Korn: Brian 'Head' Welch talks about the band's music and his faith

We caught up with Brian 'Head' Welch of best-selling metal band Korn.

عربى

As any lover of metal and rock will know, Korn are one of the biggest bands in the world (by 2012 they'd sold 35 million records). Korn now contain in their lineup two Christians, guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch and bassist Reginald 'Fieldy' Arvizu. We interviewed Brian during their UK tour.

Radio Hayah: How's the UK tour been going?

Brian 'Head' Welch: Incredible. Playing with Limp Bizkit brings back memories. Great big crowds - just excited people. It feels like we're back. We got a new record, new energy to the band, new excitement from the fans for the new record because it's got the passion of the old days but a new, fresh sound. This whole UK tour I've been meeting with about 40 people a night and I share my heart with them, pray for them.

Radio Hayah: Christians were hugely encouraged by your testimony of deliverance back in 2005. Listening to the lyrics of your new album, 'Serenity Of Suffering', they're pretty hard and tormented. Are you comfortable with the lyrical content of the new album?

Brian: I am, because that's where a lot of the fans are. If they're in that position in life, how perfect for me to be right there and have the solution. I get to talk about my faith all the time. People know about my faith, and person-by-person they end up grabbing my book, slowly but surely. What a perfect place to reach out to people. The album is real: Jonathan Davis went through a lot of stuff and there's real emotional, relational damage and pain that he lives through. He lets people torture him a bit because he loves them - he lets people walk over him a little bit - and I think that album has a lot to do with that. It's not where I'm at in life, but I understand it, I understand people are there. It's real, and I think that's what God likes about Korn - it's real and passionate and raw and it's like "open our souls, get real." I think church people often put on the fake smile and lose their passion for life and God and everything. The fire burning in Korn, maybe it's a strange fire and it's not like what it should be, but at least it's something real and passionate.

Radio Hayah: Some people object to the swearing in Korn lyrics. How do you answer when people ask about that?

Brian: Jesus wants to reach people's hearts. If we're going to get hung up on little things like curse words then we're not going to reach people; we're just going to push them away. They look at it like we're too good to be around people that have foul language. The thing is, if you really read the gospels, you're going to find out that Jesus is very controversial at times. He is not a man-pleaser. I don't think he likes to cause controversy, but he stirs things up; he'll do things against our minds to reveal out hearts. Where I am is where I was placed by him. He does it only because he loves people; just like in the Bible he loves sinners, he loves them today. I was one of the worst. Why wouldn't he be exactly where they are in every aspect of life? I'm not called to be a youth leader at this time in my life; I'm called to reach lost people, hurting, broken people, and that's where they are.

Radio Hayah: Your new autobiographical book, With My Eyes Wide Open, intimates you have made some mistakes. What were they?

Brian: Just plenty of stuff. I had a lot of anger and rage - acting out of anger instead of love.

Radio Hayah: As a Christian?

Brian: Oh yeah. I'm growing; I continue to grow and grow and grow. Things come against me that I don't react correctly to. I would just say that and a lot of money mistakes. I was pretty stupid with my money, giving it to people that weren't very trustworthy. My biggest mistake of all was the mistakes I made with my daughter. I wasn't all fixed up when I was raising her. I tried my best - I went to church and everything - but I battled with anger. Normal life mistakes that everybody makes.

Radio Hayah: Many believers were impressed by the bold healing ministry you showed on the Holy Spirit DVD, the film. Do you still walk among Korn fans and offer prayer for them?

Brian: That's my whole life; that's why I'm here. I'm more comfortable speaking to big audiences. The one-on-one thing is harder for me because we're right here, face-to-face. What did Jesus do? He spoke to big crowds and he spoke one-on-one. I want him to be formed in me as much as possible, so I just follow him. He's helped me so much by sending amazing people I now call friends from all over the world that come to the shows and help me gather the fans. So I get personal, like a spiritual father or pastor type of thing. I share my heart and I pray for them. That's what I love to do; that's my new high - intimacy with God, my number one way to escape, to feel his love, because the earth is a hard place to live sometimes. My other way is to hang out with the fans and pray for them. I absolutely love it even though it's not easy. It's very hard to come off stage sweaty and wanting to take a shower, but I go and hang out with them for an hour and a half and do pictures. That's what I'm going to do tonight. To whom much is given, much is required. I take this salvation very seriously. He saved my life: I could've died from drugs. I take it very seriously what he's given me, and I show my thankfulness to follow him into the hard places.