No ’98 Grammy for Korn’s Metal

Korn, the popular Huntington Beach metal/alternative band nominated for Grammys each of the last two years for its wrathful, psychodramatic brand of hard rock, was overlooked in Tuesday’s nominations despite its latest album having debuted at No. 1.

Tracks from the band’s first two albums, “Korn” and “Life Is Peachy,” were nominees for best metal performance Grammys for 1996 and 1997. “Follow the Leader,” Korn’s current release, which has vaulted the band to increasing notoriety and renown in metal circles, was shut out this year. The 1998 metal nominees are Metallica, Rage Against the Machine (both of which have Orange County roots), Judas Priest, Nashville Pussy and Rammstein. Korn’s management declined to comment Tuesday on the nominations.

The only Orange County name to crop up in this year’s Grammy nominations is Crystal Lewis, a contemporary Christian singer from Newport Beach who was one of the featured vocalists on “Lean on Me,” a track from Kirk Franklin’s “The Nu Nation Project.”

Tony Scalzo, a veteran of several O.C. alterna-rock bands, is a contender for best rock performance as part of the Austin, Tex.-based trio Fastball. Scalzo wrote and sang the band’s nominated song, “The Way.”