Customer Reviews

Take a Look in the Mirror

5 star:		(267)
4 star:		(79)
3 star:		(34)
2 star:		(38)
1 star:		(73)

 

 

For me, "Follow the Leader" is Korn's best album, mostly because of the fearless experimentation and difference on that album, and the mix between metallic KoRn, melodic KoRn, and even rap/metal KoRn. Head & Munky got so many wicked cool sounds out of their guitar, and Fieldy's signature bass sound was very audible and slappy, and Jonathan's lyrics matured and on some tracks were actually funny. However, those things aren't nearly as present on "Take A Look In The Mirror". On their new album, it becomes increasingly obvious that KoRn are trying to go full circle all over again- they had an extremely dark, depressing, self-hating and of course LOUD self-titled debut album, followed by the less self-hating, more angry "Life is Peachy", followed by their experimental "Follow the Leader" album in which they took a lot of emotional chances and changed their sound around in brilliant ways. And just as "Untouchables" was the even-darker equivalent of their debut, "Take A Look In The Mirror" is the new even-angrier version of "Life is Peachy". While "Untouchables" perhaps surpassed the debut as the heaviest and darkest KoRn record to date, TALITM certainly contends to be the angriest and most twisted. One of the very best things about KoRn is that they have been around for almost ten years and have barely changed their sound. The very worst thing about KoRn is that they have been around for almost ten years and have barely changed their sound. Sure, "Right Now" and "Play Me" don't follow the normal Korn formula, but the rest of the album, just like every other KoRn album except FTL, is non-stop anger, self-hate, or various negative emotions. Don't get me wrong, I love KoRn and I really like the CD, but my heart yearns for some difference occasionally. My best hope for this legendary band is that they will continue to follow the pattern, and make their next one another experimental and melodic record more similar to "Follow the Leader". KoRn are the Kings of Nu-Metal, no doubt about it, but if you want something:

Just as heavy and hate-filled but more experimental, get Slipknot
More energetic but almost as gloomy, get Linkin park
More fun, melodic and less gloomy, get Limp Bizkit
More crazy and original yet deep-thinking, get System of a Down
More grungy and mystical, get Godsmack
More traditional hard rock, get Audioslave
More mellow and Beautiful, get A Perfect Circle
More intelligent, less self-hating, and rebellious, yet just as heavy, then Tool is definitely for you.

Take a Look in the Mirror is brilliant. After very disappointing "Untouchables", Korn is back with their second very best album ( after "Korn" obviously ). The album has 4 masterpieces:
Right Now 7/5 High energy son, very catchy, awesome vocals!
Everything I've known 7/5 "THEN WE FIGHT" line sounds unbelievable.
Did my time 7/5 Awesome song.
Let's do it now 7/5 One of the best Korn songs, "Break you down
Mercy, I cannot allow" sound great!

Great songs:
Ya'll Want A Single 6/5
When Will This End 6/5
Deep Inside 5/5
Counting On Me 4.5/5
Here It Comes Again 4/5
Break Some Off 4/5

Absolutely stupid songs
I'm Done 0/5
Play Me (featuring Nas) 0/5

And , yes, the bonus track "One". I'm speechless, I'm a very big fan of Metallica and Korn outdid Metallica here, WOW

So don't listen to people who don't like the album. It's an absolute must for a metal fan.

Forget about a couple idiotic songs like "I'm done" and you'll get yourself a CD that is worth your every penny.

Bravissimo, Korn! 4.8/5

Korn are absolutely one of the best bands around. Not only are they original and innovative, but they are an extremely important band in music. This album was brilliant. It was, in essence, a return to the bands roots, which contained a more raw, gritty, intense nature than which existed on the last couple albums (which were brilliant as well, but that's another story).

There are the blistering, angry, intense songs which are reminiscent of earlier KoRn albums, such as "Right Now," "Break Some Off," "When Will This End," and "Let's Do This Now," and there are the melodic but still heavy songs which remind one of Issues and Untouchables (even Follow The Leader to a cetain extent) such as "I'm Done," "Everything I've Known," and "Did My Time." They even remade their old song "Alive" which until this album hit stores in November of 2003, only the hardcore Korn fans were familiar with. It originally appeared on their demo album way back in 1993. It was a real treat for the true fans. Although, thematically and musically, this album takes a trip down memory lane, it nevertheless, explores new territory and has a very fresh feel about it. One thing's for sure. Korn are an extremely diverse band-musically and lyrically, and they are definitely innovators. While many of the terrible and cheap imitations of them continue to fall off the radar, KoRn remain at the top because they dare to experiment, develop, grow, and mature. They continually evolve. Their sights are on the music and their fans, and it most definitely shows. I couldn't be more happy with Take A Look In The Mirror. In my personal opinion, although this is arguable, it is very possible that Take A Look In The Mirror is KoRn's heaviest record to date. I highly recommend this album.

