Korn brought their highly anticipated tour to the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam a few days ago. The venue felt surprisingly intimate despite a massive stage setup, which featured a single ceiling LED panel rather than the three usually seen at their festival shows. Interestingly, the crowd skewed quite young, a striking observation for a legacy band, but a clear sign that the nu-metal revival is in full swing.
Opening the night was Pixel Grip, a trio consisting of vocalist Rita Lukea and producers Tyler Ommen (drums) and Jonathon Freund (synths). Dressed entirely in leather, the band draws clear inspiration from the queer club and disco scenes of past decades. Their sound relied heavily on bass and synths, creating a catchy, repetitive vibe. However, a lack of tempo changes eventually turned the set into a somewhat monotonous blur of beats.
Lukea’s pitch-perfect vocals evoked a punky Lorde, and she delivered surprisingly convincing screams throughout the set. While the lighting left the band mostly in the dark, making their logo on the LED screen the most prominent visual, their enjoyment was obvious. They frequently thanked the crowd, noting this was their first arena show. While the back of the room chatted, the front danced along to tracks like Split and the closer Bet You Do, even forming a tentative mosh pit during #1 cunt. Their track Dancing on Your Grave leaned a bit closer to Korn’s heavier sound, standing out from an otherwise deeply electronic set.
Next up were Architects. Frontman Sam Carter has faced some recent chatter regarding his new vocal techniques, and he applied this divisive style during the first two songs. Right from the opener, Whiplash, Carter demanded a sit-down, kicking off an incredibly energetic, albeit short-feeling set. When We Were Young prompted massive singalongs and a giant Wall of Death that split the room from the stage all the way to the front of house.
Despite “no crowdsurfing” signs, fans took to the air during Curse and Doomsday. After “Animals” and Deep Fake, the band asked the crowd to raise their phone flashlights, taking a moment to address mental health struggles before launching into “Everything Ends”. The energy peaked with Seeing Red and their new track Machine, generating endless mosh pits and walls of death.
From the very first note of Korn’s set, the front of the floor erupted into a massive mosh pit. Beer flew through the air as the crowd sang along at the top of their lungs. Initially, frontman Jonathan Davis seemed to struggle with his vocals, occasionally missing the mark during clean sections, while his screams lacked their usual power. The sound mix was also a bit muffled at the start, though it notably improved as the set progressed. Visually, the stage featured a large ceiling LED panel, which later split in two, and side screens that eventually filled with full visuals, though the intense lighting sometimes drowned out the band members themselves.
Despite the vocal hiccups, the crowd’s enthusiasm never wavered; the bars were deserted as all eyes remained locked on the stage. Got the Life was the first massive hook-in, with everyone clapping and screaming along. Drummer Ray Luzier played an incredibly tight set, throwing in numerous stick tricks along the way. During Rotting in Vain, overhead lights created a striking visual curtain, though it was clear the track didn’t have the same universal recognition as their Follow The Leader or self-titled era material.
Davis finally addressed the crowd with a cheerful, “Look at you crazy motherfuckers,” before noting the upcoming 30th anniversary of Life is Peachy. Asking if Amsterdam wanted “some old-school shit,” the band seamlessly transitioned from the 47-second scatting frenzy of Twist straight into Chi. However, Davis’s vocals became a bit unintelligible during the latter, causing the back of the room to lose focus and start chatting. “A.D.I.D.A.S.” re-engaged everyone, with Davis sharing vocal duties with the eager crowd.
Following Kill You, a tape of Am I Going Crazy served as a brief interlude, allowing a quick dash to the bar or bathrooms before Davis emerged with his bagpipes and signature red mic stand for “Shoots and Ladders.” A live remix of Coming Undone with Let’s Go All The Way caused a bit of lyrical confusion for the crowd, but Did My Time was met with a collective sigh of relief and cheers of “finally!” around the arena. The lighting production peaked here, with the ceiling LEDs’ edge lights creating a massive wave effect.
A rare moment occurred during Make Me Bad when guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer provided some backing vocals. After middle fingers flew high for Y’All Want A Single, the band briefly left the stage. They returned for an encore kicking off with Falling Away From Me. Although Blind was played a bit sloppily with some noticeable mistakes, Twisted Transistor and the grand finale Freak On A Leash brought the house down, complete with blasts of confetti.
It may not have been the most flawless performance musically, but for an arena packed with die-hard fans, Korn delivered exactly the unbridled energy they came for.
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