Customer Reviews

Korn

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I was not the biggest fan of See You On the Other Side. That album had it's moments, especially "Twisted Transistor", "Hypocrite", "Politics", "Coming Undone" and "Souvenier", but there were many songs that just didn't do anything for me. For the first time in years, I found myself skipping songs on a Korn album.

While this untitled effort is by no means a return to classic Korn, it is a strong collection of tunes. They have combined their signature sounds with industrial and goth metal. Really, they pull it off quite well. The only track on the album that I consider weak and unnecessary is the Intro, which is just really odd and out of place. Otherwise, by listening to this album about 7-8 times straight through, uninterrupted, I have found a number of the songs to be great additions to the Korn catalog, and some that may be eventual Korn classics. They are all good.
My favorites are the rocking "Starting Over", the psychotic "Bitch We Got A Problem", current hit single "Evolution" (it really grows on you), the thumping "Hold On", and some really good tunes to end the album on a high note: "Innocent Bystander" and "I Will Protect You". I found something to enjoy in every song, and if this is officially the new Korn, I guess I've come to terms with that, as long as they can continue to release solid music like this.
Jon Davis has never been better, finding new ways to make his voice sound cool, like on "Bitch We Got A Problem" where he goes all crazy on us. He has grown as a vocalist, and although not everyone likes his voice, I think that his unique style is always refreshing in a world of Layne Staley and Maynard James Keenan rip-offs. Not to mention 1/2 the bands out there have vocalists that just have no idea of how to craft good vocal hooks. Davis is great at that.
Long story short, this is an above average cd in the world of heavy music. No, they are not as heavy as they used to be, but they have not sold out. Their music will never be mainstream. But it is FUN.

For those that grew tired of Korn's signature blend of NU-Metal/Hip Hop, this ones for you...

"Untitled" is going to be the album that divides the Korn fan base. On one side you will have the hardcore NU-Metal lovers who will hate this album because it stretches so far into a more mainstream rock sound, pretty much leaving out most of the hip hop and Nu-Metal styles.

And on the opposite side, there will be those true, dedicated fans who will see that "Untitled" is Korn evolved, stretching out past the loss of two core members and trying out new territory.

2007 has brought MANY changes to the face of music, especially from staples such as Nine Inch Nails, Linkin Park and most notably, Korn.

I admit, that after Issues, everything that Korn released was an un-original bore. Each album after Issues contained music that they have pretty much already done before. It was tiring, especially their angsty message, which had been repeated since their original self titled release in 94.

While Untitled doesn't showcase anything amazing in terms of the lyrical department, its the music that really shines here. I will say that Jonathan's vocals are much more realized and focused than on previous outings. We are also treated to a wide range of vocal styles from gutteral death growls, clean vocals, and his signature growl/scream style.
-One thing that I do really like about this album is that Jonathan's vocal style is largely different in terms of rhythm than on previous Korn offerings. This is a GOOD thing:) The vocals deviate away from the usual blend of incoherent babble and quasi-hip hop and take the form of rock.

And that is what makes this album so special, the melodies are very different and less Nu-Metal.

For the most part, those signature repetitive power chord thumps found most prevalent on every-single-Korn-album are missing from "Untitled", and in their place are guitar melodies and harmonies that are vastly mutated under electronic manipulation. The power chords still rear their ugly head once in a while, but they have been put in their proper place.

Synth's and Keyboards add a much needed dimension to the music, providing all sorts of sound effects and melodies. They really fill out the sound.

The drumming is rather normal, nothing special or different here. Mostly keeping time, but it fits the music really well.

Fieldy's bass lines are much more in the background on this one, but they fit the music really well too.

"Untitled" is a nice blend of rock,industrial, electro and ambiance that fits nicely into a mainstream mold, a nice break from the "usual" Korn stuff. Think more NIN and less Korn. One thing you will notice on "Untitled", is that Korn sounds like they are actually enjoying this music.

Each instrument is subject to electronic manipulation, which gives room for a lot of variety.

Overall, "Untitled", while not breaking new ground or shattering the envelope, is Korn's most original effort since their debut record.

Though they never quite recaptured the intensity that made their original 1994 self titled album so good, Korn was on top of the world nearly ten years ago after scoring massive commercial hits with "Follow the Leader", and it's follow up the following year, "Issues". Since then though, things went quite downhill. Korn's fanbase started to mature and outgrew the band as a whole, while Korn never managed to mature themselves with subsequent releases. Now, it's 2007, and the band is noticibly falling apart at the seams. The intensity is gone, and has now been replaced with the most mainstream sound you'll ever hear on a Korn record. "Starting Over" attempts to do just what it's title implies (hence releasing another self-titled album), but goes nowhere, and the same can be said for "Evolution", "Hold On", "Kiss", and "Do What They Say"; all of which are a far cry from the band that showed so much promise in 1994 and never managed to really deliver. Jonathan Davis sounds more tired than ever, and while there are a few brief, shining moments to be heard that are peppered throughout various points in the album, it is an ultimate failure and a sign that the end is here. I'm beinf overly generous here with my rating. It's a shame that it's come to this, but it is indeed time for Korn to hang it up and step down.