SIDE NOTE:
I must say I am absolutely astonished at the idiocy displayed by the supposed former fans of KoRn. These people claim they were once fans and yet they haven't got the first clue what their music is about. Teen angst is inaccurate and a typical generalization that comes from those who aren't familiar with their music. Their music has nothing specifically to do with "kids." Korn fans consist of nearly all ages...anywhere from people ages 13 to 40 (and I'm sure there are fans even older than that). I especially love the generalizations regarding KoRn's lyrics. For example, one moron made a complete clown out of himself below by stating certain KoRn's lyrics discuss raping women. What song is that? I've heard EVERYTHING they've ever put out and there has never been one implication at all regarding raping women. Not to mention claiming the band's lyrics "always" are about any given subject whenever that subject was only in one, maybe two songs. If only people could state OPINIONS instead of outright lies. Mallcore??? You've got to be kidding me. Please understand that MOST of the people who read these reviews know better-you see they have actually *gasp* LISTNED to KoRn's music. Whenever you actually know what you're talking about, then you may have a little credibility and qualify to speak of KoRn's music.

I wasnt really a big foan of Korn, their music is ok, I enjoyed their Self-Titled Album the most, but I thought they blew it with Untochables, with exception of a few of the songs which were good. As soon as I bought this CD and listened through it all the way I was really happy on what I heard.... This is defiently comparable to self-titled. Everything I've Known is by far the best song on this album, and I constantly put it on repeat. Did my Time was the only song I wasnt a big fan of. Y'a'll want a single was a very good look into how the Music Industry tries to dictate bands..

1. Right Now (3:10)--- 10/10
2. Break Some Off (2:35)--- 10/10
3. Counting On Me (4:43)--- 10/10
4. Here it Comes Again (3:34)--- 8/10
5. Deep Inside (2:46)--- 10/10
6. Did My Time (4:04)--- 6.5/10
7. Every Thing I've Known (3:35)--- 11/10
8. Play Me -featuring nas- (3:26)--- 8/10
9. Alive (4:30)--- 10/10
10. Lets Do This Now (3:13)--- 10/10
11. Im Done (3:29)--- 10/10
12. Y'all Want a single (3:19)--- 10/10
13. When Will This End (3:33)--- 10/10

The Bonus Track I was not a big fan of..
Bonus Track. One --- 7/10

To wrap it up this is a must buy for any music fan... This has really made me look at Korn as a band that will be staying on top...

When this album first came out, I hated it. I felt betrayed and I swore off listening to it for literally years before I finally listened to it again. Now that I've listened to it a few more times, I've come to several conclusions; The first is that I was overly harsh on this album when I first listened to it.

The second is that it still pretty much sucks.

The most frustrating part of this album is that in almost every song there is a melody or a riff that could have become a cool song if they would have just spent time on it. Instead, they filled in the blanks with unimaginative overplayed "grooves" and confrontational nu metal lyrics - using the word "f***" no less than three thousand times per song.

The choruses of some of these songs could have made great songs, like the creepy "Break Some Off" and somber "Counting On Me"... but as soon as they tease me with some interesting, they pull it away and put in some generic aggro riff. "Everything I've Known" is one of the best examples of this: 10 seconds of genious pre-chorus surrounded by several minutes of mediocre skippability. No doubt this is a direct result of the album coming out barely a year after Untouchables (a far superior album.) If only they would have taken more time...

That's not to say that the whole album is horrible - Mostly, it's mediocre. Songs like "Deep Inside" and "When Will This End," which is a sort of out of tune attempt to emulate the last track intensity of their other albums ("Daddy," "Kill You," etc.) "Right Now" is another could-have-been song on this album, with a decent (but not particularely imaginative) riff and an energy that makes it the right choice for single. Unfortunately, it's just too hard to ignore the asanine chants of "I f***ing hate you" and "shut up I'll f*** you up." I'm not against cursing but this is very unintelligent use of the f-word. It loses its significance when you throw it around haphazardly like this, and in the end it just causes the song to come off as childish.

There are some really good songs on here as well, though. "Did My Time" actually progresses on Korn's sound. The dramatic dropping-from-the-sky guitar riff and string synth chords are addictive and shows what this album COULD have been had Korn not rushed to get it on shelves as soon as possible. "Here It Comes Again," while having kind of a stupid title, is similar in style to "Did My Time" - this major chord dramaticism is new ground for Korn, unlike so much of this album that tries to sound like the self-titled and ends up just sounding worn out and boring.

"Let's Do This Now" (another brilliant song title) is a really cool song that is aggressive and "old school" without sounding cliche. Even the requisite bagpipe part seems to work alright. "I'm Done" is an Issues-esque emotional ringer with a chorus that ends up sounding oddly similar to Adema's first album.

