Ex-KORN Guitarist BRIAN 'HEAD' WELCH: 'I'm A Christian Who Plays Metal Music'

BigMusicGeek.com recently conducted an interview with ex-KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. Several excerpts follow.

BigMusicGeek.com: Any truth to the rumors that work on your solo debut "Save Me From Myself" has at long last been completed?

Brian: "Yeah. It's finished and is ready for release on September 9th. It's done…done, mastered, printed and everything. A lot of people are sayin' that they can totally tell that I came from KORN because it's very similar. A lot of the guitar tricks are the same as I did in KORN. It's heavy…it's really heavy and in your face…it's loud rock music, ya know? You can hear KORN all over it, but I was one of the founding members and main songwriters in KORN for the music and stuff."

BigMusicGeek.com: What musicians did you ultimately work with during the recording of "Save Me From Myself"?

Brian: "(A PERFECT CIRCLE/NINE INCH NAILS drummer Josh Freese) came in and laid down the drums for all the songs. I wrote the songs and laid the basic drum patterns…the beat and stuff and he would come in make my stuff sound professional, ya know? He just came in and nailed it. He's my favorite drummer. I also got Tony Levin, who's a really respected and legendary bass player. He came in and nailed some songs. I also had a guy named Trevor Dunn from MR. BUNGLE. He laid some stuff for me. And another guy named Archie J. Muse laid some rhythm guitar tracks when I was out of the studio or was havin' a hissy fit or something. He came in played my parts for me (laughs). It was cool to have different types of musicians, ya know? In KORN, all I ever jammed with were the guys in KORN or maybe LIMP BIZKIT or something. These guys were different than what I was used to, ya know? It was cool to just play with some pros, ya know?"

BigMusicGeek.com: Looking back, how did your time in the studio recording "Save Me From Myself" differ from your experiences in the studio with KORN? Were they more or less frustrating?

Brian: "I'd say both. In the beginning, I was stressed out, but I was having fun. I was goin' through challenges, ya know? When you do methamphetamine, it messes with your emotions and mind and stuff. Partying for that many years…it's like a kid goin' to the candy store every day. Sooner or later, he's gonna end up sick and unhealthy, ya know? After time passes, you start to become more normal again, but I had a lot of fits or rage. I would break things in the studio if things didn't go my way, so that had to go. But the times when things were goin' really good were fun. While I was going through those challenges, I could take time off. I would take like even six months off, ya know? In 2006, I hadn't done music for a while and just wanted to take a break. It was cool to do that because there was no pressure. There was no one tellin' me, 'Dude, you gotta get into the studio and finish this. We've got a deadline.' There was no deadline. It was just whatever happened, ya know? Everything happened the way it was supposed to because I'm a new man now. I'm totally calm. When things don't do my way, I don't freak out. I'm just a new person and it feels great."

BigMusicGeek.com: Considering all of the proverbial "water under the bridge," how would you describe your relationship with the remaining members of KORN?

Brian: "It's really good. I just talked to them last summer. It's all good, ya know? When you hang out and drink beer and do drugs with someone for ten years and then you get sober and then go hang out with them again, you're going to feel uncomfortable. I still feel a little uncomfortable. I'm sure there'll be a day when I can hang out with them again. It has nothing to do with them. It's just the circumstances, ya know? I don't know what the future holds. Maybe if one day wanted to do an album that had something to do with what I'm into now… You never know what the future holds, but I've got no plans to hook up with them musically as of now, but I never know what the future's gonna bring."

BigMusicGeek.com: At this point in your career, taking everything into consideration, do you consider yourself a Christian metal artist?

Brian: "I definitely consider it metal and heavy. Let people label it however they want, ya know? It totally sounds like KORN and it's heavy. I always just considered KORN heavy, ya know? People would ask us what type of music we play and we'd always be like 'heavy.' People came up with the name nü metal and that's fine, ya know? …I'm pleased with it and I just hope people can get into it. …I wouldn't say I'm a Christian metal artist. I'd say I'm a Christian who plays metal music. My stuff it just real life, man. I sing about my drug addictions that I had, I sing about leaving KORN, I sing about some spiritual things. The reaction I've gotten out of people that have heard the record is that it doesn't sound like any Christian album they've ever heard, ya know? It is what it is, ya know? It could cross over because I could sell it in Christian stores because it's not like obscene or nothin' like some of my other stuff was. I am a Christian, but I wouldn't call it Christian metal. Maybe some people might, but whatever."

Read the entire interview at BigMusicGeek.com.