Founding Korn bassist Fieldy has claimed that he hasn’t spoken to his bandmates since 2019.
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In mid-2021, Fieldy (real name Reginald Arvizu) told fans he would not be appearing on Korn’s upcoming tour, explaining that he had been “dealing with some personal issues that at times have caused me to fall back on some of my bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around me”
Now, the bassist has revealed that during his five-year break from Korn, he hasn’t spoken to his bandmates at all.
“I haven’t talked to those guys since 2019. So it’s like we’re just kind of both…. They’re truckin,’” he explained in a recent interview with the Basement Talk podcast. “They’re a machine. They’re going. It’s insane. It’s dope that they can keep on going like that.”
The podcast presenters went on to ask Fieldy if “it’s all love between everybody” to which he responded: “Yeah. It’s cool to see them keep on going,” adding: “I’m, like, I need to chill. I’m just kickin’ it.”
Since Fieldy’s hiatus from the band, Suicidal Tendencies bassist Ra Díaz has taken his place. The US nu-metal band’s last studio album, ‘Requiem’, came out in February 2022, and Fieldy is credited on it.
In 2022, Fieldy clarified the “bad habits” that he referred to in his initial statement. “Things are great. I’m having a blast. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” he said at the time.
“I still am exactly where I was my whole life,” he continued. “Sometimes I don’t have any bad habits. Sometimes I have bad habits. But to clarify, when I made the statement about my bad habits, they weren’t drugs. It’s just, at the end of the day, and I don’t condone this, but when I’m done with all my responsibilities, I have a Bud Light or whatever. As many as I want, to tell you the truth. I’m a grown man.”
The same year, while speaking to NME, Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch elaborated on the band’s relationship with Fieldy. “Originally we were saying, ‘Just take the year off and we’ll talk in 2022,” he said. “Now we’re starting those conversations, so we’ll see what happens.
In a four-star review of ‘Requiem’, NME said: “2019’s ‘The Nothing’ found frontman Jonathan Davis crushed by grief. The follow-up adds a tentative touch of hope to the band’s discography,” and added, “It would be a push to call this Korn’s first ‘happy’ album. More accurately, ‘Requiem’ has brought something new to a discography that, until now, has been an exploration of human suffering. It’s led to the band’s most nuanced record to date.”
Back in December, Welch shared an update on new music from the band, saying “It’s not gonna be soon”. As for their live plans, Korn are set to play Download Festival and France’s HellFest this summer.