And then of course there's "Alive." It's a telling sign that this song, which is older than some songs on the self-titled, is probably the best song on this album. I enjoy it but this song, which was on Korn's first demo "Neidermeyer's Mind" and was stripped down to make "Need To," does not belong on this album. It's clearly out of place among all of the uninteresting power chords and stock grooves Korn are pumping out now. That and it was re-written into "Need To" for a reason - "Need To" is a better song, and listening to "Alive" mostly just makes me want to pull this album out and listen to the self-titled instead.

This album is not without total duds, either. "Play Me" is a complete joke. Guest rappers work sometimes - see "Follow the Leader" for several far more interesting and listenable examples. This one, though, is total crap. There isn't a single redeeming riff or rhyme here to make this song worth listening to. Be ready with the skip button. Another is the atrocious "Y'all Want a Single." Aside from a few creative chords thrown in, the riffs are boring and predictable and the lyrics are headache-inducing. There is absolutely no reason to listen to this song whatsoever.

Overall, I've reconsidered my opinion on Mirrors: it is in fact listenable and it has some good songs which I was too angry to notice when it was released. It's still the worst Korn album yet in my opinion. It just doesn't stack up against their other albums which are way, way better than this. The whole thing is rushed - in addition to the half-finished songwriting, the production is mostly cheesey and faux heavy and Jonathan's scream sounds haggard and worn down most of the time. On the upside, David Silveria's drumming is a notch better here than it was on Untouchables.

So, if you're a dedicated Korn fan, or a sentimental completionist like me, you'll probably fine something here to make the purchase worthwhile. But if you're just a casual listener looking for only the best that Korn has to offer, any of Korn's first 5 albums would be a far better choice than this. Buyer beware.

I am a huge Korn fan and this is one of korn's best albums to date! I like all of Korn's cds, Korn rules! I have the new song word up stuck in my head. Cant wait for the covers cd! Get this album if you like korn or heard the radio singles.

Well, yes, it's realy an ok CD, the thing that you had expected from Korn (except you're a nu-metal hater which I personally can't understand because it's simply such a style, and Korn are really the kings of it). It's predictable, but the music is good, Korn stay on their high level.

The good:
Korn have made a hard, fast album.
The quality of music and of propduction is superb.
Fieldy plays his best bass lines on this.

The bad:
Some elements of the songs, though brilliant, are underdeveloped or should have been repeated more.
No real standouts here, except Alive which is an old song, and not an adventurous album.
Jonathan's voice and lyrics (not as cathartic as on 'Korn' and as interesting as on 'Follow The Learder') deserve to be wishing more.

Now to the song review:
1. Right Now - 4/5. At first I couldn't understand why it was their choice for a single and still don't get why the better song 'Did My Time' wasn't the first track, but now I do agree that it's a good song. It's fast and heavy, with lots of screaming.
2. Break Some Off - 4/5. Also heavy and fast, love the verse and the chorus, the bridge where Jon reminds me of Slipknot's singer isn't that good.
3. Counting On Me - 4/5. Good mellower song, with terrific and varied guitar riffs. However, the chorus part is similar to some songs from their previous two albums, Untouchables and Issues.
4. Here It Comes Again - 4/5. Ok song with great verse ang pre-chorus, the chorus is somehow flat. Some nice voice effects here.
5. Deep Inside - 3/5. This song, except for the bridge, seems underwritten.
6. Did My Time - 5/5. This is the album defining song, with great instruments and emotions from Jon. I enjoy how the bridge flows into the heavy grind of the final chorus. Pretty original lyrics.
7. Everything I've Known - 4/5. Good song, superb bridge, but again flat chorus. Could've developed it better, Korn.
8. Play Me - 4/5. This song features rapper Nas on vocals, but don't be horrified by this - iit's very hard, fast, and catchy. I actually think guest vocals add some long-awaited variety to the album, and Jon does a good job in the bridge as well.
9. Alive - 5/5. Yes. This is The Song. *ucking awesome, really melodic and powerful as hell, this is actually tied up with Blind (no exaggeration, Korn fans, it really is), however I have to admit the latter features much better vocals. All parts of the song simply rule, and the intro riff (or hook, I'm no expert of music) will stick in your head. Brilliant lyrics as well.
10. Let's Do This Now - 4/5. This song also grew on me. Kornesque-style heavyness and aggression, epic bridge. Good vocals, cathartic lyrics. The only disappointment was that bagpipes here actually have nothing in common with the melody or mood of the song.
11. I'm Done - 4/5. Not an outstanding song, but I'll give it a 4 because the chorus seems accomplished and the bridge also good. One of the less heavier songs.
12. Y'all Want A Single - 4/5. An ironic (anti-)single, which is pretty fun to listen to and the song is well written as well.
13. When Will This End - 4.5/5. A great closer, although not as long as other albums' ones. This resembles the sound of their 1st album and the chorus also has some unexpectedly pleasant groove, making it a good song to finish the album.
- There's also their Metallica cover ('One'), which is by some strange reason shortened, but Jon clearly outdoes James Hettfield on vocals.

