Korn has moved away from nu-metal significantly

Hate them or love them everybody has heard of nu-metal giants Korn, who have single-handedly created a new genre of metal music and who changed the face of heavy music throughout the late 1990's. Since 1994 Korn have released five albums as well as a Greatest Hits Vol. 1. Come 2005, the band have lost one half of their guitar-duo, Head, who has found the Lord Jesus as his savior and decided to give up playing in Korn. But the band themselves claim to be at their all-time best and have graced us with a follow-up to Take a Look in the Mirror with See You on the Other Side. From the first listen, it is easy to see the band has moved away from nu-metal significantly, with the major influences coming from Industrial sounding effects and instruments throughout the album. It is probably the most innovative album Korn's released since their unmatched self-titled effort. Although the guys have tried new musical styles here, they have maintained their ability to sound like no one else and at the same time keep the songs catchy. This latest effort by Korn seems to contain equal parts of heavy metal, industrial, porn rock, goth, and doom metal, and the mix actually works effectively.

More complex lyrics and improved singing skills

Seventh studio album from Jonathan Davis, James “Munky” Shaffer, Fieldy and David Silveria delivers a much cleaner sound than previous efforts. This new musical direction is evident on their first single Twisted Transistor, which is included here. By choosing to work with songwriting outfit the Matrix and Nine Inch Nails collaborator Atticus Ross, the band could have alienated core fans. But for the most part, the producers simply add audio garnishing to Korn's signature sound via loops and Pro Tools trickery. There is more of an electronic influence than the band has shown before though, likely because of Ross. In fact, Love Song has more in common with NIN than Korn. While the middle of the set gets bogged down in midtempo songs, Politics, Coming Undone and Hypocrites are worthy singles, while For No One and Liar will keep the old-school Korn fans happy. The band has taken it one step further by introducing more complex lyrics that run far deeper than any of the lyrics presented in their previous albums. Also Jonathan’s singing skills seem to have vastly improved, especially when drawn in comparison with Take a Look in the Mirror and Untouchables. He sings almost angelically and you can hear a burning passion behind his voice. Seen it All and Tearjerker really help to showcase just what Jonathan is capable of.

See You on the Other Side sounds like nothing Korn has done before

Korn have redefined the parameters of heavy music, revolutionizing the genre by matching unsettling guitar textures and volcanic rhythms with jagged, introspective lyrics and intense vocal stylings. The band are one of the most popular hard rock acts in the world today with a dedicated fan base and widely acclaimed live performances. They have sold a total of 25 million albums worldwide to date. With See You on the Other SideKorn have produced something they haven't been able to successfully accomplish since Issues. The album flows well together and a wide range of musical techniques have been used to fill in the gap left by Head. This album sounds like nothing Korn has done before, and Jonathan's lyrics are about different subjects, rather than his life, including sex, politics and obviously the departure of Head. It’s the culmination of everything Korn have come to represent musically, morphed with an industrial-strength alter ego that’s been suppressed – until now. See You on the Other Side is more than the evolution of Korn, it’s an evolution of heavy. This album is one of the more surprising releases of 2005, and should give Korn some well-needed credit from the music world.

08.12.2005