KORN Guitarist Says Making 'The Path Of Totality' Was A 'Challenging' Process

Peter Hodgson of IHeartGuitarBlog.com recently conducted an interview with KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

IHeartGuitarBlog.com: How did the collaborations on "The Path Of Totality" happen? Did you work together in the studio? Did you send off recorded parts?

Munky: It was kind of mixed up. We started out with Skrillex and we worked in the studio with him on the first track, which was "Get Up". So we were actually working with him in person. And also with Downlink and Excision. Noisia, those guys are from the Netherlands, so we just send tracks through the air. They sent them back and Jonathan [Davis, vocals] was in communication with them. So it was kinda different with each artist and producer.

IHeartGuitarBlog.com: It must have been a cool challenge to figure out exactly where the guitar would fit amongst all the other stuff going on.

Munky: I mean, on a lot of the tracks it seemed really like, "Where am I gonna put the guitar? Where is it gonna fit?" And it was challenging for me. Rhythmically, it was really kinda busy and I was trying to find the right space and the right notes. It's like a boxing match — you bob and weave to sort of get your punch in there.

IHeartGuitarBlog.com: When I heard about what you were going to do with this album, I thought it'd remind me of the electronic edge to "See You On The Other Side" with regards to the electronic stuff, but instead it gives me a bit of a vibe like "Untouchables" in terms of how experimental it is.

Munky: I guess I can't really compare it to any other of our other records, except I guess "Untouchables" is the first in the sense that we were using different sounds and recording techniques and kind of trying to create more of a sonic boom on that record than anything. And I think this record has that familiarity to the rhythms, of what makes KORN "KORN."

IHeartGuitarBlog.com: It's interesting that you have such a definable sound that so many people have tried to copy but you're not afraid to really push it in another direction and mess with it.

Munky: I think our fans understand that. I hope that our fans understand that sort of creative change that we feel like we need to do, that we need to follow throughout our career.

IHeartGuitarBlog.com: There were so many bands who copied you and they're all gone but you're still here.

Munky: I know! It's really mind-blowing when I think about it. But I've just got to kind of look forward and move through it, not look back. I mean, I look back for a minute and go, "Oh, look, that's cool!" but then keep moving forward to whatever your calling is.

Read the entire interview from IHeartGuitarBlog.com.