KORN have released "Reward the Scars", a new single recorded for the Diablo IV video game soundtrack — their first new studio music since the February 2022 album "Requiem".
The track arrives alongside a new interview with bassist Roberto "Ra" Díaz, who this year marks five years since he joined the band as a replacement for founding member Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu.
Born in 1984, Díaz first heard KORN's debut album at age ten and described it as a defining moment in his musical life. After years with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, the unexpected opportunity came during the COVID pandemic. Díaz had been creating online collaborative videos with musicians including Charlie Benante of ANTHRAX and Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, which caught the attention of drummer Ray Luzier and guitarist Munky Shaffer.
"One day I just got a DM on Instagram from Ray, the drummer. And he was, like, 'What's your number? Somebody's gonna call you tomorrow,'" Díaz recalled.
The opportunity unfolded gradually — even the initial conversation didn't explicitly mention KORN. Soon Díaz was asked to film himself playing a couple of songs, and the rest is history.
Five years on, the bassist's enthusiasm has not waned: "I'm still, to this day, loving every second of it and hoping it keeps going." He credits the gig with transforming his personal life, having met his wife and started a family since joining.