The downtuned guitars, the hip-hop influences, the chaotic vocal style -- for a time there it seemed everyone was playing nu-metal, but Korn have been doing it longer than most, and thus deserve acclaim as being one of the originators of the style (Deftones deserve credit too), as well as the scourge of "real metal" fans who believe their style to not be metal at all (an opinion not fully shared here). Now more than a decade into their career, Korn continues to release albums that set them apart from their many imitators, though at the same time they really haven't broadened their horizons significantly since their seminal 1994 debut. Having weathered the storm that was the well-publicized departure of guitarist Brian Welch in 2005, the band continues on as a four-piece, at least for the time being.