Here's what the trailer for the new documentary about Korn guitarist Brian 'Head' Welch's struggle with addiction taught us.
Words: Chris Krovatin
Earlier this month, the first trailer came out for Loud Krazy Love, the new documentary about Korn guitarist Brian "Head" Welch's relationship with his daughter Jennea during his recovery from drug addiction. The documentary covers Head's dealing with substance abuse, his acceptance of God into his life, and his attempts to be a good father while living as one of the world's biggest rock stars.
Given how compelling the trailer is, we're fascinated to see the full movie. But part of what made the trailer such an interesting watch was all of the things it taught us about Head's situation, or reminded us about Korn as a band.
Here are seven things we learned from watching the preview to Loud Krazy Love:
KORN EXISTED ON A LARGER SCOPE THAN WE CAN EVER IMAGINE
Korn are one of those bands who have been on the top of the heap for so long that they are sometimes a given -- one of those bands you've always known, and think you understand. But the trailer for Loud Krazy Love opens with the kind of massive, powerful concert footage that’ll make even the most jaded fan whistle. It’s a reminder that no matter how big you think Korn was, you’re probably selling them short.
EVEN BEFORE SMART PHONES, NU-METAL BANDS ALWAYS HAD A CAMERA AROUND
Rock purists complain that today’s camera phones strip rock culture of its secrecy or privacy. But nu-metal evolved in the Jackass era and Internet age, so having a camera around to document the behind-the-scenes insanity was par for the course. As such, there’s more behind-the-scenes footage of bands like Korn's debaucherous behavior than we even know about.
HEAD'S RELIGIOUS CONVERSION WAS MORE SUDDEN THAN WE THINK
One of the most fascinating parts in the trailer is when Brian first accepts Christianity into his life...and everyone’s kind of skeptical about it. In the public eye, this moment seemed like a turning point for Head, but anyone who’s ever known an addict has a memory of being lied to about how “everything’s different now”. That finding God is presented not just as a noble pursuit for Brian, but as a suspicious pivot to everyone around him, is a solid display that things were not exactly what they seemed to be in the press.
THE OTHER MEMBERS OF KORN WEREN'T HOT ON HEAD'S NEWFOUND FAITH
When Head left Korn, the band released a statement saying he had “chosen Jesus Christ as his savior”, and that the band wanted him to find "the happiness he’s searching for.” But watching Jonathan Davis, king of the vampires, sneer while describing how Head was a suddenly doing what God “told” him to do drives home just how difficult this change was for those who had spent years onstage with him.
RAGE WAS AS MUCH A PROBLEM FOR HEAD AS DRUGS AND ALCOHOL
One of the earlier pieces of footage we see involves Head throwing things and screaming, and later he’s described as punching holes in walls. It appears that even after finding God and quitting Korn, Head still had lots of anger to deal with. This provides fans with insight into his substance abuse – like many addicts, Head's use of drink and drugs might have been to corral his core issue, that of his emotional volatility.
JENNEA WELCH'S STORY MIGHT BE THE MOST INTERESTING ONE HERE
It’d be easy to tell the Welch family’s story as one of a delinquent father and the sweet daughter who wanted him back. But the trailer makes it clear that Jennea Welch has issues of her own relating to feelings of abandonment and alienation from her dad. This illustrates that Loud Krazy Love isn’t just a rock doc, it’s a story about a family, with two distinct sides that are each fascinating.
THIS STORY IS AN ONGOING ONE
The closing of the trailer is arguably the most jarring part of it. There doesn’t appear to be some drastic happy ending or moment of forgiveness here – the Welches’ struggle is one that’s ongoing even as the movie is being made. This reminds viewers that addictions and personal issues aren’t just obstacles that can be hurdled, they’re day-by-day processes with no specific end in sight.
