KORN's RAY LUZIER: 'We're Not Afraid To Experiment And Try New Things'

In a recent interview with Modern Drummer's David Frangioni, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, who got the job in October 2007 and was made an official member in 2009, reflected on some of his favorite memories of playing with the pioneering nu-metal act. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I love doing a new record and I love touring to support that… Now that I'm a part of the band, writing with them, being on a record and then going out and playing those songs live. I love the classics.

Luzier went on to say that all members of KORN "collaborate" on new music, but occasionally songs will be largely pieced together by one or two members.

"Sometimes Jon [singer Jonathan Davis] will bring [in a finished idea] — there's a song, 'Never Never', off of 'The Paradigm Shift', that was a good single for us," he recalled. "It went to No. 1. And that was completely Jonathan. He brought us a song that he wrote, composed it all. And we were, like, 'Wow, this is catchy. What do we do?' [He said] 'Do whatever you want.' The drum programming that he put on there was very simple. And I ended up doing a very simplistic part because I didn't wanna squash the song. It was such a beautifully melodic song. So there's stuff like that that he brought in. We went full-blown dubstep in 2012 [on 'The Path Of Totality'], and Skrillex and 12th Planet and all these dubstep DJs were a part of our existence. And that was a complete left turn. It made some people angry and it also gained some new fans that liked that style of music."

Ray continued: "That's one thing I love about this band. We're not afraid to experiment and try new things. But going from 'The Paradigm Shift' to 'The Serenity Of Suffering', [which] is one of my favorite records. 'The Nothing' is [also] one of my favorites. And the last one ['Requiem'], we went kind of old school, partly analog, went back to just, like, 'Let's get in a room and jam,' that kind of vibe. And that's some of the best moments for me, is watching these roots grow into the song. It becomes something that appeals to the crowds. They're singing the words back. There's no better feeling, rockin' out on stage, whether it's 500 or 50,000 people, feeling that energy. You can never, ever replace a live experience."

"Requiem" was released in February 2022 via Loma Vista Recordings. The LP was produced by Chris Collier and KORN.

"Requiem" entered Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 1. The band sold 23,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, according to Billboard. Of that sum, 20,000 units are from album sales. "Requiem" also landed at No. 2 on the Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums charts. On the all-format Billboard 200, it arrived at No. 14.

Luzier was raised just outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before moving to Los Angeles in 1988 to pursue a career in music.

A decade ago, Ray relocated his family — wife Aspen Brandy Lea and their two sons, Hudson Ray and Beck Jagger — to Franklin, Tennessee.

Ray lived in Los Angeles for 16 years before moving to Nashville.

Photo credit: Tim Saccenti