Korn guitarist James 'Munky' Shaffer has opened up on the band's bassist and original member Fieldy taking an extended hiatus from the nu metal godfathers in 2021. According to Munky, Fieldy - real name Reggie Arvizu - just didn't have the energy levels and enthusiasm needed to continue writing and touring with a world famous metal band, and it was clear to his bandmates that the bassist just wasn't in a great place.
"We work our asses off," he tells Rolling Stone Brasil (transcribed by Blabbermouth). "Even when we're not touring, we're writing music or we're working on things. And when we go home, we take a couple of weeks off from tour, and then we're back at it. And I think that sort of schedule just became too daunting for him, after 30 years, to continue. It takes a lot of stamina. I just don't feel like he had it at the time, or just had a lot of other personal stuff happening too.
"He wasn't happy," Munky continues. "It was obvious that he wasn't happy. And at the end of the day, he's our brother, and we want him to be happy. So it's, like, 'Well, do what you wanna do. Just stay healthy. Keep your mental health on the track to pursue whatever it is that makes you happy.'"
While Munky has kept in touch with Fieldy in the years following his departure, he reveals that it's been a little while since they last spoke - but adds that he has been keeping tabs on his son Israel's band, Playuh. Israel plays bass in the band, which also features Justice Sandoval, son of P.O.D. frontman, Sonny.
"I've heard [Fieldy's] doing well," Munky says. "I haven't spoke to him personally in probably a few months. But I see his kids. His son is playing bass, and he's doing a band, and I think Fieldy's been helping with that. It looks like they're having a good time. He looks like he's doing better, which makes us all feel great. We definitely wanna see him at his best and enjoying being home with his family and staying healthy."
Fieldy's our brother and we want him to be happy
Munky
Korn are currently working on their fifteenth studio album, the follow-up to 2022's well-received Requiem. The album will be the first Korn record to not feature Fieldy, with his replacement Roberto Diaz seemingly contributing to the writing process.
Munky acknowledges it's been a new experience writing a record without Fieldy's involvement, stating: "There's been moments where it's difficult in imagining what it could be right here, if he was in the band, what would he do. But on the last couple of records, he was kind of checked out, and trying to get him engaged was a little bit difficult, just to stay in the room while we were writing.
"He would always just kind of leave, and he'd be in there for a few minutes, and then kind of just not focused, and he just kind of lost his ambition, I guess," Munky adds. "But it's okay. It happens. Everything goes in cycles. We're definitely not mad at him or anything. We want him to be happy, and it didn't really feel like he was happy being a working musician at the time. So it was a mutual sort of... I wouldn't say 'split'. I still use the word 'hiatus'. I think he needed a break from."
See the full interview below. Regardless, the new Korn album is absolutely taking shape, with Munky claiming that the band have written "almost 40 songs" for the LP so far. It's expected at some point later this year, with a big European tour planned this autumn with support from UK metalcore heavyweights Architects.
Korn and Architects UK/Europe tour dates 2026
Oct 18 Stuttgart Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle
Oct 19 Munich, DE, Olympiahalle
Oct 21 Cologne, DE, Lanxess Arena
Oct 23 Paris, FR, Accor Arena
Oct 26 Leeds, UK, First Direct Arena
Oct 28 Birmingham, UK, Utilita Arena Birmingham
Oct 30 Newcastle, UK, Utilita Arena Newcastle
Oct 31 Manchester, UK, AO Arena
Nov 2 Dublin, IE, 3Arena
Nov 4 London, UK, The O2
Nov 8 Amsterdam, NL, Ziggo Dome
Nov 9 Antwerp, BE, AFAS Dome
Nov 11 Hamburg, DE, Barclays Arena
Nov 13 Hanover, DE, ZAG Arena
Nov 14 Berlin, DE, Uber Arena
Nov 16 Prague, CZ, O2 Arena Prague
Nov 17 Krakow, PL, Tauron Arena
Nov 19 Vienna, AT, Wiener Stadhalle
Nov 21 Milan, IT, Unipol Forum
