The Paradigm Shift

The Paradigm Shift is the eleventh studio album by Korn, released in October 2013 on Prospect Park Records, notable as the album on which Brian 'Head' Welch officially rejoined the band as a full member after eight years away, marking the first reunion of the original lineup since his 2005 departure. Davis wrote all lyrics; the album was produced by Don Gilmore (who had produced Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory) and represented a return to guitar-based heavy rock after The Path of Totality's dubstep experiment. 'Never Never' and 'Love and Meth' were the principal singles; the album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200 and has been certified gold in the United States. The Paradigm Shift was received by fans and critics as a genuine creative recovery from the dubstep experiment and a successful demonstration that the Welch reunion had restored a creative dynamic that had been missing from the band's work since See You on the Other Side. The Paradigm Shift's commercial performance, gold certification, top-ten Billboard 200 debut, and its sustained positive reception from the core fanbase confirmed that the Welch reunion had successfully rehabilitated the band's commercial standing after the critical and commercial difficulties of The Path of Totality, and established the lineup and approach that would produce the subsequent albums.