The Path Of Totality (Special Edition)(CD/DVD) [Special Edition]

Korn | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 6, 2011)
• Original Release Date: 2011
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Special Edition
• Label: Roadrunner Records
• ASIN: B005V1WZ10
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,613 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Chaos Lives In Everything (Featuring Skrillex) [Explicit]

2. Kill Mercy Within (Featuring Noisia)

3. My Wall (Featuring Excision)

4. Narcissistic Cannibal (Featuring Skrillex and Kill The Noise)

5. Illuminati (Featuring Excision and Downlink) [Explicit]

6. Burn The Obedient (Featuring Noisia) [Explicit]

7. Sanctuary (Featuring Downlink)

8. Let's Go (Featuring Noisia)

9. Get Up! (Featuring Skrillex) [Explicit]

10. Way Too Far (Featuring 12th Planet)

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. DVD: The Encounter

Editorial Reviews

Korn embrace the future on The Path of Totality, their tenth full-length studio album and second for Roadrunner Records. Infusing dubstep anarchy into their signature sound, the legendary quartet stand on the cusp of a musical revolution for both hard rock and electronica. Korn are no strangers to revolution though. In fact, they've been purveyors of heavy music's progression since forming in Bakersfield, CA in 1994 and becoming one of the most influential entities that the genre has ever seen.

Korn usher in a new horizon for heavy music with The Path of Totality. Collaborating with dubstep heavyweights Skrillex, Excision, Downlink, Noisia, Feed Me, 12th Planet, and Flinch, Korn have constructed a hypnotic hybrid of dubstep and metal. Bouncing from polyrhythmic guitar pummeling into drastic electro drops, the music is dark, dangerous, and definitive Korn.

This CD/DVD set includes a 2-Hour Live DVD of The Encounter Crop Circle Concert, exclusive interview footage, and 2 exclusive bonus tracks.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

87 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Depth Of Experimentation December 6, 2011

By C. M. Gillum

Format:Audio CD

I have been a long time fan of Korn and though I have mixed feelings about particular albums for the most part I enjoy everything they've released to date. This is a band that has never been afraid to experiment with their sound and never have truly had a signature sound as each album has a feel all it's own. Whether it be the sheer rawness of their 1994 debut or the spacey dramatics on Issues, each release has significant differences that allow it to stand on it's own.

The Path of Totality is by far their most drastic experimentation to date. Featuring a wide array of various Dubstep, Drum and Bass, and Electro House artists. We have heard Korn utilize more electronica in their music (Issues, Untouchables) and the finished product was of excellent quality. (in my opinion) we see the same on The Path of Totality. I feel it was a brave step in an interesting direction and that the mixture of electronic elements breaths new life into a band that has, for the last few albums been straying away from experimenting with their sound.

The DVD included in the Special Edition is worth the extra cash. It includes the entire Korn Live: The Encounter that was broadcasted on HDNet in 2010. This live concert was in support of Korn III - Remember Who You Are and features mostly tracks from that album, however their are some excellent older tracks scattered here and there especially towards the end. The DVD also includes interviews with the entire band regarding The Encounter performance and also their opinions on The Path of Totality. The Special Edition also includes two bonus tracks "Fuels the Comedy" and "Tension" both being excellent additions to the album.

I personally feel this is one of Korn's best releases in years. I love the new sound and am enjoying the contrast of Korn's signature low gritty heaviness to the high energy electronica. One has to wonder if this is a sign that we can expect more experimentation in the future or was this simply a step away from the norm and we see a return to the gritty hard rock group they have been on their last couple releases? Only the future will tell, but by what I have heard on The Path of Totality I truly hope this is a trend that Korn runs with on future albums. Thank you for reading and please support a supporter of Rock Music by clicking 'Yes' below.

29 of 38 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent amalgamation of korn and electronic December 7, 2011

By whatisyourforte

Format:Audio CD

i have always found something to love in everything korn has produced. although they have had a few missteps in their 10-album career (not a huge fan of most of "take a look in the mirror"), i have always admired their tendency to flirt with other styles of music and/or sounds, and i think jonathon davis was right in that this time they nailed it. as soon as i heard dubstep music and the possibility of a korn collaboration, i instantly had a feeling that the two styles would compliment each other nicely. after listening to "the path of totality" at least ten times through at this point, i can say my early predictions were indeed the case. this album is atmospheric, heavy, and has many textures. i highly suggest listening to it in headphones, so you can hear all the subtleties in the album. jonathon's vocals are extremely catchy throughout the entire album, just don't look to his lyrics for any higher-learning (not that we ever really did). davis has always been his best a. in the beginning when his tortured emotions were probably more warranted and b. when his lyrics are vague enough that they can really be applicable to many of life's predicaments. it is when he tries to get political (i.e. illuminati) that he fails. korn has never really been a thinking man's metal band to me, so i think they should stay that way (as odd as that may sound). overall this is the best performance JD has given us in a long, long, long time. don't let the other reviewer's distaste for the "lack of growls" fool you. this is the definitive JD singing experience, and there are definitely some fun growls, scat, and bagpipe to be heard (like any korn album should have). the music itself sounds great. it gives me a david fincher/fight club/NIN kind of vibe, only the guitars, bass, and vox twist the vibe to make it also undoubtedly korn. it works out perfectly, and sounds like it comes off effortlessly. songs like "my wall", "chaos is in everything", "kill my mercy", and (my personal favorite) "let's go" are some of the best and catchiest korn songs they have EVER written. this is like turning a new leaf over for these guys. i highly suggest you purchase this album. every song is good (including the special edition ones) in its own right, and the album seems to only get better with repeated listens.

1. chaos lives in everything: 5/5 supposedly about how there is drama everywhere and how you can lose yourself in it if you're not careful. excellent opener that showcases the new metal/electro-hybrid sound. the chorus is really catchy, but the heavy interlude is what kills in this song...no growls? pfft...

