Having been a fan of Korn for quite some time now, since the release of See You On The Other Side back in 2005 to be precise, I was quite enthusiastic about seeing them live at an indoor venue for the first time. Having Hellyeah and Heaven Shall Burn on the same bill was an extra motivation to face the ring of Antwerp during rush hour and make my way to the Lotto Arena.

First up was the supergroup Hellyeah (****1/2)! Not much to say here except: they nailed it. The band composed of ex-mudvayne singer Chad Grey and ex-pantera drummer Vinnie Paul came up on stage with a serious bang and they didn’t let up for the full 30 minutes of their set. That brings me to the down side though.. The band was allowed to play a measly 6 songs before they had to leave the stage.

By the time the crowd actually got into it, it was time for the second support act: Heaven Shall Burn (****). These guys were also very good. They seemed to be able to sweep the whole crowd in their very melodic metalcore riffs. Especially when Awoken started and Endzeit kicked in, the place went crazy. It shouldn’t really surprise me though. Every time I’ve seen them, they’ve managed to grab the public’s attention.

After a good 45 minutes, it was time for Korn (*****). When that typical, heavy bassline from Right now kicked in, it indicated a serious moshpit that lasted throughout the rest of the evening. The sound was superior to any of the other times I’ve seen them. That being said, I think the overall atmosphere had something to do with how great it was. An arena filled with fans shouting out the lyrics will always get my vote. For me, the party started when they played Coming Undone, since that was the song that actually got me into Korn. Ray Luzier‘s drum solo definitely turned the heads of some people that weren’t convinced by the performance. Besides.. a band who’s singer can swat a full beer mid-air and sing like nothing’s happening deserves to get this kind of attention. As encore, Korn chose their most famous songs Falling Away From Me and Freak On A Leash. Even though they’ve been sort of overplayed, these are undeniable classics that you cannot leave out of any Korn setlist and considering the crowd’s reaction I must be right.