Jonathan Davis talks about the therapeutic impact of Korn’s debut album

Korn’s Jonathan Davis weighs in: “Crying is not a sign of weakness or lack of virility.”

A look back at Korn’s self-titled debut album and the inner demons of Jonathan Davis

Jonathan Davis, lead singer of Korn, spoke about the impact of their self-titled debut album in an interview originally published in the Metal Hammer from October 2016, and now put online to celebrate the album’s 30th anniversary. Looking back on this defining period of his life, Davis reveals that this album deeply reflected his traumatic high school experiences and helped him to release past hurts.

“This album represented my entire high school experience,” Davis explains, adding that he saw it as a form of catharsis to shed the psychological scars of his past.

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Crying on stage: a necessary liberation

Among Korn’s onstage highlights were Davis’ tears while performing intense tracks like Daddyaddressing themes of abuse, provoked reactions. When asked about the authenticity of these emotions, Davis responds: “Yes, it was real. Crying is not a sign of weakness or lack of virility; it’s something healthy, mentally and physically. When I hear someone tell a boy to stop crying because he’s a boy, it makes me boil from the inside.” Davis emphasizes the importance of not repressing these emotions, as they help release lingering pain.

Rock star excesses and Davis’s awareness

Davis also addressed his tumultuous relationship with drugs and alcohol, which he discovered upon the success of Korn’s debut album. “I was told from the start: ‘If you don’t drink, it’s not going to work!’” he says. However, faced with his responsibilities as a young father, he quickly realized that this lifestyle was not tenable. “I couldn’t go home drunk, with a child depending on me,” he said. Sober since 1998, Davis attests to the power of parenthood in his healing process.

For Jonathan Davis, this Korn album not only marked a musical turning point, but also a personal one, helping him to transform pain into strength and to advocate a masculinity free of stereotypes.