Artist: Korn
Label: Epic Records
Release Date: 11/21/03
|
|
Title: Take a Look in the Mirror Artist: Korn Label: Epic Records Release Date: 11/21/03 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
|
3 | ||
|
2 | ||
|
1 | ||
|
|
Go to Reader Reviews | ||
Abyss's Review:
It's hard to believe that the late year release schedule has become so slow that we're actually reviewing Korn, but here we are, nevertheless. The nu-metal pioneers have just released their sixth album and prove that money really doesn't buy happiness, because as rich as these guys are, Mr. Davis still sounds like an emotional wreck.
"One word review: Good." Korn have been the undeserved whipping boy for the metal underground ever since their sophomore album, Life is Peachy, started to gain favor with MTV audiences, although as some of you might not remember, their debut was actually well-received in the metal community. It wasn't until the explosion of similar minded acts that this band really found themselves on the receiving end of venomous criticism. I've always felt that this was the case of the father being punished for the sins of his sons because, although I'm no real fan of nu-metal, Korn have always been the most interesting and satisfying of the genre. And I certainly would rather listen to them than recent efforts by Machine Head, Skinlab, Metallica, and Sepultura (all of which have been arguably nu-metal at some point in their careers). I always get a little tickled by the fact that many of Korn's detractors embraced Seputura's Roots or even Chaos A.D. because to my ears that just reeks of hypocrisy.
"So for those of you that care, the new Korn album has some good songs on it, but is far from overly exciting." But that little rant aside, I have no real intention of defending Korn all that much - most people have already made up their mind. As for their new album, Take A Look In The Mirror sees the band stuck in a kind of rut, straying very little from the formula of their last few albums. I've personally found their work to be going downhill with every successive release since their groundbreaking debut, and the last two albums are nearly the same in vibe and tone. Perhaps it's because you can only bitch and moan so much when you're filthy rich, but for the most part it just feels like these guys have gotten a little lazy. Nowhere is this more evident than on the guest track for rapper Nas, "Play Me". Unlike the somewhat interesting "Wicked" on their second album, "Play Me" is just an atrocious song. It shows an unarguable lack of hip-hop talent, and I just wonder if it's Korn's fault, or Nas'. I honestly think I could have thrown a better rap together, and I've been known to rhyme the word 'playa' with 'Special K-ya' (not to mention the fact that I still don't understand the terms "Fa-shizzle" or "bling-bling").
So for those of you that care, the new Korn album has some good songs on it, but is far from overly exciting. It seems that nu-metal is a hard act to progress with, as just about every band has stagnated and looked to one another to start the next big thing. Korn, being the most talented, have the ability to do that - the question is whether they want to. One word review: Good.
Death's Review:
I’m not a big Korn fan. I just didn’t get it at first, and I just didn’t like it later on down the road. I’ve even kinda tried. I saw them live on the Megadeth/Flotsam&Jetsam/Korn/Fear Factory tour, but I hated the fact that Flotsam and Jetsam was opening for them. And the Adidas jump suits and the turntables and everything – I mean, I was still a thrasher – I was there to see Flotsam and Megadeth. By the time Follow the Leader came out though, I decided to check out their new album, just out of some weird curiosity about why something like this was so popular. Anyway, I pretty much hated the record and never listened to it more than once. Which brings us to 2003. Seriously, this is pretty much the extent of my experience with Korn. After listening to Take a Look in the Mirror, I’m sure I haven’t missed a thing.
"I wasn’t into them when they were young and hungry, and there’s nothing on Take a Look in the Mirror that’s going to change my mind." I kinda liked the video though, “Did My Time,” that came out in connection with theTomb Raider movie. I’m sure it is a terrible film, but the video has cool effects and Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft in it. I also kinda liked the breakdown in the middle when Davis screams “I did my time!!!!” right up in Jolie’s grill. And I guess I like the signature triplet guitar riff. But this is definitely the best song on this record. I also think the opening track “Right Now” is sort of OK too. Not really, but there is some measure of brutality there I guess. I was curious to hear the bonus track, which is a cover of Metallica’s “One,” but after waiting forever after the end of track 13, I heard it, and once was enough for me (the intensity level was lacking and the killer thrash jam at the end is completely chopped out).
