It started with a bold statement, chalked full of bravado. “This is our masterpiece,” lead singer Jonathan Davis proclaimed as one of modern rock’s heaviest bands, Korn, prepared to release their fifth studio album, Untouchables. Presumptuous statements of this nature are not uncommon in music these days, but the claim demanded careful examination of the product at hand. Whether or not you agree with Davis depends on who you are and where you’re coming from.
Diehard Korn fans will tell you that not only is Untouchables the best Korn album to date, but the best record of the year. Those indie fans who despise Korn and the accumulation of weak bands they have left in their wake will maintain that this is yet another example of “nu-metal” destroying the very fabric of real rock music. Those in between these two groups may not know what to think after a first listen. As to who is right, that is a much more difficult question. For any of you who caught the Korn special on MTV last week, you know that the diehard Korn fans who plaster their walls with pictures of the band would eat up anything the band put out, because they live their lives vicariously through their heroes. That does not mean that this is a poor album.
At first listen, Untouchables seems like more of the same from the band that made nursery rhymes mosh pit anthems. After a second listen, the album is something more, and by the third listen, the album comes full circle as a diary of pain and frustration that Jonathan Davis and the rest of Korn share with their loyal audience as a means of catharsis. While Untouchables may not be the masterpiece or the crown jewel of the Korn collection, it is an extremely engaging album that is a proclamation that Korn is at the top of their genre and have an incredible aptitude to tap into the emotions of their audience.
From the opening fuzz of first track and lead single “Here To Stay” to the disengaged and melancholy finale, “No One’s There,” Korn have put together an album that makes more and more sense after every listen.
“Here To Stay” is one of the heaviest and catchiest tracks that Korn have put out in years and one of its biggest strengths is its music video, which is both energetic and virulent. With graphic depictions of the Los Angeles riots, medical procedures, car crashes and mayhem, the video for “Here To Stay” rubs against the grain of everything that you will see on MTV these days. It is not colorful (the live performance sequences are in black and white) and it is not interested in being crisp. Rather, it is a disjointed combination of scenes of frustration, a concept at the very foundation of Korn.
“Blame” is a relentless blast of detuned rock that is punctuated by the cadence-like vocals of Davis that work in unison with the now trademarked two guitar assault of James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch. As “Blame” burns out like a spent asteroid, “Hollow Life” presents a much more melodic side of Korn. The intro is soft with a deep bass groove and high-pitched notes that sound like chimes. Davis follows the melody with gentle lyrics that showcase the somewhat surprising fact that he can actually sing pretty well. “Hollow Life” opens into a heavier chorus that would trademark lighter Korn songs, but it is the verse interludes that are the highlight of this track.
“Thoughtless” is another of the highlights on the album. The heavy, paired guitars of Shaffer and Welch match the fluctuating vocals of Davis and provide for an exceptionally melodic chorus.
Synthetic guitar notes, the use of delayed notes via an effects pedal, a perfect mix of patience and melody make “Hating” one of the best songs on Untouchables. There is no doubt that this song will be the second single off the record and there is equally little doubt in the Korn camp that it will be a success.
Where Untouchables fails is in the tracks “Wake Up Hate” and “Embrace” which both sound more like the meathead metal of Static X than anything else and do very little to present anything other than music to which people will try to injure each other at the live shows.
Closing out Untouchables (besides a terrible remixed version of “Here To Stay”) is “No One’s There,” a song in which the bass and guitars go in opposite directions, creating a grounded effect that is both morose and full of melody. The song beckons back to the slowed down melodies that were developed on Korn’s last album, “Issues,” and suggests that the band is capable of great melodies that don’t have to break your speakers.
While Untouchables may not be Korn’s masterpiece, it is a record that grows on the listener with each listen. The album will have people debating for some time about whether it is garbage or brilliant, but one thing is for sure, people will be talking about this album and the upcoming tour supporting it.
You can catch Korn with Puddle of Mudd and Deadsy at The Alliant Energy Center on July 9th.
