Korn still rocksteady and outstanding

Wot, no ADIDAS? Well, no. And no Dave Silvera either as it turns out, leaving original members of the Bakersfield nu-metal titans looking pretty thin on the ground. Yet all is certainly not lost.

Whilst the misfortune of losing two members might kill a lesser band, Korn are on jubilant form tonight, and seem to really benefit from having some fresh blood in the band. New drummer Ray Luzier is nothing short of jaw dropping, bringing a real vitality to proceedings and at several points even threatening to steal a little thunder from Jonathan Davis. Luzier's style is slightly less hip-hop inflected than when Silvera was on the stool, but tonight that's no bad thing. On a par with the stickmanship are the vocals, which are simply astounding. Careering fluidly between his trademark roars, growls and whispers, Davis is a revelation, bringing all the depth and nuance of Korn's albums to Donington with undeniable vigour.

The setlist itself is a collision of new and old favourites, with material from every stage of the band's career ensuring there's something for all breeds of Korn fan. Except ADIDAS, but anyway.

With a performance this consistent it's hard to pull out highlights, but the songs that really ignite the crowd largely belong to the band's pre- Untouchables catalogue. Falling Away From Me, Freak on a Leash and a muscular Blind cause some earnest frenzy in the pit. Not to be neglected, more recent material is delivered with equal conviction, noteably Ya'll want a Single? and Coming Undone. There's even a few oddball moments thrown in, Davis having a brief toot on his bagpipes at one point, and leading the crowd into an unexpected rendition of We Will Rock You at another.

The ending of the set is perhaps the only dull moment, as their lumbering cover of Another Brick in the Wall, pt 2 crawls into a second Pink Floyd cover, the throwaway Goodbye Cruel World. Not a memorable closer then, but all in all an imperious performance that proves Korn can still drop bombs when the pressure's on.

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