Jesus trumps koRn

KoRn announced yesterday that founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has officially left the band after thirteen years. A statement issued by the group read, "KoRn has parted ways with guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch, who has chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end. KoRn respects Brian's wishes, and hopes he finds the happiness he's searching for."

Rumors had been circulating for weeks that Welch was unhappy with the direction of the band and had written a letter of resignation on 02.08, according to MTV.com. Welch allegedly listed a number of reasons for his departure, including "moral objections" to the band's music and videos.

This past Sunday, Welch gave Bakersfield radio station KRAB some hints about the direction he's going to take with his life: "What I'm about to do is - I mean, I'm good friends with Korn and everything still. I love those guys, they love me, they're very happy for me. KoRn is where I came from. There's a lot of kids out there, that - that anger is a good thing, I think if kids, if they want to go and, you know, listen to Korn and stuff, then good, but there's happiness too, you know, after the anger. There's happiness and I'm going to show through my actions how much I love my fans."

Welch will discuss his reasons for leaving and future plans this Sunday, when he addresses the congregation at the Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California. He plans to leave for Israel the following day.

KoRn's other guitarist, James "Munky" Shaffer, told us last year that Welch was an inspiration to him as a musician: "He's really a genius. When we start to write, I still am really inspired by him and his songwriting. I've always looked up to him, even when I went over to his house, you know, and I started watching him play guitar, I was like, 'Wow, this guy's amazing,' and I still do that even today. He pushes me to become a better musician because he's just naturally good."

KoRn is currently in the studio, working on their seventh album. A management spokesperson said the other band members are "closer than ever" and have no immediate plans to replace Welch until after the record is finished.

Credit - 94.7 Zone (Chicago Radio Station) (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

This doesn't sound like a personal conflict for sure. I'm still quite unsure as to why Head left. Perhaps it was a business decision, I don't know. We will all be left to guess until he addresses the communion on Sunday. At least it was an ammicable split and nothing harsh seems to have come out of it.