Producer Ross Robinson on Why Korn’s ‘Korn III’ Album Backfired
Korn producer and famed nu-metal executive Ross Robinson “learned a big lesson” after directing Korn’s 2010 album, Korn III: Remember Who You Areas he recently explained.
The veteran record maker suggested that the album’s vision – a creative attempt to return to Korn’s early days – ultimately “backfired”.
He is not alone in this assessment. Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis has indicated that Korn III was the group’s biggest mistake. Earlier this year, the singer explained, “We were trying to find something, and it was in the past, and we failed miserably.”
Feedback on the sessions with the podcast Pleasure of peers this week (September 18), Robinson expressed regret for his treatment of Davis and Korn’s new drummer, Ray Luzier, regarding the album’s aim to trace the origins of the California alternative metal band .
“Poor Ray was getting the ire of me wanting to wave the flag 1992 [era] before the record came out,” Robinson recalled. “It was confusing for everyone. Because I had a mission, and I think it backfired. Because I pushed Jonathan too hard when it wasn’t the right time for me to do so.” (via ThePRP)
Cover of the album “Korn III: Remember who you are”
The producer continues, “I learned that the person a person is at this point in their life today – now – is the person who is going to express something beautiful and amazing. … Not remember who you are – It makes no sense. …Respect who you are today and release that expression.”
Robinson had returned to the stage for Korn after producing their influential self-titled debut album (1994) and its essential follow-up, life is fishing (1996). In 2010, he and the band sought to recapture the spirit and energy of those early Korn records.
Robinson says: “I think it was a fault on my part in that I had this idea of what I thought Korn was supposed to be. … The perfection and the love I had for everything with these guys – individually and musically, and dedication. I will always feel like a very special place in my heart is, I’m Ross from Korn. That was my fucking identity back then.”
He adds, “I was trying to convey that to Ray when he hadn’t played drums on an album yet. I’m like, ‘Korn is this, and Korn is that, and it means so much.’ And he’s this amazing guy, incredibly talented and happy right now [drumming for] the David Lee Roth group. You know, like [a] showbiz gig – in this stuff I wanted to bring back.”
Listen to the full podcast interview with Robinson on this link. Below, relive the clips of the Korn III singles “Oildale (Leave Me Alone)” and “Let the Guilt Go”.