I do recommend this album, but if you like something more:
- energetic and less gloomy, take Limp Bizkit
- sensual and calm, take Deftones
- original and melodic, take System Of A Down
- mellow and atmospheric, take A Perfect Circle
- traditional, take Audioslave
- 'intelligent, emotinal and brutal' (a quote from allmusic.com), let Tool be your choice

First off, let's go ahead and get one thing straight, everybody has different musical preferences. On top of that you have to take into consideration the time, place, and other influences you had at the time of your first listen. For example, if you have a ton of friends that are completely dedicated you may like the album more or if it is the first Korn album you hear you may prefer it over others. With that said, lets continue...

My opinion of this album will follow along the line of the traditional reviews below. There are those that love it, there are those that think it is okay and there are those who want nothing to do with this album or even Korn as a band. Their reasons however, do all differ based on their own personal preferences.

In my personal opinion, from the 1st moment I bought this album and put it in my CD player I was blown away. I thought it was without a doubt the best Korn album to date. Since that time, my opinion has changed as usually first impressions always do.

First of all, I believe this is the heaviest album to date in the Korn catalog and remains to be. This brings into question what is heavy. Heavy to me is the screaming and anger (brought forth by the talented Jonathan Davis), and the faster tempo and extremely thick, heavy distortion on the guitars. (Others will disagree as they see the tuning of the guitars makes an album heavy and others feel JD's voice is tiresome, I hope you are getting my point and that I obviously have a different opinion).

Finally, after several listens I still feel it is one of the best albums, but doesn't stand out from any of my other favorites from Korn, as it has its ups and downs. So if you are interested in Korn and have a preference for guitars and screaming this is a Korn album for you, I think, but then again it may be too soft for those types. If you prefer the sounds of Life is Peachy, some from Follow the Leader, Issues and other more commercial bands, you may want to pass this one up. Either way, don't hate they do a lot better than you...and keep in mind this is only my opinion, so it can never be wrong...

For those haters out there, this is when and what order I have listened to all the Korn Albums...
Korn (self-titled) - 1998
Follow the Leader - 1999
Life is Peachy - 1999
Issues - 2000
Take a Look in the Mirror - 2003
Untouchables - 2005

BEFORE I GET TO THE CD REVIEW JUST SO YOU ALL KNOW KORN WILL BE RELEASING VOLUME 1 OF THERE GREATEST HITS THIS SUMMER. NO RELEASE DATE SAID YET BUT SOON WE WILL KNOW.

This cd is awesome. Every song is heavy. Vocals are awesome, guitar is awesome, drumming is awesome.
TRACKS:
1-Right Now-(3:10)-10/10
2-Break Some Off-(2:35)-10/10
3-Counting On Me-(4:43)-9/10
4-Here it Comes Again-(3:34)-8/10
5-Deep Inside-(2:46)-10/10
6-Did My Time-(4:04)-100/10
7-Everything I've Known-(3:35)-10/10

8-Play Me(featuring Nas)-(3:26)-5/10
9-Alive-(4:30)-100/10
10-Let's Do This Now-(3:13)-10/10
11-I'm Done-(3:23)-9/10
12-Y'all Want A Single-(3:18)-10/10
13-When Will This End-(3:39)-9/10
14-BONUS TRACK-One-10/10

first of all i would like to say stop comparing TALITM with Self Titled.i think all albums are masterpieces on their own. BANDS EVOLVE like we f*****g humans. it will sound damn boring if they keep following the so called format of self titled.now as for why i give this sh*t 5 stars is plain simple.it is very heavy. u can finally hear Jon's wordings clearly. he sings and shouts like a mad b*tch. and he balances them well. the only thing i miss is his scats like in ball tongue. and i do hope he produce songs (longer ones) like break some off.that is the s"it. play me is one of the best nu-metal songs. nas raps and compliments the heavy riffs.better than wicked or cameltosis(which has exaggerated effects). plus they whacked the s*it out of Metallica on One. i know Jon is stagnant when comes to the writing of lyrics. he cant stop complaing abt his misfortunes can he? but i guess that is Korn, epitome of hate. anyway, i cant imagine Jon saying I love u or I wanna be with u forever. GROSS! by the way i think Untouchables was not heavy. it is just weird but nice. but this is heavy...keep screaming your ass off Jon!!