It’s interesting to watch the fall of nu-metal. It feels just like the fall of glam. Korn are nu-metal pioneers. Seems strange that a veteran band like Sepultura copied elements of Korn’s sound when it made the Roots record, but it’s true. But nu-metal has stagnated and its creative energy is decaying rapidly along with its fanbase. The bands have painted themselves into a corner and there’s nowhere to go. Korn will stick around for a while because they deserve to. But I wasn’t into them when they were young and hungry, and there’s nothing on Take a Look in the Mirror that’s going to change my mind.
Hel's Review:
It is necessary to go way back to 1996 for the beginning of this tale. There was this band that several of my metal friends were raving about, and though they tried to persuade me, the bit that I listened to was not enough to convince me this band didn’t suck. We lived in Boston back then, and that July, Death surprised me on my birthday by taking me down to Rhode Island. We paid a visit to a friend in the area and wandered around Newport, but at a certain time, we got back in the car again. We stopped again in Providence, in front of a venue whose marquee read, “Megadeth.” A phenomenal surprise! My excitement increased as I saw my longtime favorites Flotsam and Jetsam were also on the bill, and I was in high spirits going inside. My spirits plummeted down into my shoes when I found out that they were nearly finished, and that crappy band my friends kept hyping was going on just before Megadeth instead. At the time, I recall being flabbergasted – how could this nobody upstart Korn have a better slot on the bill than the great Flotsam?!? I tried to watch the set, but the vocalist dressed, acted, and sang like a total loser. I was able to admit the band behind him was skilled, but the clown in the frontman position ruined anything good that may have been there.
"Big surprise, I think Korn blows." Six years later, and here we are. Korn has since become a mainstream success and I don’t like them any more now than I did back then. In fact, it would be fair to say that I like them even less. Today, I can’t even go to the “at least the rest of the band is good” card. Certainly, this isn’t really their fault, but more a product of the phalanx of imitators trailing their coattails. Still, whatever the reason, I cannot tolerate anything about the style they play anymore. Their vocalist has become world renowned for his lameness, and I still think he sucks.
Let me catalog a few of the reasons he sucks. A) He can’t sing a note – at least not on key. B) The whole “rapping” thing was always annoying, and despite his protestations (which I just viewed on the Fuse show “Uranium” last night), it is still present, and even more irritating than ever. Ok, sure, he’s got actual rappers joining in now, but he’s still on the track too, now isn’t he? C) He’s butt ugly. D) He still wears those lame jumpsuits. And did I mention he sucks?? This guy has no redeeming qualities in my book.
The band I had once somewhat respected has been hidden behind the frontman’s shadow for so long, today they strike me as shades of their former selves. But even if they are just as good as they always were, for the reasons I have noted above, I still wouldn’t be able to stand listening to them. Not even if the world turned upside down and they got a decent vocalist. Which we all know isn’t going to happen. The thing that irritates me most about the music is the bass sound – it is tuned down so low, and the pickups are turned up so high, that all you can hear is the strings slapping – not actual notes. This is most obvious on the lame cover of Metallica’s “One” – if you have the patience to sit through a lengthy silence so you can listen to it. Honestly, I don’t think it’s really worth it. It’s not very good, and is an extremely abbreviated version of the original.
"I’ve never liked them, and as long as they keep writing songs like, 'Y’all Want a Single,' I can guarantee I never will." So there you go, big surprise, I think Korn blows. Now, if history has taught me anything, this review will cause multitudes of Korn fans to write and tell me how they’re awesome and I’m so wrong. Whatever. I’m not changing my mind. I’ve never liked them, and as long as they keep writing songs like, “Y’all Want a Single,” I can guarantee I never will. Several times, while driving around listening to this abomination, I was very tempted to pull over and puke in the gutter. If that’s not a sure sign that it sucks, then I don’t know what is. Too bad I’m philosophically opposed to the “0 skull” ranking, because this is certainly deserving.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.