KORN Guitarist Says Attacks From Christian Community Are 'Really Discouraging'

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was recently interviewed on the "Real Talk" talk show by Justin Miller (a.k.a. Pastor J),lead pastor of Real Life Christian Church. You can watch video footage of his appearance below.

Welch, who left KORN in 2005 after becoming a Christian and returned to the band eight years later, talked about the criticism he has received from the more conservative members of the Christian community for being a part of the secular rock scene, which many believe is dark and evil.

"I went through a religious mindset before too, and I remember I told the bass player in KORN, I was, like, 'How can you go and play those songs, bro? You should come with me. We'll do something else on our own,'" Welch admitted. "So I get that. I wasn't bashing him like people do online, but I get that mindset, so I try not to get too mad. But when they attack you, it gets really discouraging, and it's hard not to get bitter and mad at 'em. But I just try to encourage people to just zip it, man, 'cause if you're not loving, then you're missing it all."

He continued: "You know, 'love is patient, love is kind,' Paul says in First Corinthians Thirteen, and not rude. And they're all rude on there doing it. And so I call 'em keyboard gangsters, 'cause they're behind the keyboard computer and they would never talk like that to people's face. But online, they're [vicious]. And so it's just really discouraging."

The guitarist added: "I would just say, you guys should just… you've gotta break through that, man. This is all about love, and it's, like, let the Lord teach 'em slowly through scripture and everything what to let go of in their lives and the timing. Maybe it'll take years for some people to let go of things, but we've gotta give 'em patience."

Both Welch and KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu have had highly public, though separate, conversion experiences, ones that have been greeted with a certain amount of skepticism.

Welch rejoined KORN for a handful of live performances in 2012 before officially becoming part of the lineup again in early 2013.

Fieldy's 2009 memoir, "Got The Life: My Journey Of Addiction, Faith, Recovery And Korn", details his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction during KORN's early years and how he became a born-again Christian to help get his life together and get sober.