Korn’s Brian ‘Head’ Welch Talks Respect of Vinyl History With ‘The Paradigm Shift’ [Vinyl Creep]

Korn gave fans a blistering rock album known as ‘The Paradigm Shift’ this year and fortunately for those who still collect vinyl, the album is definitely one worth finding and adding to your stack of records. With some trippy artwork and more tracks than the standard CD release, the double-LP is a killer experience for rock and vinyl fans.

With the opening track ‘Prey for Me,’ there’s no question that Korn hold nothing back with their 11th studio album. 'The Paradigm Shift' has a serious old-school Korn feel to it, so it only makes sense that the band would release it on an equally vintage medium like vinyl. "It's all about doing different cool things for the fans," guitarist Brian "Head" Welch tells Noisecreep. "Certain fans love to collect vinyl, so we want to have that option available to them."

Just as there is a history with Korn, there is also a significant history with vinyl (as record collectors well know). The guitarist and co-founder of Korn says, "I think people still like to own records because they have many good memories of the good ol' days when records and cassettes were all we had! It's all about our history."

Diving into the double-LP, the first thing fans notice is the beautiful artwork. Sure, it looks good in a CD jewel case, but to see it blown up on a high-quality 12-inch jacket is a completely different experience. Designed by David Navarro, better known as Roboto, the cover art features a very industrial and symmetrical layout of two heads staring at each other, each devolving into skulls. While spinning the record and listening to Korn's new tunes, it doesn't take long to realize the cover matches the sound of 'The Paradigm Shift' perfectly.

Opening up the gatefold jacket, fans are greeted with liner notes and a huge skull on the left side, and a kaleidoscope-type shot of the entire band on the right. Flip the jacket over and you'll see the track listing along with the band looking very menacing and an inversion of the heads and skulls from the front cover. All in all, the packaging is beautifully laid out by Trevor Niemann of Visual Entropy, a design studio in Southern California.

As mentioned before, the entire experience around the double-LP is rounded out by the full deluxe track listing, which includes the extra tracks, 'Wish I Wasn't Born Today' and 'Tell Me What You Want,' both appearing on side B of the second LP. It would be easy to leave those songs out, but Korn make it very obvious that they care about their vinyl fans by including the extra tunes.

'The Paradigm Shift' is a powerful album based purely on the music. Each song leads into the next, making this a release you need to listen to without interruption from start to finish. Listening to the music while admiring the packaging makes this an experience all Korn fans should have. Whether you're spinning the record because of your fond memories of vinyl or because you're making new memories in 2013, 'The Paradigm Shift' should have a much-deserved spot in your collection of wax.

Brian 'Head' Welch's Vinyl Breakdown
All-Time Favorite Vinyl: AC/DC - 'Back in Black'

Korn - 'The Paradigm Shift'