Korn’s Fieldy Breaks Silence On Stepping Away: ‘COVID Happened. That’s It.’

Korn bassist Fieldy has finally cut through years of speculation surrounding his absence from the band, pinning his decision to step back on one moment that flipped everything sideways: the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speaking in a recent podcast appearance, the long time Korn low end architect didn’t dance around it, when asked why he walked away in 2021, he laid it out bluntly: “COVID happened. That’s it. I’m like, ‘I’m not going out there.’”

Back when Fieldy first stepped away, the official line leaned toward “personal issues” and “bad habits”, fans filled in the blanks themselves, but the bassist later shut down rumours of substance abuse. Korn pushed forward without him, bringing in Suicidal Tendencies’ Roberto “Ra” Díaz to handle bass duties, what was framed as time off quietly stretched into something more permanent.

Fieldy now admits the pandemic didn’t just pause things, it shifted his entire perspective, sitting still forced reflection, and that distance created a disconnect that hasn’t been repaired (per The PRP).

‘I’m retired from Korn today’

Years later, the relationship remains distant, Fieldy revealed he hasn’t kept in touch with his bandmates, letting communication fade entirely.

When pressed on whether he’s officially done, his answer leaves the door cracked but hardly open: “I’m retired from Korn today, but we’ll see what the day brings tomorrow.” It doesn’t exactly sound like a comeback tease, more like someone at peace with stepping off the ride.

Check out the full interview below:

Looking back without regret

Despite the split, there’s no bitterness in how Fieldy frames his time in Korn, nearly three decades inside one of nu metal’s defining bands isn’t something he’s keen to rewrite:

“I look back at my life and like, you know, almost 30 years with Korn, that was a blast,” he said, brushing off any urge to complain.

That perspective matters, Korn weren’t just a band, they reshaped heavy music’s DNA in the late ‘90s and Fieldy’s signature clack heavy bass tone was a core part of that shift.

What comes next

He’s not completely done with music, Fieldy confirmed he’s working on new material with Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman, hinting at a loose, still developing project. No release dates or big rollout, just movement.

For now, Korn continues without one of its founding voices, while Fieldy watches from the sidelines, not burnt out, not pushed out, just… done for now.

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