Korn See You on the Other Side

Tracklist:
1. Twisted Transistor
2. Politics
3. Hypocrites
4. Souvenir
5. 10 Or A 2-Way
6. Throw Me Away
7. Love Song
8. Open Up
9. Coming Undone
10. Getting Off
11. Liar
12. For No One
13. Seen It All
14. Tearjerker
Bonus CD:
1.It's Me Again
2.Eaten Up Inside
3.Last Legal Drug (Le Petit Mort)
4.Twisted Transistor Remix 1
5.Twisted Transistor Remix 2

Download - All Tracks <<< Click Here

Korn, as most know, has been going downhill recently. Untouchables only went platinum once, and Take A Look In The Mirror barely went platinum at all, and both CD‘s quality wise are some of the uninspired material they had ever written. Korn realized there old sound was running out, and so did the modern public, as nearly all Nu-Metal started to dry around 2003-04, when Heavy Metal made a comeback. Nearly every artist in the genre died or switched up, even among there higher talents. System of A Down was far to talented to have such a limiting title, and Disturbed went more hard rock than nu-metal. The only ones left keeping sales alive are Mudvayne, Slipknot and Korn, and Korn because of there massive, incredibly loyal fan base (who else would buy Untouchables and still be a fan?). Korn chose that they no longer needed to have such a limiting title, so they added some industrial/NIN influences to there music, and overall it is a mixed bag.

When I first heard Twisted Transistor, I wanted to put a freaking bullet in my head. What's with the stupid industrial attempt? Why were they trying to act like Trent Reznor? What’s with John's cat screams? But later I would grow into the song, the song has some of the catchiest riffs I have heard on a Korn song in years. I know, the bass is inaudible, which sucks because there bassist is really good, and the drumming is rather slow and boring, but John's vocals have changed to a more mature sounding growl, and his clean vocals are even better than they were before the song. It is a rather big improvement over the past 3 Korn albums, though still doesn't show them at there best, like the S/t or Life Is Peachy. It is a rather unique song that got me into listening to this album full.

The Industrial addition to there influences really help the album, and gives the album a really unique feel. It gives Korn something to toy around with while experimenting on other elements of there music. Since Head left the band as a Christian, the riffs got much catchier, Twisted Transistor has some of the catchiest riffs Korn has ever made in there career, and along with the production of The Matrix, it sounds great. However, despite the Industrial influence helping out, there are tracks that are exceptionally boring, maybe because of the influence, like Souvenir and Getting Off. There is a song that is great even without the influence, and this would be Coming Undone, which contains John Davis’s best vocal performance on the album (Other than Tearjerker, which I will mention later in the review).

John Davis’s lyrics are what bring this album from a 3 to a 2.5, what about them? Well they really suck. On Coming Undone, he sings “Since I was young/I've tasted sorrow on my tongue/And this sweet chugga gun/Does not protect me” uh huh. There are plenty of mediocre lyrics, but let’s just get to the point: John’s writing of the lyrics have become uninspired and he seems to be going through the motions of former angst lyrics, rather actually thinking of writing good lyrics. However, there is a good example of good lyric writing, which I will mention later in the review in the paragraph about the brilliant track Tearjerker.

Most of the songs are rather hit/miss. Twisted Transistor and Hypocrites, have some of John's most powerful vocals, some of Korn's catchiest guitar work, and for the latter, the most epic feeling Korn song in years, Whereas Souvenir is conquered by the boring drum work by David Silveria, and the guitar work is about as catchy as the idea of George Bush becoming president for a 3rd term. 10 or 2-way is the most NIN sounding song, but as Korn give there catchy, creepy sexual content to a brilliant industrial nu-metal track, whereas Getting Off is a horrid attempt at a follow up to 10 or 2-Way, and has really disorderly sounding drum work. etc.

Korn albums, love or hate them, always have at least one brilliant ,or for Untouchables, an okay, track. For Korn, It was Daddy, for Issues, It was Falling Away, for Untouchables, it was the okay song Here To Stay, for Follow The Leader, it was Cameltosis, etc. For this album it was Tearjerker. Tearjerker starts with an ambient feel, then John starts to sing with some of the best vocals he’s ever sang with. He also has some of the best lyrics he’s ever written: “As I sit here frozen alone/Even ghosts get tired and go home/As they crawl back under the stones” It gives you a dark, cold atmosphere, something Korn has tried in forever. Then the guitars and drums kick in, and brings in the climax of the song. After that it calms, with some excellent drum work, while John ends his tortured vocals, and it quietly ends, what a brilliant song.

Korn shaped up and realize that the new albums they are making aren’t what fans want, but at the same time Korn realizes that they can’t go back (See the failure of Take A Look In The Mirror), So they choose to add industrial influences to their music, creating some of there best and worst music of there careers. With wonderful songs like Tearjerker and 2 or 10-Way, to the horrible, boring noise of Souvenir and Getting Off.
A really inconsistent album with the best and worst of Korn.

Pros:
Korn created a really original sound, Industrial Nu-Metal.
Tearjerker
The guitar work on some songs is some of the catchiest of Korn’s career.
John Davis’s vocals work with the songs, and are rather well-done

Cons:
The drum work of David Silveria is at it’s worst.
Souvenir
The bass is inaudible
The guitar work on some songs is some of the most boring of Korn’s career.

2.5 out of 5.