So, I went to this show called the Family Values Tour 2007 a couple of weeks ago because a friend of mine had tickets and couldn't go. Way way back in college, I recall hearing a song on the radio called "Blind" and thought to myself 'that sounds pretty good'. Then we all got caught up in Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc and I forgot about Korn. I never really became a fan of their music. It was like that girl in high school that was cute, but you never thought of asking her out; then when you see her after four years in college you're like "Wow!! How come we never talked before?". This is how I felt after experiencing the FVT 2007. And I also got introduced to Guitar Hero and a guy who you paid to kick a soccer ball at his sack. It doesn't get any better than that, I tell you.

I would agree with some of the other reviewers in that it's a bit overproduced from the tech side of the house. In concert, though, the bass and guitar were screaming. I didn't listen to this album until after I saw the show, and when I listen to these songs the memory of the concert is indelibly linked and I experience it in a whole different way. All in all, though, it's still a strong album. If the bass and guitar played a more predominant role in the studio recording, I would have given it a full five stars. Korn, I'm sorry we didn't get together sooner.

First off, amazing album. Now to business, I'm tired of many half-hearted music fans saying that Korn has fallen off its game and doesn't make "good" music anymore. This new album is one of their best cd's to date and has a handful of great hits.

I've been a Korn fan since the mid 90's and although their style and sound has changed, they haven't changed for the worst. People need to realize that artist have to grow and expand out past what they did on their freshman and sophmore cd's.

Please stop complaining. If you hate the "new" Korn so much then why do you guys still buy the albums? The reason is simple, Korn has the ability to make melodic/hard music and re-invent themselves from cd to cd (unlike bands like Linkin Park who try but fail). Korn has done this flawlessly.

Sorry if the so-called "banger Korn fans" don't like the different direction the band is going in but for those that just love great music then this is a must have album. With a wonderful mixture of sound provided by Jonathan and amazing guitar by Munky, Korn has created yet another masterpiece.

This cd is a much needed fresh breath of air in an industry enveloped by bitchy emo bands and whiny [..]rockers. It's nice to hear songs that consists of more than just three cords, trust me, I can't be the only one who hates what people call "Rock or Metal" nowadays.

Anyway buy this album and you won't be disappointed. Nevermind the haters who are stuck in the mid-90's and apparantly like to hear only the same kind of music over and over and over. Wouldn't you guys get bored in Korn just released "Life is Peachy" over and over again??? Expand your musical palets some guys because Korn has and they do not disappoint.

Oh and if you don't know fully what I have been saying and what others are whining about then go see for yourself. Pick up the other albums, they are all great (and all sound unique).

Keep up the great work guys and thank you from a loyal Korn fan and lover of meaningful and well made music. I can't wait to hear the next album.

Sorry so late in reviewing this Korn CD. Having listened to it about 50 times since purchasing it I think I now know every nook and cranny of this latest and greatest by one of music's most noteable icons. I have followed Korn since their humble beginnings and have always admired their ability to give their fans what they want. At some time and point every band matures to a level where their creativity ventures into unchatered waters where music critics wallow like so many hungry sharks waiting for their next unsuspecting meal. I'm guessing the band knew well in advance that the release of this CD would be met by those who would not respect their need to venture outside of that comfort zone that has brought them such a loyal following. With each listen I realized that this is Korn's crowning achievement...their coupe de ville...their open door to a new level of creativity. This CD has more twists and turns than you can quite possibly hear in one or two listens. There is not a bad track here and I honestly feel that Korn is the Pink Floyd of this generation. I cannot wait to hear what they conjure up next and if you were lucky enough to see Jonathan Davis on his solo tour then you were lucky enough...thanque!

'See You On The Otherside' was the first album without Head, and it sold more than 'Untouchables' and 'Take A Look in the Mirror' combined....and now they use instruments and incredible recording technology not seen anywhere else!

I really hope the people that gave this album 1 star downloaded the leak and listened to it all the way through and not just picked it up this morning.

The deluxe package is amazing and the first one I have ever forked over the extra cash for. If you watch the "making of" dvd you will see how much work went into this record. Terry Bozzio has a 50 piece drum kit!! The art is absolutely amazing and the coolest seen on any previous Korn release, except Todd McFarlane of course.

Very cool dark progressive album, people wanting another 'Life Is Peachy' should just listen to those albums and move on.

The last Korn adventure was titled See You on the Other Side...so I guess that this is what was on the other side. And it's pretty good.

