See Korn’s Disturbing, Gothic New ‘Rotting in Vain’ Video
The members of Korn emerge from the dark corners of Sons of Anarchy actor Tommy Flanagan’s drug-induced fever dream in the video for their new song, “Rotting in Vain.” Flanagan, who’s dressed gothically with black fingernails and a hint of guyliner, huffs gas, drinks from a goblet and plays with curios as the metal group all but destroys his Sweeney Todd–styled abode.
“‘Rotting in Vain’ was written about being in that black place, being in situations that I don’t like in life – be it relationships, or feeling when you’re stuck and you’re just being abused or you don’t like where you’re at, and you just sit there and rot,” Korn singer Jonathan Davis says. “It takes you years and years to figure out how to claw your way out. That’s where ‘Rotting in Vain’ came from. I’m just sitting there, fucking dying and letting it happen for years and years and not helping myself to get out of that place. That’s the vibe that inspired the song.”
The track is the first the group has released from its upcoming 12th studio album, The Serenity of Suffering, which is due out October 21st on Roadrunner Records. (You can pre-order it right here now.) Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones) produced the release, which also features an appearance by Slipknot’s Corey Taylor.
Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch spoke with Rolling Stone earlier this year and discussed the new record. “It’s been about a year in the works,” he said in May. “We’ve been saying, ‘What is Korn? What did we start out to do?’ … I feel like we’ve got the Korn sound and vibe, but we’ve also captured the intensity of what Korn always has been. It’s the most intense, energetic Korn record in 10 years or more.”
The band will be on tour this summer with Rob Zombie for what they’ve dubbed the Return of the Dreads tour. Later this year, Korn will hit the road again, this time with Breaking Benjamin, on the Nocturnal Underground tour.