NEXT (South Korean band)
South Korean rock band known for social critique.
NEXT (Korean: 넥스트; stylized as N.EX.T, short for New EXperiment Team) was a South Korean rock band that built a reputation on provocative songs targeting social injustice. Founded by pioneering experimental rock vocalist Shin Hae-chul, the group released its first album, *Home*, in 1991. Over its active years, the band underwent many lineup changes, and it has been on indefinite hiatus since Shin’s death in 2014.
Shin Hae-chul’s band originally split after the 1997 album *Lazenca: A Space Rock Opera*, with its instrumentalists going on to form the alternative metal group Novasonic alongside rapper Kim Jun Pyo. N.EX.T reformed around 2003 after Novasonic disbanded, and they created the soundtrack for the Korean release of *Guilty Gear XX #Reload*. Some instrumental tracks from that score were later given vocals for the album *The Return Of N.EX.T Part 3: The Book of War/The Diary of a Soldier*, released in 2006, which featured the song “Dear America” with contributions from prominent Korean vocalists including Kim Jun Pyo and Crash’s Ahn Heung-Chan. Guitarist Kim Se-hwang released his first solo album, *Vivaldi: The Four Seasons*, in 2010. In 2014, Shin Hae-chul died from cardiac arrest after receiving poor medical care following a surgery in which a surgeon illegally performed a gastric bypass without the patient’s consent. The band made its final public appearance at the Pentaport Rock Festival on August 8, 2015, as a special memorial stage with various musicians, not a full NEXT performance. Since then, NEXT has been considered inactive.
The band’s lyrics often carried sharp cultural critiques. “Turn Off the T.V.” and “Money” targeted media saturation and consumerism. Environmental disregard was addressed in “Lazenca, Save Us” and “The World We Made,” the latter contrasting a peaceful natural world with a frightening, industrial human-made one. “Cyber Budha Company Ltd.” imagined a dark future where people could purchase small amounts of divinity through machines and credit cards.
NEXT saw many lineup changes from 1991 to 2014. Core members included Shin Hae-chul (vocals, 1991–2014), Jeong Gi-song (guitar, 1991), Lee Dong-gyu (drums, bass, 1991–1994), Im Chang-su (guitar, 1994), Lee Su-yong (drums, 1994–1997, 2006), Kim Se-hwang (guitar, 1994–1997, 2005–2014), Kim Yeong-seok (bass, 1995–1997, 2006), Won San-guk (bass, 2003–2005), Devin Lee (guitar, 2003
- formed
- 1991
Quick Facts
- Background
- group_or_band
- Origin
- Seoul, South Korea
- Genre
- Heavy metal · hard rock · progressive metal · alternative metal
- Years Active
- 1992–1997 / 2003–2015
- Label
- Danal Entertainment
- Past Members
- Shin Hae-chul / Jeong Gi-song / Lee Dong-gyu / Im Chang-su / Lee Su-yong / Kim Se-hwang / Kim Yeong-seok / Won San-guk / Devin Lee / Dr. Juny / Dong Hyeok / Ji Hyeon-su / Yun Te-ra / Jade / Kim Dan
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
NEXT (New EXperiment Team) was the band of singer/songwriter Shin Hae-chul. The group split up following the 1997 release of Lazenca: A Space Rock Opera, and the instrumentalists formed the alternative metal band Novasonic with rapper Kim Jun Pyo. N.EX.T reformed around 2003 following the disbanding of Novasonic, and composed the soundtrack for the Korean release of Guilty Gear XX #Reload. A few of its instrumental songs were re-worked into songs with vocals on the following album, The Return Of N.EX.T Part 3: The Book of War/The Diary of a Soldier, released in 2006. The Return of N.EX.T Part 3 included the song 'Dear America' which featured many prominent Korean vocalists such as Kim Jun Pyo and Crash's Ahn Heung-Chan. Guitarist Kim Se-hwang released his first solo album, Vivaldi: The Four Seasons, in 2010.
In 2014, group leader Shin Hae-chul died from cardiac arrest after receiving poor medical care following a surgery in which a surgeon illegally performed a gastric bypass without the patient’s consent. The band made its final public appearance at the Pentaport Rock Festival on August 8, 2015, as a special memorial stage with various musicians, not a full NEXT performance.
Reader's Guide
NEXT's significance lies in their role as a pioneering experimental rock band in South Korea, using music as a vehicle for social and cultural criticism. Their songs addressed issues such as media consumerism ('Turn Off the T.V.'), environmental disregard ('Lazenca, Save Us' and 'The World We Made'), and the commodification of spirituality ('Cyber Budha Company Ltd.'). The band's legacy is deeply tied to frontman Shin Hae-chul, whose death in 2014 effectively ended the group's activity. Their final public appearance was a memorial stage at the 2015 Pentaport Rock Festival. Despite multiple line-up changes, NEXT maintained a distinct identity as a band that challenged societal norms through provocative lyrics and experimental sounds. Their influence persists in Korean rock and alternative music scenes, and their discography remains a touchstone for fans of socially conscious music.
Did You Know?
- NEXT is an abbreviation for New EXperiment Team.
- The band's song 'Dear America' featured Psy, Kim Jun Pyo, and Crash's Ahn Heung-Chan.
- Shin Hae-chul died in 2014 due to cardiac arrest after a surgeon illegally conducted a gastric bypass without patient consent.
- NEXT's last appearance was at the Pentaport Rock Festival on August 8, 2015, for a memorial stage for Shin.
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