Korn Untitled

Tracklist:
1. Intro – 1:57
2. Starting Over - 4:02
3. Bitch We Got a Problem - 3:22
4. Evolution – 3:37
5. Hold On - 3:05
6. Kiss - 4:09
7. Do What They Say - 4:17
8. Ever Be - 4:48
9. Love and Luxury - 3:00
10. Innocent Bystander - 3:28
11. Killing - 3:36
12. Hushabye - 3:52
13. I Will Protect You – 5:29

Download - All Tracks <<< Click Here

Korn, upon releasing Untouchables, it is fair to say they had destroyed a decent amount of their fan base. With Take A Look In The Mirror, which was supposed to be a return to form, was actually like the St. Anger of Nu-Metal. Korn had fallen to the very pits of the musical abyss when, suddenly, Head left to become a Christian. The band realized they weren’t getting any younger, and thus chose to switched up their sound a little bit. With the help of The Matrix, they would release See You On The Other Side, which would undoubtedly revive they’re reputation with many fans, but the same time being banished by many fans as well. It received mixed messages from both fans and critics, but was undoubtedly better than Untouchables and Take A Look In The Mirror. Korn continues it’s industrial evolution into Untitled, a record that shows more Industrial influences than anything else.

At first, I hated this album with a passion, but later I started to listen to the record more, and started enjoying it more. The ambiance started getting to me, and I realized that, like most Korn albums, it’s more about the feel of the album as a whole than the songs on there. I started hearing what Korn was trying to do, and of course, songs grew on me. I would say this is Korn’s best since Follow The Leader, and a rather solid improvement over See You On The Other Side.

The record starts with the quiet cliché intro Intro which has the horror carnival intro that’s been done so much, and it gets rather annoying. However, the record really starts with Starting Over, which right away picks at a dark atmospheric(kind of what Untouchables went for). Right away I notice the drums have improved since David Silveria left, with experts like Terry Bozzio on the drums, you know you’re doing something right. The bass is also very audible in the song, at least towards the end, with Jon says with agony “Come Join Me!”. Jon, when screeching in agony, sounds like he means it ,unlike on Issues, where he sounded like he was going through the motions.

All the songs (excluding Hold On) sound completely different from anything Korn has ever done. Without the help of The Matrix, it would have sounded like every other Korn record. The electronic effects, I would argue, help make the dark ambience what it is. The industrial groove Bitch We Got A Problem, is nearly all thanks to The Matrix’s production, the bass is audible, and as usual, Fieldy does a rather excellent job at the rhythm front. The electronic effects work together with Fieldy’s bass and Munky’s rather meek guitar work to make an excellent, danceable, piece of music. Jon sings about schizophrenia, with a chorus “which one which one of you is into me/which one which one of me is into you/ we are prone schizophrenic/ I fear/say how many voices you hear?”.

The softer tracks are surprisingly the best tracks, and the highlight of the entire album would be Kiss. The song starts with a door knock sounding drum beat, then goes into this depressing atmosphere, an entry to the mind of Jonathon Davis. The guitar work is rather meek, like it is through the most of the album, but like most of the album, it is probably among the least important parts. Jon’s vocal part brings a tear to my eye, he sounds so depressed and sad, and the instrumentation (mostly drums, from the best drummer of all time Terry Bozzio), gives a feel of ultimate sadness. The song is fantastic, and is among the best of the album. Another highlight of the softer songs of the album is the dynamics of Hushabye, and that song starts with a tingling, and some deep drums. Jon sings with a high voice, and the verses are an aura. Then it goes into the more metal chorus of Jon shouting “WHY, WHY, WHY HUSHABYE?!”.

Lyrically, the album shines on Do What They Say, which resembles Korn of their first album. From hearing it, it seems to have to do with Iraq, especially in the lines “Only enough to know the outcome (now)/more blood/its always/the same” and the chorus “Aren’t we cruel and aren’t we come/for god we search for force alone.” That chorus line could be interpreted as we came for those weapons, which didn’t find, it also seems that Jon switches subjects suddenly, like Bush did, saying “Don’t say, God’s name, in vain”. And the final lines “I can’t be certain”, Jon whimpers, like Rumsfelt on Iraq.

However, despite many high and shining lights, many of the tracks really blow behind. Evolution is a failed attempt at political song, and it has Jon’s worst vocals on a song ever. EVER. Hold On sounds like a rather cliché Korn song, and could have been picked off anywhere from their discography. Ever Be, although instrumentally decent, Jon Davis writes the worst lyrics he’s ever written (“You‘re All That‘s Wrong/ With You‘re Dumbass Song/Yet It‘s all you‘ll ever be“), which can’t help the listener but notice how meek the guitar work is. Love And Luxury is an abuse of electronic effects, and feels rather annoying. Innocent Bystander sounds way too much like Ever Be lyrically. Killing is just decent, and is the heaviest song on the album. Killing would be a good song, too bad the guitar’s are only average, at least the riff is slightly catchy. Unlike most people, I dislike I Will Protect You, a bad Hushabye, ending the album with an inane shout of “This Ain’t The Time/This Ain’t the Place” over and over. Ending the album with tortured voices howling “I Will Protect You!”.

So to end my review of this album, I am here to summarize it for you. The album is mostly about the feel, it’s incredibly dark ambiance. About half the tracks falter in quality, but the other tracks are some of the best in Korn’s long and illustrious career. This is a much more unique sounding See You On The Other Side, increasing the Industrial influence and lessening on the metal influence. This might be a disappointment to Korn’s more metal type fans, but it is a treasure for people who are willing to take a chance at something new. Korn has succeeded in more ways than they have failed, for the first time in years.

Tracks that rule:
Kiss
Hushabye
Bitch We Got A Problem

Tracks that suck:
Ever Be
Innocent Bystander
I Will Protect You

Rating: 3.5 out of 5