Korn’s Kanada Kickoff: A 31-Year Freak Show That Still Reigns Supreme.
Ottawa doesn’t often feel like the center of the metal universe, but last night, as the opening salvo of Korn’s Kanada Tour 2025 tore through the capital, it very much did. From the first guttural notes of “Blind” to the final cathartic scream of “Freak on a Leash,” Jonathan Davis and company proved that three decades in, they’re still the undisputed maestros of nu-metal chaos, with just enough theatrics, nostalgia, and grit to remind fans why they’ve lasted this long.
Photo by Laura Collins.
The night began with Liverpool’s own Loathe, who wasted no time rattling eardrums and ribcages. Their set was a bludgeoning, unrelenting showcase of the band’s heavier side, with riffs so dense they felt like tectonic plates shifting under the arena. The early birds who arrived before the headliners were rewarded. Loathe walked away with a swath of new Canadian fans.
Photo by Laura Collins.
Next came Gojira, the French juggernauts who have been on a steady upward trajectory ever since their lauded performance at the Paris Olympics last year. Technical issues briefly threatened to derail the set, but Gojira is nothing if not resilient. With enough pyro to make a dragon blush, they powered through, delivering chest-caving renditions of their heaviest cuts. The highlight? A blistering performance of “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!),” capped by frontman Joe Duplantier’s fiery anti-fascist proclamation, a message that resonated as loudly as the riffs. If there’s a band built to carry the torch of modern metal into the mainstream, it’s Gojira.
Photo by Laura Collins.
But the night, of course, belonged to Korn. Celebrating 31 years since they first emerged from Bakersfield’s shadows, the band balanced nostalgia with vitality in a way only seasoned veterans can. Davis, in top form, stalked the stage like a carnival ringleader, keeping the audience firmly in his grip. The setlist was a love letter to longtime fans. Classics like “Got the Life” and “A.D.I.D.A.S” sent the crowd into collective nostalgia spasms, while inventive mashups kept things fresh. The blending of Metallica’s “One” into “Shoots and Ladders” was nothing short of genius, a marriage of two eras of heavy music that brought the arena to a roar. And when “Coming Undone” morphed into Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” every voice joined in, proof that metalheads aren’t immune to a stadium chant.]
Photo by Laura Collins.
The encore was a masterstroke. Starting with the delicate “4U,” Korn reminded us that beneath the distortion and dread, there’s vulnerability. That softness didn’t last long. “Falling Away from Me” dragged us back into the darkness before the inevitable detonation of “Freak on a Leash” closed the night in explosive fashion.
Not everything was flawless. Guitarist Brian “Head” Welch seemed unusually restrained, his energy slightly dialed back, a detail many fans noticed and whispered about. First-night nerves? Tour leg fatigue? Time will tell. But even with one wing clipped, Korn soared.
Photo by Laura Collins.
Walking out of the venue, ears ringing and hearts racing, it felt less like a concert and more like a reunion with the unhinged soundtrack of our youth. Korn at 31 is not just alive. They’re still evolving, still dangerous, and still ready to make you feel sixteen again, screaming in the dark.
