RockOm

You may recall that several years ago guitarist Brian "Head" Welch left the Grammy Award-winning rock band Korn due in large part to his newfound faith in Jesus Christ and desire to stay off of drugs. In fact, RockOm had an interview with Head back in Februrary where he talked about his faith and new album.

Now, according to this article and interview with Beliefnet.com, "another member of the band, bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu has come out publicly as a Christian and has co-authored a book, 'Got the Life: My Journey of Addiction, Faith, Recovery, and Korn.'"

As the article mentions, Fieldy has taken a different route in that his plans are to stay with the band.

"It's somewhat like peace, but it's not like you become a Christian and [your] problems go away. I still have my everyday struggles of life and situations that come my way. But I found the difference now is when difficult situations come my way, I'm on a strong foundation and I know how to handle the situation. I don't know how, but following and walking with Christ, He shows me how." (Fieldy)

Beliefnet entertainment editor Dena Ross spoke with Fieldy about "what brought him to embrace Christianity, how he plans to stay sober, and Korn's response to his conversion."

See the entire interview, "From Korn to Christ--Part 2: Interview with Fieldy," HERE at Beliefnet.com.

Or check out Fieldy's book on AMAZON.COM.

Psychedelic country-rock with a Kingston-inspired Reggae groove accompanying mystic Celtic chant and flute. It's how we roll at RockOm and we're rolling at you with three new RockOm Featured interviews today. Though different cultures separate them, each of these artists are creating music with a united purpose: to spread love, peace and some "righteous" joy.

The New Riders of The Purple Sage, California's psychedelic cowboys of 70's country-rock, have released their first album in 20 years. The New Riders' Buddy Cage joined RockOm for a revealing discussion on the new CD and band, and how it makes all the difference when you "play it in your own spirit."

The Wailers, led now by Aston "Family Man" Barrett continue spreading the message that "we're all Jah people." The band's reggae groove has been the soundtrack to the lives of hundreds of millions across the planet. Family Man joined RockOm before a recent performance to talk about the soul of Rastafari, the legacy of Bob Marley and an upcoming new Wailers CD featuring surprise guest artists.

A Celtic Mass for Peace: Songs for the Earth gives voice and sound to earth's deepest yearnings for peace. These are not just religious longings or Christian longings. These are sacred longings from the heights and depths of humanity's song. In a RockOm exclusive, composers Sam Guarnaccia and J. Philip Newell reveal how music and chant bring out the natural mystic in us all.

By Trevor Harden, trevor@rockom.net

In 2005, Brian “Head” Welch – guitarist for KORN, one of the single-most popular (and controversial) rock acts in the world at the time – shocked the music world by announcing his resignation from the Grammy-award winning band, due in large part to his newfound faith in Jesus Christ. Through with years of battling drug addiction and the seedy, “anything goes” backstage playground of rock stardom, Head turned to God for help – and God responded.

Then in 2007, wishing to share his life story, difficult struggles and spiritual testimony, Head released his autobiography, Save Me From Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs and Live to Tell My Story. The book went on to be a New York Times bestseller and inspire many who were looking for answers or a way out of addiction.

On the heels of the book's success, Head dropped his first solo album, also titled Save Me From Myself, in September of '08. The album (which features such renowned musicians as Tony Levin and Josh Freese) plays much like the book reads – as both a retelling of his tumultuous history and the lessons learned as well as a sharing of the inspiration and hope that he has gleaned from his time in following Jesus.

RockOm: Your book Save Me from Myself has been out for well over a year now and has gained quite a bit of attention. What's the experience been like for you over the past year as you listen to friends' and fans' responses to reading your life story? Has their feedback been encouraging?

Head: I think any time you do something drastic like that you're going to get some people thinking you're crazy. People in my faith know I'm not crazy but some other people may be on the fence still. It's just different and every time someone [has a conversion experience] people think, “Oh, nutcase!” (laughs) Since they've read the book it seems like a lot of people understand that I was just a drug addict that needed out, and I got it. All of the fans are just saying “I'm glad you're alive.”

RockOm: We won't spend much time on your story itself as people can go pick up your book and read the whole thing for themselves, but I wanted to ask you about two things quickly. First, you're very open and honest in this book – which I find quite refreshing. Most of what passes as Christian non-fiction books can seem so sterile, but your writing tells your true, raw story in a no-holds-barred fashion. Has that been received well by the Christian community and Christian retailers selling your book?

Head: Mostly, yes, because it's real but there are some conservatives that are afraid of it. And that's OK, they've got their choice and opinion. They're thinking maybe I'm glorifying my past life or they're trying to protect their kids, you know, so that's cool. To each their own. There are all kinds of different types of people out there.

RockOm: Secondly, in your book you mention an orphanage in India you helped found called Head Home. How is that going? Are you still involved and have there been any cool success stories from those working or living there?

Head: I'm not really involved anymore, no. I had a partner [in it] that I was hooked up with and things went sour; it's kind of in the past now. That organization, Good News India, was the one doing it; I was just partnering with them, just like a lot of other people do. You donate money and you can have an orphanage out there and name it what you want if you donate a certain amount. But after we went in there and talked to the cannibal tribes that I wrote about in my book, a school was put up by Good News India and crime dropped like 91% or something. It's a lot better out there. I'd like to get involved in some stuff maybe here in the United States doing something eventually.

RockOm: It's amazing what a little love and concern will do for people.

Head: Ya, gets your mind off yourself for a second.

