Korn fans got excited over the band’s possible return with new music after mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge shared a studio photo with James ‘Munky’ Shaffer on February 14th, which has since been deleted. The photo featured Munky with producer Nick Raskulinecz on Instagram.
The social media post included an enthusiastic comment from the mix engineer about working with the band members in the studio.
“What a blast with Nick Raskulinecz and Munkey mixing Korn!!” Chris Lord-Alge said. “Heavy badass rock!!!”
The photo and caption have since been removed from the platform. However, they generated significant buzz among the band’s fanbase about potential new material before their removal.
The studio session carries particular significance given the creative team’s history with the band and their recent statements about new music.
Metal Injection reported that Raskulinecz previously produced Korn’s 2019 album The Nothing. His involvement in this studio session is particularly noteworthy. The producer’s return suggests the band may be working on material that builds upon their previous collaboration, which received critical acclaim from both fans and critics.
The timing of this studio activity contradicts recent statements from the band about their recording priorities. Metal Injection noted that guitarist Brian “Head” Welch recently told Loudwire that the band wasn’t prioritizing new music at this time.
“We’re focusing right now on our live show… it feels like we don’t even need a new album. Everything’s just going so well, but that’s not to say we’re not going to find some time to go in again. I feel like it’s not priority right now,” Welch stated.
Chaoszine revealed that the appearance of Munky in the studio with Lord-Alge has left fans questioning whether the band is quietly working on new material despite Welch’s recent comments. The involvement of Lord-Alge, who has worked with major acts including Green Day and My Chemical Romance, adds weight to speculation that this represents serious recording work rather than casual experimentation.
The deleted nature of the original Instagram post has only fueled further speculation among the Korn fanbase. Fans are questioning whether the band is preparing to announce new music or if the studio session was simply exploratory work that wasn’t meant for public consumption.
