1998 — a year when Saving Private Ryan ruled the big screen, Gary Coleman attacked a bus driver and five pasty white guys from California unleashed more fury on the radio airwaves. That was the last time this ArtsEtc. writer found herself listening to the eerie, screaming sounds of Korn as "Freak On a Leash" blasted from her then 11-year-old brother's stereo. Or so I thought …
Karma stinks. No more than one week ago, I found myself poking fun at my now metrosexual, Japanese pop-listening brother's past musical choices. So you can only imagine my chagrin when in my absence, I was assigned a review of Korn's latest endeavor, See You on the Other Side.
A metal aficionado, I am not.
Having no substantial basis for comparison, aside from the aforementioned listening experience, I struggled to come up with the credentials necessary to properly review a metal-rap album, before finally ruling myself unworthy due to the abundance of piano rock in my iTunes library
For guidance, I turned to the cliché, "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade," and did it one better. To ease my metal critiquing anxieties, I found solace in a usual comfort area — food. The end result: "When Editors Give You Korn, Compare Them to Actual Corn."
CORN: A tasty, widely-distributed, agricultural product enjoyed by people all over the world.
KORN: A five-man product of the agricultural town of Bakersfield, Cal., fueled by the former social inadequacies of singer Jonathan Davis.
Korn sprang onto the scene in 1994 with the self-titled Korn and achieved moderate success through MTV's exposure of their "Blind" video. Since then, the band has given new meaning to the word "A.D.I.D.A.S.," basked in the success of their best-selling third album Follow the Leader and launched their annual Family Values Tour. Their latest release, See You On the Other Side, follows up the alternative metal band's 2004 greatest hits album.
CORN: For the best taste, corn should be cooked soon after it is picked. Failure to do so will reduce the sweet taste as corn's natural sugars convert to starch.
KORN: A member of Korn picked God over the band, leading to a change in the roster, but the band says they're not bitter.
In February 2005, guitarist Brian "Head" Welch rededicated his life to Christianity and left the band citing among other reasons, "moral objections to the band's music," which typically ventures into the realms of depression and indecency.
See You on the Other Side marks the band's first album as a quartet and maiden voyage on Virgin records. It displays a slightly altered sound and subject matter. After working on eight songs with production team The Matrix, the California quartet brings a slight pop-rock influence to their sound and discusses issues of politics, love and sex on their new album.
CORN: Is a versatile vegetable. It can be enjoyed on the cob, creamed, popped — the possibilities are endless.
KORN: Attempts a more versatile sound on the tracks of Other Side, but ultimately winds up with a few stand-alone tracks and a remainder that blends together.
To start off the album, the first single, "Twisted Transistor" displays an almost manufactured, pop version of metal music that diehard fans might not appreciate. The track offers less screaming than the typical Korn release, and features layered, scratchy vocals over the combined sounds of guitar and of course, a whirring transistor.
The band intensifies on "Politics," a growling and screaming track that is not to be heard without Advil nearby. The angry sound of guitar clashes against the roar of a thundering drumset to complete one blaring ensemble — whose tone carries into the next track. The intro to "Hypocrites" sounds a bit like Satan communicating via stereo. Humorous, being that this track is indeed a critique of organized religion. Despite the devilish beginnings, the song displays a strong call or, rather, scream and response section.
The album peaks with the catchy driving rhythm of "Liar;" however, on "Getting Off," the band waters down the intensity and their lyrical quality completely. The vocals are enough to make anyone shudder as Jonathan Davis creepily reveals, "It's not enough / It's not enough / It's more than will ever be enough / I'm getting off / I'm getting off to you."
In conclusion…
CORN: Can be frozen or canned.
KORN: Should simply be canned.
Grade: C
