Don't expect too much banter at a Korn [ tickets ] show. Instead, prepare for volcanic noise that mixes one part Apocalypse with one part Armageddon.

Yet, incredibly, the five-piece from Bakersfield, CA, somehow meshes all that rage into a cohesive performance, one that connects with its fans on both an emotional and primal level. Wednesday night (11/17) at the Los Angeles-area Universal Amphitheatre, Korn celebrated a career's worth of rage the only way they know how: by blowing the roof off the place, giving their fans all they could ask for.

As the curtain dropped to reveal the band, Korn rocketed into "Here to Stay," with lead singer Jonathan Davis aiming his microphone out at the crowd during every chorus. Meanwhile, behind the group, the facade of a two-story jail cell caged a bunch of teens, probably a group of lucky fans. It was a perfect set for a band that resides at the intersection of rejection and self-destruction.

This being a greatest-hits tour, the band seemed fired up, offering vintage performances. "Here to Stay" established the you-ain't-about-to-sit-down all night rule, and "Got the Life" ensured that the rule would be honored. At the verses, guitar lines etched ghostly goose bumps on the skin, while, at the song's refrain, Davis became the incarnation of aggression, screaming and screeching into his microphone, elbows flailing in the air.

Later, Davis would sing the lines, "I hurt so bad inside/I wish you could see the world through my eyes," from "Dirty," off Korn's 1999 release, "Issues." As he sang, his pale face turned to a pained expression, as harsh vocals rained out of the speakers. For this singer and for this band, clearly, pain is fuel. The song was soulful and impressive.

Even "Freak on a Leash"--despite Davis' diabolical scat and the song's up-tempo, disco-inspired high hat--cannot escape Korn's core sentiment. "Feeling like a freak on a leash/Feeling like I have no release/How many times have I felt diseased?/Nothing in my life is free." All the while, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu dance-bounced awkwardly beside Davis, thumping his trademark bass.

With their cover of Cameo's '80s rap classic "Word Up," Korn showed that they are indeed among the progenitors of the whole rap-rock genre. But the band's version of Pink Floyd's seminal track, "Another Brick in the Wall, (parts 1, 2 and 3)," gave equal evidence that Korn is rooted in the epic sound of rock and roll, as well; why else would Davis carry a burning torch to the front of the stage and ask the audience to whip out their lighters in unison? Why else would the band's first-ever hit and penultimate song of the night, "Blind," be such a perfect anthem from top to bottom? But certainly Korn is a singular act. After all, for whom else could "Faget," a song about a conflicted gay teenager, be a powerful epic finale?

Yeah, the arena-rock sound and ethos is one that Korn has expanded on ever since their album dropped in 1994. Closing their show with "Blind" and "Faget," Korn did what many other great rock acts have done before them: save the best for last and send the fans home happy. A great greatest-hits show.