Infected Mushroom Return to Metal Roots With Korn’s Jonathan Davis

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis lends his vocal talents to Infected Mushroom's 'Smashing the Opponent,' the lead single from the duo's new 'Legend of the Black Shawarma' CD. For metal fans unfamiliar with Infected Mushroom, the duo of Amit Duvdevani and Erez Eisen are an Israeli trance group known for their amazing live blend of electronic and rock. So, one of heavy metal's biggest singers and an Israeli trance duo? Yeah, seems unlikely to us as well.

But while on set for the video at L.A.'s famed Roxy, Duvdevani tells Noisecreep he really wanted to work with Davis. "We were really looking to do something different with this album because we're kind of a trance/rock band and I really wanted to use heavy metal vocalists or rock vocalists," he says. "Jonathan is one of my all-time favorite heavy metal vocalists, Matt Sorum did a little bit of drumming on two segments, more for the live version than the album itself. It was interesting for us."

Well, Duvdevani, who says, "I am a huge Korn fan. I've been watching Korn since Bakersfield days," wanted to work with Korn. But how mutual was the fandom? "He was pretty familiar and now we talk almost every day," Duvdevani says. "He's a really cool guy, he knew what we were doing, and hopefully I will be working with him in the future on some of his other stuff."

Davis was so interested in the song, he originally was slated to direct the video, but with Korn touring in Germany, he was unable to make it. However, his presence is felt, as he is singing on TV screens that will be an integral part of the clip.

For Duvdevani, to work with Davis brings Infected full circle. "Me and Erez come from heavy metal. I was in a heavy metal band when I was a kid, same as my partner, so then we transformed into electronic, and then came back a little bit to our origins," he says. What prompted the move to electronic? "I was a 16-year-old kid doing heavy metal, went to a trance party in Israel, and got hooked. And then there were some acid days involved," he says laughing. "[But] I'm happy, not being back in heavy metal, but bringing the two worlds together."