See You on the Other Side [Enhanced, Limited Edition]

Korn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2005)
• Original Release Date: 2005
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Enhanced, Limited Edition
• Label: Virgin Records Us
• ASIN: B000BVEKO0
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (402 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #80,720 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

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

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. It's Me Again

2. Eaten Up Inside

3. Last Legal Drug (Le Petit Mort)

4. Twisted Transistor - The Dante Ross Mix

5. Twisted Transistor - Dummies Club Mix

6. Twisted Transistor (Live in Moscow - Video)

7. Hypocrites (Live in Moscow - Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

On its seventh album--and first without founding member Brian "Head" Welch--Korn makes a few changes and gets on with proving that it's still a viable force within the world of heavy rock. The venerable veterans lean on outside help from the songwriting team of the Matrix and producer Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails). The end result is that this is a big change for Korn and one that will garner large shares of message board controversy on wether this album is more industrial than nü. The band is at its deftest on "Getting Off," "Politics" and "Coming Undone," which highlight the industrial bend. Stalwart fans need not worry for "Liar" and "For No One" remain in lock-step with classic Korn. One need not listen to the full hour-plus to discover flaws. Its center becomes weighed down with bland mid-tempo numbers and the final song detracts from the powerhouse close the record might have had they ended with "Interlude #3/I've Seen It All." Still, Korn has demonstrated that it's capable of weathering the storm and emerging with an album that will carry them onward. -- Jedd Beaudoin

Product Description

See You on the Other Side is led by the single 'Twisted Transistor,' which is quickly making substantial noise on U.S. rock radio outlets. See You on the Other Side was produced by Korn frontman Jonathan Davis in tandem with Atticus Ross and, more surprisingly, the pop hitmaking team the Matrix (Liz Phair, Hilary Duff). This is Korn's debut album via a partnership with EMI/Virgin Records. This deluxe limited edition comes with a bonus CD that contains two videos and remixes. 2005.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

85 of 100 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Korn's first wild card, December 6, 2005

By 

A. Stutheit "Teyad" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: See You on the Other Side (Audio CD)

Upon initially hearing "See You On The Other Side" this reviewer wasn't sure exactly what to make of it. It was not a bad album by any stretch, though I felt it was - to a certain extent - a bit disappointing and frustrating. Back then, it was my belief that, after the departure of lead guitarist Brian "Head" Welch the year before, Korn were a bit strapped for ideas, and had to scramble to come up with songwriting ideas. They were blatantly abandoning their roots, and not even making an attempt at the same heaviness that was heard on, say, `03's "Take A Look In The Mirror." Plus, yours truly didn't find it to be as catchy, either.

However, the key word here is "initially"...because now the above opinion could not be further from the truth. Confession time: Korn is among my all-time favorite bands, yet I didn't really give this 2005 effort the fair shake that it deserves. It would be safe to say that I had a prematurely made-up opinion about it. In my defense, this task was easy to do, when considering the new album's experimentalism was a total surprise, making it likely to leave many fans cold after the first couple listens. But sure you mark my words, when I say this: I officially retract my last review (a long, long overdue statement)! Reading between the lines, this is the kind of record that grows on you. And grows, and grows, and grows...and grows! In fact, it may never - or at least rarely - cease growing in appreciation. Yes, the new material is bound to sound different. Hence, one might think that the band are afraid of riffing, and that their rhythm section sounds a bit weakened. These things are simply not the case, though. Instead, look at it this way: Upped levels of creativity, breaking new ground, breadth, and epic-ness. Anyone can out-heavy themselves, but John Davis & the Gang opt for good songwriting (among other things).

As aforementioned, "SYOTOS" does possess more-than-a-few experimental elements. But cool your jets, because it does not have too many. Furthermore, I hope I have not mislead you into thinking that it has absolutely nothing that sounds familiar - because it does. With repeat listens it becomes increasingly clear that numerous heavy riffs still remain in tact, here (really, they do!). Thus, the songs capture an almost perfect balance between innovation and the raw, mean angst of old. As a result, the experimental aspect stops well-short of the "selling-out" point; it makes the songs boast great texture, unpredictability and soft-hard friction. Also, it is a necessity to say something about its accessibility. True, the new material is less immediately catchy than fans are used to, but fear not because the songs do bristle with memorable hooks. The only difference now is that Korn have developed a surprisingly smooth and subtle way of delivering them (a surefire sign of maturity). In other words, as was the case with the guitar riffs, the hooks are still there, and they are as prominent as ever, even if they might take a little extra time to appreciate. And once they have sunk in, it should only be a matter of time before you are headbanging just like you used to, with John's lyrics/vocals tattooed to your brain, and mimicking David Silveria's crashing (and frequently reverberating and tmospheric) percussion on air-drums. Heck, one might even him/herself humming a tune the rest of the afternoon.
"Twisted Transistor" is an insanely hooky, infectious, and addictive opener. Trippy, Eighties-era transistor-like sound effects, rhythms that are as ready for the dance-floor as you can get, nice vocal hooks, Davis' usual gross lyrics (this time they are about a girl who falls in love with her radioy...it's all here, and is enough to make it easily one of the best singles in Korn's discography. "Politix," with its climactic, angry choruses and near deathly growls, sees the group entering a bit heavier territory; as does "Hypocrites," which is complete with really memorable vocal patterns (including a bit of near-rapping, and shout-worthy refrains), and some of Munky's strongest rifffing to date. (It has chunky, memorable, and at times near-funky-sounding guitar licks from beginning to end.) "Souvenir" is another very catchy number. It finds Davis summoning higher, near-falsetto notes over Tom Morello-style keyboard-sounding guitars.