Pretty much the people whining that this sounds nothing like their first three albums will still whine. People who hated See You on the Other Side will really hate this. The old Korn sound is dead and Take a Look in the Mirror was the nail in the coffin (Not knocking that album, I love it FYI). Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, get over it.

For those of us that like bands that actually evolve their sound and people who like a diverse amount of rock (especially industrial metal lovers) will probably have no problem adjusting to the new sound on this album. The music itself isn't so drastically different from their previous sounds, it's still groove and hook oriented as most Korn's albums are, it just has a much less hip-hop influence, and much more variety in terms of how the music changes throughout the song. Overall it is much more cohesive and flows so much better than See You On the Other Side.

Here's how it breaks down for me:

1) Intro - Nice, kinda trippy...no complaints ~ N/A
2) Starting Over - Really strong opening track, very gripping. One of my favorites ~ 5/5
3) B*tch We Got a Problem - Catchy, love the instrumental work, but the chorus is kind of weak ~ 3/5
4) Evolution - Addictive like crack, nice first single ~ 4/5
5) Hold On - The most "old Korn" sounding song, but really good and doesn't sound out of place ~ 5/5
6) Kiss - Awesome, I mean I thought it was going to stay a typical ballad but then the drums kick in during the chorus and the song really takes off. 5/5
7) Do What They Say - One of the weak tracks. Too sluggish, never really takes off ~ 1/5
8) Ever Be - I love how the guitars really kick in halfway through this song and love the drumming at the end ~ 3/5
9) Love and Luxury - Dear God...a Korn sound that kind of sounds uplifting!? Lucky its a really addictive track ~ 4/5
10) Innocent Bystander - One of my favorites and one of the heavier tracks on the album ~ 5/5
11) Killing - Oh hell yeah! This song changes in the most interesting ways and is ridiculously addictive through out ~ 5/5
12) Hushabye - The other weak track, just dull and the chorus annoys me ~ 1/5
13) I Will Protect You - WOW! This track is epic and easily the best closing track they have had on an album. Love it. ~ 10/5

First off I first started listening to Korn with "Follow the Leader" so if thats what Korn is to you then we are on the same page. Its true that Korn sounds different. For me that is the end of what most of the other reviews have to say and my own.

There is as far as anything I have listened to, any group that has stayed the same as when I first started listening. If anyone were to show such signs then they would be slammed with words such as "old","trapped in the past" and "outdated". So the idea of "Korn is dead" because they have taken a new approach is out the window since its backwards thinking.

This cd is a polished version of Korn. Don't jump yet,I haven't finished. While it is polished it is still clearly Korn(FTLeader Korn).Your not going to listen to the cd and think your listening to U2's latest drive for political greatness. Instead your going to see a Korn looking to stay KORN while moving forward.

There are definitely KORN vocals,songwriting,sound in the CD. Yet there are new elements they are clearly trying out. "B*tch We Got a Problem"'s intro is a new element while the body of the song is Korn+some polish. Perhaps "polish" is a bad word to use. Yet "refinement" doesn't work either. Perhaps "diversity" should be the key word here. Personally I am enjoying the hell out of the new elements and look forward to its evolutionary path years down the road.

I received it as a gift for Christmas and I can say that I would definitely go out and buy it had I known about the cd earlier (been under a rock lately). "Starting Over","B*tch We Got a Problem","Evolution","Sing Sorrow" are my favorites,not to say I'm turning the volume down on the rest. In fact it seems like my volume isn't as loud as I remember,then again everything else is starting to sound a bit lower ,if you know what I mean.;)

If you like your bands to enter a static existence after 1 cd then move along. If you like to see your bands keep its core values/sounds but progress and take risks that could get those that never really cared about them to complain then start left clickin. The deluxe edition is definitely worth it.

My predictions for Korn's next album is to keep some of the new elements they used in this one. They will take that and further intergrate it into their sound while at the same time finding an even better way to showcase their sound we have apparently become to used to. Hoping they stayed the same would be cursing them to nothingness.

In the case of this album, Change is a good thing. Good for Korn,good for the fanbase and ensures a future for the band's progression. In a million years they will say those Mutha Fkers were all the rage, yeah..I think so.

Don't lose faith in KoRn guys! Yes any TRUE KORN fan like me will tell you
that their last 2 albums were horrible and Take a look in the mirror was mediocre.

But their new album will sound like the "older" KoRn that we all grew to love.
Jonathan davis isn't getting into the sound, Ross Robinson (producer of Korns first 2 albums)
and the rest of the band will create the sound. Even Jonathan said they are going for an old school
sound that people can bang their heads to and go wild. Come on..have some faith, this next album should win
us Solid Korn fans over again. This might be their last chance ,pleeease dont f*** it up