If you haven’t heard the name Korn, well, I’d be very surprised. This Bakersfield, California band has been putting out records since 1994, rocking stages with their amazing live performances ever since their very beginning.
Vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarists Brian “Head” Welch , James “Munky”Schaffer, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and drummer Ray Luzier have been playing together for years now; and with their new album, The Nothing, they may have produced their best album to date. It’s a perfect mix of old school and new school Korn; rage, angst, and heavy guitar playing.
The Nothing has a total of 13 tracks, and as I said, it’s a mix of everything Korn is good at. There’re several standout songs, and we’ll talk about some of my personal favorites starting now.
Coming in at the halfway mark of the record is the brilliantly done song called ‘The Seduction of Indulgence’.
This one is only one minute and forty three seconds in length, but in that brief space of time it is also one of the most powerful tracks; lyrically and musically. It’s definitely a throwback to the type of lyrics on their debut, and it’s very catchy.
Another track that stands out to me is the first full song on the record. There’s a brief intro beforehand and it’s called ‘Cold’.
I knew from the very first notes that this was gonna be a fairly heavy track and when the vocals queued in, I knew that I was right. The verse section brings it back down to an effective dynamic shift and the flow of the verse is infectiously groove heavy. ‘Cold’ is definitely a Korn tune in overall fee, and at the top of best minutes on this record.
‘The Darkness is Revealing’ mashes-up each era of Korn, in my opinion. The heavier guitar parts are a perfect example of that. I can hear nearly all of their different elements there, Same goes for the vocal work. This is a very well put together track that all types of Korn fans would be able to appreciate.
‘Idiosyncrasy’ comes up as another standout. Korn aren’t exploring any new ground on this song, but I wouldn’t want them to change much anyway; they have a stock sound that is theirs, and theirs alone.
A pretty heavy song overall, and reminds of a mix of their first and second albums; with a chorus in their more modern styling. I really love this one, and Jonathan’s vocal performance is one of the key reasons for that. His execution of the lyrics is fantastic, and it makes your feelings touch the texture of the lyrics and its intended meaning.
Towards the end of The Nothing is a track with an oddly spelled name, ‘H@rd3r’.
The lyrical content is relatable for many of us who struggle with the pain of depression/anxiety. The pre-chorus, “They are in my head now, exposed they tear my joy out, their shadow starts to cast out, inside I start to lash out”; now that’s some powerful evoking writing, and a pain Jonathan expresses as a cathartic release that sends a message to his fans that they’re not alone.
Immediately following ‘H@rd3r’ is a track called ‘This Loss’. What I enjoy about these two tracks the most is that they’re at the end of the album; which shows that the band had enough material to end the album with the same power and strength that it began with.
With this track the band balances light and dark with the sheer power and skill that they’ve always had. The mellow parts seem heavy because of the lyrics, and when it’s heavy, that change in the dynamics makes it seem even heavier. This is an approach I’ve always liked to see bands utilize, the power produced is phenomenal when executed properly.
This may be a strong and somewhat triggering statement, but I feel that The Nothing is their best album since Life is Peachy. Given that, I strongly urge you to get yourselves a copy of it in your format of choice. Enjoy!!!
Edited by: Bishoy Nader.
