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82 of 96 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Surprising, but not always in a good way, December 6, 2005
A lot has happened to Korn over the last two years. They released their sixth studio album in 2003, made their first greatest hits album in 2004, ended their contract with Sony records, and lost one band member. Korn's famous seven string guitar duo was cut in half when Brian "Head" Welch found God and exited the band, leaving James "Munky" Shaffer as the band's sole studio guitarist.
Korn's 2003 back-to-basics disc, "Take A Look In The Mirror," was a good listen, but it was ill-fated. Its low record sales proved that nu-metal was dead and buried. It also proved that Korn needed to evolve and expand their sound a little bit. Well, that's exactly what they did! Almost everything about "See You On The Other Side" is experimental (including the Pink Floyd-y title, Tool-like packaging, and trippy artwork which wouldn't be out of place on the cover of "Alice In Wonderland").
But this, their seventh studio release, differs mostly because it is definitely Korn's most progressive and least-heavy album. Before the album was released, I knew Korn were down to only one guitarist, so I was worried about the rhythm section. And, now that I have heard "Other Side," I can safely say it definitely does suffer. It's almost as if Korn are afraid of writing riffs and making heavy music again, because they can't do it without Head.
Jonathan's singing style is also a lot more melodic. On the album closing ballad, "Tearjerker," his cleanly sung voice goes falsetto at times (yes, falsetto), and, at other times, even sounds a bit feminine! "See You On The Other Side" has drawn some comparisons to Marilyn Manson, but if I didn't know better, I'd swear I was listening to a H.I.M. record.
The album preceding lead/hit single, "Twisted Transistor," which should be an instant dance floor hit, is sort of in the same vein as 2004's cover song, "Word Up." And, with insanely catchy singing and guitar noise, it might be the most addictive song Korn have ever recorded. "2-Way," "Throw Me Away," and "Love Song" are all very atmospheric, with buzzing guitars, weird sound effects, spacey drum beats, wind wooshes, and dreary vocals. Track six, "Throw Me Away," also begins with (what sounds like) a bagpipe solo. Elsewhere, song numbers eight and thirteen, "Open Up" and "For No One," end with melodic instruments, including what could be a piano (!), and "Interlude #2" has a catchy clapping pattern. But, unfortunately, the rest of the songs just can't match "Twisted Transistor"'s hooks.
There are a few songs that bring the old days to mind. Munky's guitars make their first real entrance on track three, "Hypocrites." This song, which might be a swipe at Head, has a chunky rhythm with funky, almost galloping riffs. Next, "Coming Undone" has a couple of violent growls, and "Getting Off" boasts bobbing, moderately heavy guitars and some crazy (albeit brief), "Follow The Leader"-esque scat. Finally, the guitars on "Liar" make an irresistible, grooving rhythm.
But even with a few old-school-like moments, by the end of the first disc, you know these songs are a step forward, creatively, for Korn, but you also want something to satisfy your head banging needs. Luckily, the bonus disc IS worth buying, because the three new songs, "It's Me Again," "Eaten Up Inside," and "Last Legal Drug (Le Petit Mort)," are angry songs with bottom-heavy, lurching riffs, and prove that Korn can still rock quite proficiently. The two remixes of "Twisted Transistor" are also pretty cool.
The bottom line is "See You On The Other Side" is definitely Korn's most experimental album to date, and, no matter what kind of Korn fan you are, you need to hear it. It's also the group's most unique and eccentric album, so it kind of sticks out like a sore thumb when you listen to and consider Korn's other albums. And, while some people (who don't like Korn's first six albums) will enjoy this new sound and applaud the band for evolving, many longtime fans are sure to be alienated by this album and hate every second of it. Personally, I am somewhere in between. I kind of want some old school, heavy stuff to snap my neck to, but I also have got to give props to Korn for making a record which was so experimental, expansive, and daring. Let's just hope the rhythm section improves a little bit for their next release.
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32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
insert clever title about Korn emerging on the , December 6, 2005
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.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Korn is dead. Then why am I giving it 5 stars?, January 11, 2006
Yes, that Korn that was once popular in the 90s and so on is dead. Musically, they completely changed their sound (which could be due to their lost band member, Head) but to tell you the truth, I think this is the best thing Korn could ever have done. Old Korn may be dead, but this new Korn is alive and full of energy. If this album is discovered by more people and bands I believe that once again there will be a new uprising of bands trying to sound exactly like THIS Korn.
Okay, so if you have this cd, or are just looking at the reviews (buy it, believe me, it grows on you) don't think of this as a Korn cd, or even a Metal cd. Also, don't think about the song "Twisted Transistor" if you have heard it. It sounds nothing like the rest of the album. Just think of this as a Rock album, an experimental rock album. This is definitely the first Rock album in a very long time that doesn't look to copy another sound or easily fit into a defined genre. Korn have always been that way in a sense, except with their last few albums (yes, I said few, not one or two). But this cd will surprise a hardcore Korn fan.
First of all, this is the 'lightest' Korn album to date. 'Light' meaning not 'heavy', in the metal kind of sense. The album begins with a short interlude (yes there are a few interludes on this album, much like 'Issues')and then there is "Twisted Transistor". Catchy, simple, 'pop-py' (you can thank The Matrix for that), but still proves the progression Korn has made. The next few songs are the heavier ones of the album, but still nothing over the top. "Politics" is very catchy, interestingly set up, the industrial sound actually sounds really good. The only bad thing is that the lyrics don't sound 'smart'. I have found that Korn has never been 'smart' with their lyrics, they usually repeat themselves by saying some of the same lines in the same album. But this cd is 'smart', just not this song. The main chorus "You want to sleep with him to get to who you need to know, think thats they way to go don't you?" makes it seem like Jonathan Davis is supporting good morals, which he never had in the past (or now, 'Getting Off' for instance). But we'll excuse this, because this is a great 'sounding' song, and so are the many others. The few songs that stand out to me are "Hypocrites", "Throw Me Away", "Open Up", "Coming Undone", and "Liar". Why? Because they're different. Well, "Hypocrites isn't so different, but its heavy, its simple, the lyrics are actually well wrote and get across the point about their old band member, and it makes old-school korn fans happy. "Throw Me Away" is the 'lightest' song on the album, but its very 'smart' and sounds great. "Open Up" is another soft song, but it has a great bass beat and the lyrics are very thoughtful. It is also the most experimental song on this album, in my opinion. "Coming Undone" is definitely worthy of being the next single. It has an enormous beat (if you heard it you'd know what I'm talking about) and a great element of 'fun'. "Liar" is heavy, strong, 'smart', and even brings back the old "scat" that was available in old-school Korn. Bagpipes here too, as in at least 3 songs, which is very good instead of the one or two songs that it was available in before. "Seen It All" is probably one of the best songs Korn could have ever chosen for a closer, but they didn't. The lyrics are great, the concept is smart, but they used "Tearjerker", which is an ok but depressing closer.
My last word to convince you to buy this album is that every song is DIFFERENT. This is the first Korn album to give us this. Not one song sounds similar to another, the lyrics are different and for the FIRST TIME, Jonathan Davis does not complain all the time in his lyrics, but instead decides to sing about meaningful things in our world, like Politics, Religion, Relationships, etc. (There are also a few sex songs, also on the extra disc, but they're nothing special). So, as a final thought, this album may not sound so special when you first hear it, but listen to it, think about it, and you'll be hooked. It proves old Korn is dead and new Korn is born.
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