3: Nessun dorma!' blasts through the arena, making it feel more like the beginning of a cult ritual.
Loathe - image © Ciara Henshaw
Loathe are a heavy as f..., twice as groovy Deftones. However, it's the softer, more melodic moments where Loathe truly shines and stand out from textbook metalcore bands. The interplay of vocalist Kadeem France's clean and screaming vocals are highlighted in songs like 'Screaming' and 'New Faces In The Dark'.
They bring a chaotic energy to the stage with Kadeem dancing across the stage with infectious joy. At one point, drummer Sean Radcliffe hits his cymbals so hard one falls off. Kadeem bounces over and puts it back on nonchalantly like this happens at every show.
Loathe have been pushed into the spotlight since their 2020 breakout album, 'I Let It In And It Took Everything', with the majority of the set list consisting of this album.
"We wouldn't be a band if it wasn't for Korn," declares France before heading into their final songs. In this short set, Loathe showed this older generation of metal fans the future is in safe hands.
Korn get straight into it with 'Here To Stay' as Jonathan Davis parades around the stage in a red Adidas tracksuit as everyone screams the chorus back to him. "Thirty motherf...ing years of Korn," Davis cheers.
Korn - image © Ciara Henshaw
Tonight is a celebration of the iconic band's discography as they play everything you could ask for. There's one notable difference onstage with Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies on bass in place of longterm member Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu, who has been taking a break since 2021.
Despite this, the room time travels back to each era of Korn with the songs sounding indistinguishable to the studio recordings.
Early on, they whip through 'Got The Life' and 'A.D.I.D.A.S.' before getting to the highlight of the set, 'Blind'. The extended intro that builds in 'Blind' creates a tension in the room that finally explodes with everyone screaming the career defining lyrics: "Are you ready?"
Korn - image © Ciara Henshaw
Since the last time Korn were in Australia, in 2018, they've released new album 'Requiem' (2022). They're self-aware enough to know what the crowd is here to see and they only touch on this album briefly and instead focus on their monumental anthems.
As they begin 'Shoots And Ladders', Davis returns to the stage with bagpipes in hand. For those not familiar with their discography from top to bottom, it's a confusing moment as he then starts singing the lyrics which are a twisted spin on familiar nursery rhymes. They then end with a snippet of Metallica's 'One', which gets a roar from the crowd.
Korn - image © Ciara Henshaw
They get back on track and end with 'Y'All Want A Single' before returning for an encore including 'Falling Away From Me' and 'Freak On A Leash'.
Tonight's headline show was Korn at their best with a 30-year set list that manages to encompass one of the most legendary discographies in nu metal. No easy feat.
More photos from the concert.