2. kill my mercy: 5/5 songs starts with a killer riff before going to a familiar sounding korn verse. the prechorus in this song has one of the best vocal melodies of the entire album (the part where he says something about a fake charade).

3. my wall: 5/5 score alone is for the catchy vocals in both the verse and chorus. that's not even include the drive of the song when it first kicks in.

4. narcisstic cannibal: 5/5 the second single(?) off that album that also has an extremely catchy prechorus/chorus before a choppy breakdown.

5. illuminati: 4/5 this is one of the more mundane songs on the album. the interlude is pretty cool, but the verse can sound redundant and the vocal melody awkward at times. this song is obviously about the illuminati and davis recently watching the movie zeitgeist. i've always found that korn is their best when they try not to get involved in things that i honestly feel are over their head. i guess that is just a personal preference, but i guess if i wanted this fix...i'd listen to something a little more informative.

6. burn the obedient: 4/5 this is the second part of the "two song slump" in the album that seems bogged down by repetition through the song. luckily there is enough variety in the sounds during the song to keep you interested. neither this song or the preceding one are "bad" by any means, just not as good as the other ones on the album.

7. sanctuary: 5/5 i heard this song earlier through the hot topic website (as lame as that sounds), and at first was worried at the awkward sounding verse. this song has actually grown to be one of my favorites on the album. the vocals are awesome throughout the song. davis said this song was about being introverted.

8. let's go: 5/5 my favorite song on the album. it's about the love/hate nature of relationships. this is one of the most fulfilling korn experiences i've had in awhile by now...

9. get up!: 5/5 this is the first song that was recorded for the album (as everyone already probably knows). it goes without saying that this song is killer. it is the reason i was drawn to the entire album in the first place. it was my first verification that the dubstep/korn mesh had succeeded.

10. way too far: 5/5 this song starts off with a lunging beat, before kicking off into a manson-sounding verse. the contrast between the growling in the prechorus and the eerie (beautiful) melody of JD's vocals in the chorus is amazing.

11. bleeding out: 5/5 this album encompasses everything that is this "new" korn. heavily-texture electronic beats, downtuned chugging riffs, and some dark and cool off-key sounding melodies from JD. the chorus reminds me of songs from "see you on the other side" (i actually liked a lot of that album). the interlude features a bagpipe solo from JD. apparently davis has a rat problem and shot one with his gun....WTF? he watched the rat bleed out, and it inspired the title of the track.

12. fuels the comedy: 4/5 the eccentric nature of the vocals in the verse will naturally polarize fans, but luckily there are enough elements of the music to make it a worthy listen either way (especially the interlude). the lyrics during the verse(s) can be pretty hokey, and the chorus is lacking compared to the ones prior to this song.

13. tension: 5/5 this is a really slow and atmospheric song. it reminds me of manson/nin at times and korn from "see you on the other side", but there is an awesome SCAT breakdown in this song that makes the entire special edition purchase worth it. seriously.

All of this and it comes with the entire encounter dvd (korn playing in crop-circles in bakersfield, CA), which sounds great (although it would be nice to have an option to get this in blu-ray for us snobs). it's nice to see them playing old songs like "need to" and "clown" with luzier on the kit. that man is a beast.

i highly recommend this to all of humanity, because i heard that every time someone buys this album a nickelback fan dies.

17 of 22 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars 1 part breakbeat electronica, minus heavy vocals, minus guitars December 6, 2011

By QuickSilverSeven

Format:Audio CD

If you can accept that a groundbreaking band such as Korn deserves the right to stretch out in new, bold directions as they choose, consider the following:

ELECTRONICS:
There are many warp/vortex like electronic sounds here that sound similar on each track, with beats that break up the song with moments of nearly complete silence one half second, to heavy electronics the next coupled with plenty of loud drums with a nice groove if you like this style on occasion.

VOCALS:
Combine that with Jonathan Davis, a bit more laid back here. Other than GET UP, you won't hear much of his awesome screaming vocals on this album sadly. Instead, he chooses to sing most of the lyrics and does a good job of it. But I miss the aggression of his voice. He lets the music be the aggressor here most of the time as he sings the verses and choruses.

MELODIES/RIFFS: There are some seriously CRUSHING riffs that take no prisoners on this album, but to be a bit critical, they eventually begin to blend into each other from track to track. Separately, they can be impressive, but not enough original sound synths were used, so you'll tend to hear a lot of familiar sounds throughout each track, as though they were substituting these synths for guitars. But the synths aren't as expressive or adaptive it seems. This is my biggest criticism nex to the overall lack of Davis' trademark screams.

With time, this album may grow on me, but after two listens, the lack of Davis' aggressive screams and the repetitive sounding synths hurt what could've been a very varied album with plenty of original tracks. Instead, it mostly melts together.

There are some very cool sounding tracks here to discover, and on their own separate from the rest of the album, they'd be stronger. The Deluxe version track 12. Fuels the Comedy is actually one of my favorite tracks on this album. Why do they do that? It should've been packed into the basic album, as it breaks up some of the monotony and sounds great IMO.

If you like electronica or breakbeat with your metal, I suggest you check this out. Otherwise, pure metal fans may be disappointed.

Suggestions to Korn for a more refined album:
-More melody needed (synths need more melody)
-More roaring vocals by Davis needed
-More synth variety needed
-Mix up the breakbeat with more electronica steady beats.
-Throw in more guitars for a more "industrial" sound and instantly give the songs more life and variety.
-layer the sounds a bit more on some songs.

All opinions of course. Listener discretion advised here. It's good, but could've been much better with more variety and aggression. I really wanted to give it a 4 for the originality and boldness.