RockOm: Well, let's chat about a couple of the tunes from your newly released album Save Me From Myself. The opening track “L.O.V.E.” is a sort of love song sung from God's perspective. I like that the lyrics say “You're angry, it's OK.” Have you found a freedom in God to just be all that you are - anger, warts and all?

Head: Yes, and that's a good thing because it's not like you've got to be perfect. Be who you are and He [God] will change you slowly how He wants to change you. It's a walk of courage; it's a walk of trust. It's cool just to know that when you screw up badly that you're not done. He will just keep taking you back as long as you try and if you want to be that person that He's created you to be then it's all good. That's freedom right there. But if you're blatantly going against Him and doing stuff constantly without even caring, then that's not good. In my life I was having problems that I couldn't change. I couldn't stop doing them, just certain personal things, not the drugs. There were certain things in my life that I couldn't stop so eventually [I turned it over to God]. It's Christ in us that changes us; it's not me – I can't do it. It's like, “Alright, I'm not perfect God, and I screwed it up again so I give you full permission to do whatever you've got to do to help me out.”

RockOm: Most of us have a love/hate relationship with the church in that it is the body of Christ but there's also a lot of nasty stuff that can go on – all of which you speak about in your song “Die Religion Die”. How do you currently see your relationship with the church and how do you feel it is either living out or could better live out the teachings of Jesus?

Head: I think there's good in all denominations – Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal... and there's 'not good' in all of them. We're humans and we all screw up; we've got to give more grace to everybody and realize that we're not all perfect. I don't know, maybe it's set up that way to test our hearts and to see how we're going to react - like if we're going to judge each other. I keep growing a lot, there's a lot of stuff to learn and I definitely don't know it all. I don't understand mean religion; I don't understand the judgement and the “make you feel bad” type of stuff that's mentioned in “Die Religion Die,” where there's no love in it. God is love. But there's a lot of growth to happen in me, to answer your question.

RockOm: Lastly, there are rumors of new albums from you out in 2009 and 2010. What can we expect from the new records sonically (what you're doing in the studio) or in terms of some of the themes on the album?

Head: It'll definitely be more mature. This album I just did was written in 2005, about six months after I got saved. I had to change some words around [when I finally recorded it] because I was not knowing what I was saying. I think you'll notice a more Christlikeness in everything I'll be doing but still heavy, because I love the heavy music. We'll see – this year we're trying to get on the road and do some live shows but every time I get up to get going, something knocks me down. We'll just wait and see what happens. There's not going to be another album this year - maybe next, but not this year unless God has other plans. [laughs] You never know!

http://www.brianheadwelch.net/
http://www.myspace.com/brianheadwelch

Edited by Andrew Hoogheem

Photography by Alonso Murillo

Discuss this article

Brian Welch, better known for his nickname “Head”, is one of the founding members of multi-Platinum, Grammy Award-winning metal band, KoRn. The band was credited with being the major influence in the rise of Nu-metal. While with KoRn, Head won two Grammy’s, several MTV Music Video Awards, and sold over 30 million albums internationally to date.

In February 2005, Head shocked the music world when he resigned from KoRn to re-dedicate his life to Christ and focus on raising his daughter, Jennea, as a single father. But Head made it clear that he had not retired from the music world and entertainment industry. With his newfound calling, Head is committed to changing the youth of this nation through his music and other entertainment ventures. In this regard, Head penned an autobiography of his life, picked up and released by HarperCollins in July 2007, entitled, "Save Me From Myself" [right]. Head gained further acclaim as a successful author, when the book quickly hit the New York Times Best Seller List (Non-fiction). In his memoir, Head talks for the first time about his shocking embrace of God, and the tumultuous decade of drug and alcohol addiction that led him to his faith, where he was completely and instantly healed of his addictions.

Head’s debut album, also entitled "Save Me From Myself", is a testimony of his life as he battled with drug and alcohol addiction, leaving KoRn, and finding spirituality. The album is a heavy metal epic, with a positive message, and will leave no doubt in everyone’s mind that Head, as a founding member of KoRn, has not lost his passion for the metal sound that originally helped make his former band famous. “Save Me From Myself” features such renowned musicians as Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, David Bowie) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Evanescence, Nine Inch Nails), and was mixed by Bob Clearmountain, Ralph Patlan, and Head himself…

As a youth, I loved metal. Metallica, Pantera, Megadeth, Ozzy, White Zombie, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, etc. Even as grunge was sweeping the nation, I was still into the heavier side of music, but no band seemed to connect more with me than KoRn and their self-titled debut. Whether it was because of the angst, the raw passion, or the sound itself, KoRn spoke to me. Since then, I’ve grown up, mellowed out and my tastes have evolved, but KoRn still has a special place in my heart, even if their subsequent records fail to measure up to the first one. Enter Head’s “Save Me From Myself”, an incredibly powerful and passionate record that is more like early KoRn than KoRn itself. Though far from perfect—especially the second half and some childish lyrics—“Save Me From Myself” is much better than I thought it would be, and is the kind of record that can connect with a new generation of listeners. The first single “Flush”, "L.O.V.E.", “Loyalty”, “Die Religion Die” and the awesome epic, “Washed by Blood”, are all notable tracks. [Listen to samples in the player on the right.]

[By Robert Thompson, editor/creator of Fantasy Book Critic, a website dedicated to book reviews, interviews, giveaways, etc. of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, suspense, and more.  This post was originally posted here.]