KORN – The Nothing

KORN describe themselves as transcending the limits of Rock, Alternative and Metal genres and influencing artists around the globe.  Having sold 40 million albums worldwide, this assertion gets little argument.  Fifteen years removed from the release of Greatest Hits Vol. 1 the band have released a 13th album they describe as coming from a much darker place than previous efforts.

The darkness is immediate and lands the album in a pit from which it never escapes. The depressive “The End Begins” is fit for a funeral procession and a harbinger of the album’s essence; largely dead on arrival.  The following songs are a template of bleak, atmospheric music laced with lyrical bursts of anger and profanity.  Missing are the connective melodic tissues necessary to hook the listener and bring them in.  Songs lurch and stumble from one idea to the next with lyrics often delivered in an atonal chant rather than sung.  There’s a palpable lack of any force driving the songs other than the drummer.  The guitar and bass seem reluctant to string more than bits and pieces of music together before taking a break.  It’s a too heavy a lift for the drummer to carry solo.

During “Idiosyncrasy”, an f-bomb laced chorus receives some decent melodic support, but it’s left adrift in a sea of simple riffs and meandering lyrical passages. Melody and cohesive song structures make an appearance during “Finally Free” and “This Loss”.  The former stands alone for melodic vocals and guitar throughout while the latter creates a restrained angry and dark vibe.  It’s one of the few examples of the guitars taking a dominant role propelling a song and providing melodic accents.

The Nothing is a wounded animal lashing out blindly both lyrically and musically.  Its blasts of dark emotion are unfocused and musically it lacks cohesiveness for a sense of flow.  No amount of profanity or eruptive riffs can add enough shock value to elevate these songs into a permanent spot on your playlist.

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TRACK LIST (Highlights: 7, 12)

1. The End Begins
2. Cold
3. You’ll Never Find Me
4. The Darkness Is Revealing
5. Idiosyncrasy
6. The Seduction of Indulgence
7. Finally Free
8. Can You Hear Me
9. The Ringmaster
10. Gravity of Discomfort
11. H@rd3r
12. This Loss
13. Surrender to Failure

LINEUP

Jonathan Davis – lead vocals, bagpipes
James “Munky” Shaffer – guitars
Brian “Head” Welch – guitars
Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu – bass
Ray Luzier – drums