A heavy Marilyn Manson influences shines through sporadically. In fact, it would not be unfair to say that some tracks, like "10 Or A 2 Way" and its successor, "Throw Me Away," are so industrial-lite that they could have almost been lifted wholesale off of a MM outing. Two other standouts, "Love Song" and "Coming Undone," feature perhaps the most memorable choruses of the bunch. The latter is also of note for its terrifically toe-tap-able, Nine Inch Nails/Rammstein-esque stomp-and-clap rhythm. "Liar" again delves onto the more aggressive side of things, thanks to the plenty of rhythmic, industrial-strength, staccato power cords sprinkled on here-and-there throughout. Lastly of note is the set's pinnacle (and closer). "Tearjerker" is almost startling in its tunefulness; Davis digs deep and comes up with a truly breathtaking and soulful bit of accomplished clean singing. "Tearjerker"'s lyrics aren't anything to write home about, but still - it does deserve credit for being an excellent, very atmospheric, pretty, and soaring power ballad. And it proves JD has has a surprisingly good vocal range because he can actually sing!

Whether or not Korn can pull-through on their own without the assistance of Brian "Head" Welche remains to be seen. But this is a fact: "See You On The Other Side" is definitely a big step in the right direction. Overall, the affair manages to sound both new/different while simultaneously being a bit familiar. So, in short, both new and old fans of the band should find something worth their while in "See You." And upon hearing it, both parties should attest that it is pretty-darn-great!

35 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars insert clever title about Korn emerging on the, December 6, 2005

By 

Rubin Carver "The Duke" (Gilbert, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: See You on the Other Side (Audio CD)

First things first: the Korn you knew in Jr. high is gone. They were already coming dangerously close to committing artistic suicide with "Take a Look in the Mirror", which was lukewarm and derivitive and tried way too hard. My feelings towards that album have softened a bit over the years, but I still couldn't help thinking that maybe Korn were done for.

Well, in a way, they were. "Mirror" was the old Korn's death cry, and when Brian Welch left the band, the final nail was hammered into the coffin. However a lineup change and a label change seem to have conspired to create something that is, if nothing else, creative and new.

The album kicks off with the propulsive, but melodically challanged, "Twisted Transistor." While deffinitly not my favorite song on this album, it is representative of the changes to Korn's sound. At first listen, this album reminded me of Orgy. Indeed it borrows heavily from the softcore industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails, Orgy, Static-X, et al, as well from one of their stated influences, Ministry. Even when there are no electronics in the mix, the aggressive pulse in most of these songs still bring to mind industrial music.

The band also seems to have discarded the impressionistic chords and rich wall-of-sound textures in favor of a more horizontal approach. No doubt this is a result of Head leaving the band - without another guitarist to bounce ideas off of, James Shaffer's guitar parts reflect a thrashier sensability. The low-tuned guitars in many cases have lost their bass-y deffinition and now act as an abrasive noise texture. Fieldy's bass lines no longer seem to double as percussion parts and he is more taken to using the fuzz pedal.

...and "evolution of heavy" indeed. Whatever that means, it seems to be a coordinated marketing gimmick of some kind - in addition to the amazon review for this album, that transparent phrase can be found on a sticker on the cellophane package of the cd itself as well. Don't be fooled into thinking this is some kind of blistering death rock record... it's just about the least-heavy thing Korn has put out. But, that's not necessarily a bad thing. I think Jonathan Davis has burned out the tempertantrums that fueled his mysogenistic rage on earlier albums, and any attempt to recapture that kind of sound would come off as forced and cheesey.

Starting with the disappointing but still listenable "Twisted Transistor," the album steadily gets better every song. "Hypocrites" is a relatively more traditional heavy/aggressive song with a southern-fried guitar riff a bit remiscent of Pantera or Down. "Souvenier" is interesting mostly because it sees Korn experimenting with time changes, something that has almost never factored into Korn's pop-oriented song structures.

