Back in 2021, Korn’s founding bassist – Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu – announced that he’d be going on an indefinite hiatus from the band. True to his word, he’s yet to return to the group, and in a new interview with the Basement Talk podcast, he revealed that he’s not spoken to Korn since 2019.
What Fieldy Said
During their chat (uploaded to YouTube on Feb. 10), one of the hosts asked Fieldy: “What’s your relationship like with the band right now?”
Fieldy replied: “I haven’t talked to those guys in—since 2019. So, it’s like, we’re just kind of both just doing—they’re truckin’. They’re a machine. They’re going. It’s insane. It’d dope that they can keep on going like that.”
Then, Fieldy was asked, “It’s all love, though?” to which he stated: “Yeah. It’s cool to see that they can keep on going, you know? It’s like— I’m like, ‘I need to chill. Just kickin’ in.”
Interestingly, when Fieldy says that both he and Korn are “both just doing—they’re trucking’,” his hands gesture in opposite directions, implying that they’re following separate paths and doing their own thing. Unfortunately, he doesn’t elaborate on the situation any more than that.
You can watch Fieldy’s full appearance on the Basement Talk podcast below.
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Fieldy’s History With Korn and Related Updates
Fieldy formed Korn in 1993 alongside current guitarist/backing vocalist James “Munky” Shaffer and ex-drummer David Silveria. The trio were previously in funk metal band L.A.P.D. (Love and Peace Dude / Laughing as People Die), and Fieldy played on every studio record Korn’s released thus far (including 2022’s Requiem).
In June of 2021, Fieldy announced that he’d be taking a break from Korn due to “personal issues” that “caused [him] to fall back on some of [his] bad habits and has caused some tension with the people around [him].” Thus, he needed time to get “the bad habits out of [his] system,” and in response, Korn declared their “love and support” for their “brother.”
Around the same time, they revealed that Suicidal Tendencies’ Roberto “Ra” Diaz would be filling in for Fieldy during Korn’s summer 2021 concerts. The group continued to confirm that there were “no negative vibes” over Fieldy’s hiatus – stating that they “miss him” and “want him to just be healthy” – and in 2022, Fieldy gave fans an update about how he’s doing (including some comments on his work with Stillwell).
In 2023, Stillwell put out their latest LP, Rock the House.
As for Korn, they’re still working on their upcoming follow-up to Requiem, with guitarist Brian “Head” Welch telling The PRP in December of 2024:
We got a lot of it [written]. We’re still working. Dude, it’s a trip 30 years later, man, to try to keep doing it. And we’re very happy with what we got, but it’s just gonna take a while. And I don’t know how long — maybe next summer, maybe next year, the next winter, I don’t know, but it’s not gonna be soon.
They’re also gearing up for an international tour that’ll kick off in Columbus, Ohio on May 8. You can see more information – and grab tickets – here.
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire