Early musical career Shaffer, along with future Korn members
David Silveria and
Reginald Arvizu, formed the band
L.A.P.D. with singer Richard Morrill in the late 1980s. When the band moved from Bakersfield to Los Angeles, Silveria dropped out of high school and Shaffer stayed in Bakersfield. When Shaffer reunited with the band, they found a manager and released an EP entitled
Love and Peace Dude in 1989 through
Triple X Records. L.A.P.D. released their first full-length studio album on May 3, 1991, entitled ''Who's Laughing Now''. After releasing two albums, L.A.P.D. broke up. They were also briefly known as Creep, recording a demo with a singer named Corey until Shaffer, Arvizu, and Silveria enlisted
Brian Welch and
Jonathan Davis to form the band that went on to become Korn.
Korn (1993–present) When thinking of a band name, someone suggested "corn", but the band rejected that name. Shaffer then had the idea to spell the name with a "K" instead of a "C", and a backwards "R", so the band's name would appear as "KoЯn". According to both Shaffer and Jonathan Davis, the idea came from the logo of toy retailer Toys R Us, which several members had worked at during their youth. The stylized name was chosen to create a distorted, childlike aesthetic. On February 22, 2005,
Brian "Head" Welch left the band citing a spiritual awakening. Shaffer accepted his friend's choice and the two remained on good terms. Welch rejoined Korn on May 2, 2013, and contributed to the album
The Paradigm Shift released in October 2013. Drummer
David Silveria left the band in 2006, initially stating it would be a temporary break to focus on family and business. Shaffer later revealed that Silveria had fully distanced himself from music at the time.
Fear and the Nervous System (2008–present) On March 4, 2008, it was announced that Shaffer would be releasing a solo record with his side project Fear and The Nervous System. The band included Shaffer on guitars,
Brooks Wackerman (of
Bad Religion) on drums,
Leopold Ross on guitars and programming,
Bill Gould (of
Faith No More) on bass, and Zac Baird (Korn's keyboardist) on keyboards and programming. Guitarist
Wes Borland contributed early recordings and the album artwork. The album, originally slated for 2008, was delayed due to scheduling conflicts and was eventually released digitally in October 2011. Shaffer later stepped back from vocal duties, stating he did not feel confident singing. Steve Krolikowski of
Repeater was announced as the lead vocalist.
Emotional Syphon Recordings (2006–present) In 2006, Shaffer founded Emotional Syphon Recordings, an independent label created to support diverse and daring new artists. The first bands signed were
Droid and
Monster in the Machine. Shaffer stated that his goal was to give artists complete creative freedom and release music across multiple genres.
Venera (2023–present) In 2023, Shaffer announced the formation of
Venera, a glitch and dark electronic music project with composer Chris Hunt. Their self-titled debut album was released on
Ipecac Recordings on October 13, 2023. ==Personal life==