Then we come to what I consider to be the first real highlight of the album - "10 or a 2-way." It begins as a raunchy Marilyn Manson-esque cabaret rocker... but then the chorus rolls around and knocks your head off with unanticipated heavyness. It's all the more effect because the album as a whole isn't that heavy; so when it's heavy, it really stands out.

Another highlight (and this album sees more and more of them as it goes on) is the meloncholy "Throw Me Away" which reminds me of the Untouchables record with its wealth of sentimental ballad stand-ins. And that's a good thing. Other highlights include the funky, tuneful "Open Up," a Static-X-esque sing-along called "Liars," and in my opinion the crowning achievement of this album, "Seen It All." The last track mentioned is a supremely creepy and dramatic song that reminds me of Angel Dust-era Faith No More. It is more than worthy of Korn's closing track.

Unfortunately, it isn't the closing track. The actual closing track is a quiet, haunting sort of psuedo-ballad called "Tearjerker." The dumb title belies its subtleties, but even then its more of an afterthought to "Seen It All" which is the kind of last impression Korn SHOULD be trying to make.

Most of the other songs are pretty good, although a few of them like "Politics" and "Getting Off" get a little boring after awhile. There are no appallingly horrible tracks (which is more than can be said about Take a Look in the Mirror) and the highlights are in abundance.

Unfortunately for those who were looking for a nostalgia fix to remind them of their jr. high days, Korn have given up trying to rip themselves off. But luckily for those who are ready to move on, 'Other Side' shows that Korn still know how to make NEW music. This album is as creative and different as anything this band has ever done. Korn may never put out another Issues or self-titled or Follow the Leader, but by continuing to develop and change, they have avoided going down with the nu metal ship they themselves helped build. We may still yet hear creative new music from the Korn camp before their time is up.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different, but Great, December 6, 2005

By 

Terry Mesnard (Bellevue, NE) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: See You on the Other Side (Audio CD)

This is not the same KoRn we remember. After their last true album, Take a Look in the Mirror, which I happened to like but also which just was a retread of things before, I was wondering if KoRn would change their sound. The resounding answer is yes. KoRn's new cd is heavy but in a different way.

It is atmospheric and ambient, while at the same time holding onto KoRn's very groovable melodies. It pulls in different genres of music, while at the same time being true to that KoRn sound. The major influence, as far as I can tell, is industrial. The 1 minute beginning to the cd and to Twisted Transistor is a perfect example of this, pulling in different sounds, experimenting, keeping you unbalanced until the opening guitars of Twisted Transistor pulls it together. This continues throughout all 14 tracks; songs sometimes bleed into one another, all contain about the same feel which can either be a good thing or a bad thing. Sometimes, groups that keep a similar sound throughout have a chance of becoming boring or repetitious. In my opinion, KoRn treads this line, but every song is more of a hit than a miss.

While the cd is heavy in tone, I think fans will be divided. Its not as raw as some of their earlier works. You won't find songs like Blind or Daddy that have such raw emotion in them. And, unfortunately, the bass guitar work, the sound oh so familiar to KoRn fans, that sounds like percussion at times is lessened. There are a few songs that have it, but overall its not as standout as it once was which I'm a little disappointed in.

I'm not one to give ratings for each individual song. I will point out a couple that are my favorites on the album. Throw Me Away, Love Song and Coming Undone are my favorites because of the tone. Part of the reason I love KoRn is their tone, the timbre of the music and these songs are the best for me. Some of the middle songs do tend to be more midtempo and kind of slow the album down. But I've had this cd for a week (shh don't tell; I'm buying the album today) and even the middle songs which I didn't like in the beginning have grown on me.

This is the limited edition version. What does that mean? Well you get more songs, for one. The two Twisted Transistor mixes (both "meh" but I don't usually like remixes) and two live videos, one of Twisted Transistor and one of Hypocrites. Finally you get 3 "B Sides." I like the B Sides a ton, particularly Its Me Again which would have been a great opening track as Jonathan sings about how he sees things differently. Its kind of tongue in cheek. I also like Le Petit Mort which is the French saying for orgasm, giving an interesting turn to the name of the song Last Legal Drug. You also get one year membership to the KoRn fanclub and a kick ass cd case. Is it worth 20 bucks? That's debatable. But, if you can find it for cheaper (as there are sales right now) I would definitely recommend it.

In the end, I think fans will be divided on this cd. Whenever a band "reinvents" themselves, the longtime fans (of which I'm one) tend to be upset. And I will bet that you will find fans giving quite opposite reviews here shortly. My recommendation is that if you enjoyed Twisted Transistor, you will probably enjoy this cd because the feel of that song continues through the rest of the cd. I wouldn't go so far as to say See You On the Other Side is a KoRn reinvented, however it is easily their most different and unique album; its trying new types of music and its probably their most original and exciting and daring album since KoRn came on the scene with a little song called Blind.