Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by the Nu Metal band Korn. It was released on October 15, 1996, through both Immortal Records and Epic Records. After the release of Korn‘s 1994 self titled debut album, the band reunited with Ross Robinson to produce and went back to Indigo Ranch Studios to record. Life Is Peachy features such themes as drugs, social encounters, sex, betrayal, and revenge. The album has fourteen tracks, excluding the hidden track after Kill You. Martin Riedl photographed its cover art, and its title is credited to Korn‘s bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu. Life Is Peachy was Korn‘s first significant breakthrough, which came from constant touring after the debut album’s release and building a fan base, thus fueling great expectations.
Critical reception for the album was mainly mixed, but its songwriting and sound quality were praised. Authors and music journalists deemed Life Is Peachy innovative, and some lauded Jonathan Davis‘ for his vocal techniques and embodied singing. His vocal performance on Good God was viewed as encapsulating the album’s essence, becoming one of the decisive elements in the development of what would later be called Nu Metal, which Korn pioneered. During its promotional period, newspapers and magazines defined it sonically as a metal album with hip-hop beats, presenting a unique sound.
Life Is Peachy debuted and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 and peaked at number one in New Zealand. The album sold 106,000 copies in the US in its first week of release. It was certified gold by the (RIAA) in January 1997 and platinum in December of that same year. Life Is Peachy was RIAA certified double platinum in the US in November 1999. As of 2019, the album has sold over 6 million copies worldwide.
Korn released three singles from Life Is Peachy: No Place to Hide, A.D.I.D.A.S., and Good God. All three singles went on the UK Singles Chart. Shortly before the album’s release, Korn launched the Life Is Peachy Tour in the US with Limp Bizkit as the opening act. After its release, the band toured in support of Metallica in the US. Korn then embarked on its headlining tour throughout the UK, Europe, North America, and Australia, with often sold out shows. The band also took part in the 1997 Lollapalooza summer tour, where the Life Is Peachy Tour ended abruptly due to guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer being diagnosed with viral meningitis. No Place to Hide received a nomination for Best Metal Performance at the 40th Annual Grammy Awards.
Tracklist:
- Twist
- Chi
- Lost
- Swallow
- Porno Creep
- Good God
- Mr. Rogers
- K@#¿%!
- No Place to Hide
- Wicked (featuring Chino Moreno; Ice Cube cover) O’Shea Jackson
- A.D.I.D.A.S.
- Lowrider (War cover)
- Ass Itch
- Kill You
Korn
Jonathan Davis: lead vocals, bagpipes, additional guitars on Kill You and Mr. Rogers
Head: guitars, vocals on Lowrider
Munky: guitars
Fieldy: bass guitar
David Silveria: drums
Additional musicians
Chino Moreno: vocals on Wicked
Nathan Davis: additional vocals on A.D.I.D.A.S.
Sugar and Earl: additional guest appearance on Swallow
Chuck Johnson: cowbell in Lowrider
Technical
Ross Robinson: producer, engineer, mixing
Chuck Johnson: engineer, mixing
Richard Kaplan: mixing, additional engineering
Rob Agnello: assistant
Jamie Leavitt: assistant
Eddy Schreyer: mastering
