On Saturday night, March 6, over 10,000 hard rock fans gathered inside the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota to watch Korn on their Requiem 2022 Tour.
The first band to take the stage was the supporting act, Code Orange. Hailing from Pittsburgh, PA, this metal band really kicked off the night with a bang. Except for the red light haunting the stage, the arena was dark and smoke began to fill the air. It looked like a warzone. The Vocalist Eric Balderose opened by saying, “We are Code Orange, and we are out…for…blood!” The band then opened up with their song of the same name. They continued with “Forever,” “In Fear,” and “Cold.Metal.Place.” If someone dropped you on the floor of the arena at this moment of the band’s setlist, you would never know that they were the opening slot. The crowd absolutely loved “Sulfur Surrounding,” “Underneath,” and “Spy” reacting as if they were the headliners. The quintet finished strong with their single, “Swallowing the Rabbit Whole.”
The next band to take the stage was Chevelle. (Made up of brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler and touring bassist, Kemble Walters of Aeges) Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see Chevelle play live since 2005, and I was surprised with how well they performed these seventeen years later. Their setlist started out strong with “An Island” from their 2014 album La Gárgola, and “Door to Door Cannibals” from 2016’s “The North Corridor.” Frontman Pete Loeffler still impresses me with his ability to perform the lead vocal duties while simultaneously playing the band’s only guitar.
Chevelle has been making music since 1995 and their well-balanced setlist included hit after hit from their extensive catalog. Those fairly new to the band recognized “Joyride (Omen),” “Self Destructor,” and “Verruckt” and anyone familiar with the band’s radio hits was singing along with “Face to the Floor” and “The Clincher.” They also stunned older fans by performing “Send the Pain Below” and “The Red” bringing back nostalgia from 2002. The Illinois-based band ended their set with “Comfortable Liar” and their latest single, “Mars Simula.”
The headliner was the mighty Korn; who are now celebrating their 29th year as a band. The energy in the stadium was incredible as they opened up their set. The curtain dropped and “Forgotten” rang loudly through the arena. Their latest record, “Requiem,” has gotten a lot of positive reviews since its release in early February, and it was great to hear the band perform one of their latest singles. They then continued with “Got the Life.” It was unfortunate to not see the band’s bassist, Reginald ‘Fieldy’ Arvizu on this tour. Fieldy has taken a hiatus from the band and has been replaced by Ra Diaz of Suicidal Tendencies. Diaz seems to have great chemistry with the band and is no stranger to the stage.
This was the first time the Twin Cities heard Korn perform songs off their fourteenth (and latest) album, “Requiem.” Fans were treated with “Start the Healing,” “Lost In the Grandeur,” and “Worst Is On Its Way.” Other highlights from their setlist included: “Here to Stay,” “No One’s There” from their “Untouchables” album, “Y’all Want a Single,” and the song with the six most recognizable notes in nu-metal, “Falling Away From Me.”
Jon also came out with the bagpipes to introduce “Shoots and Ladders,” with the song being concluded with a snippet of Metallica’s “One.” The main setlist was concluded with two of the band’s most popular songs, “Coming Undone” and “Freak On a Leash.”
The thousands of Minnesotans were not satisfied with the 12 song setlist and demanded more. After a few minutes, the band came out to play a medley consisting of “It’s On,” “Trash,” and “Did My Time.” Given that Korn has such an extensive discography, they can conjure up the most lengthy and epic encores. The quintet first took us back to 1996, playing “Twist” and “A.D.I.D.A.S.” and then back even further in time and played “Clown.” The band then left the stage, leaving only drummer Ray Luzier behind. He impressed everyone with his skills behind the kit as he played an exciting drum solo. He then ended his solo playing the opening cymbal to the band’s very first single, “Blind.” There are few hard rock acts that can put on a better show than Korn and even though all the band members are in their fifties, they still set the bar high for younger bands in their genre. If you live in the Midwest and are able to go, you need to get out and see this fantastic tour.
