Artist: Korn
Title: The Nothing
Genre: Metal / Nu Metal
Release Date: 13th September 2019
Label: Roadrunner Records
Album Review
Three years after ‘The Serenity of Suffering’, the Bakersfield veterans are back with a new album. On the last album you could clearly hear the return to their roots again. KORN seemed to be very proud to present their new album, ‘The Nothing’, which features thirteen songs that are brimming with emotion and sincerity. Fans of the first hour will love this album, as the characteristic riffs and breaks of Head and Munky, the powerful drum play of Ray, the heavy bass of Fieldy, small Electro parts and above all the powerful voice of Jonathan are also present here again.
The intro will already fascinate the fans. A bagpipe introduction awakens a memory of ‘Shoots & Ladders’ and Jonathan’s throbbing cries, which become more and more poignant so that the listener could even be reminded of ‘Daddy’. And already here you realize, this album will be without any doubt the darkest and most personal album the singer has ever written. Even the album cover conveys a dark and tormenting atmosphere, representing a “person” hanging by threads. From this you can make up whatever you want. After the first listening session I interpreted the threads are emotions you can’t get away from and the “person” should represent Jonathan.
The album title also stands for a free interpretation. Jonathan Davis explained that this is his name from the feeling he gets when he feels attacked by his inner demons. He also explained that while writing this album, for the first time he really took the time to concentrate on his emotions. Because as fans know, the KORN singer never had it easy, which is still the case today. Just looking at the titles of the songs makes you feel melancholy, sadness and despair. Moreover, many of the titles are more ambitious than usual, especially ‘Finally Free’ or ‘This Loss’, which reveal all the singer’s vocal abilities, or the rather confusing interlude of ‘The Seduction of Indulgence’.
Despite the dark and melancholic side of the album, fans can breathe a sigh of relief. KORN still know what they are doing and will satisfy the fans with iconic songs. ‘Cold’, ‘Idosyncrasy’ and ‘H@rd3r’ are perfect examples of this. They contain a powerful intro, catchy verses and choruses, super breaks paired with the growls of Jonathan Davis. But despite their many years on the hump, KORN are still open to try other things. ‘The Darkness Is Revealing’, ‘Can You Hear Me’ or ‘You’ll Never Find Me’ are more melodic and are complemented by small electro or instrumental passages, which make the album interesting again.
The production is again very precisely geared to the band’s specific sound, with vocals and drums in the foreground. Bass and guitars are not necessarily predominant on the album, which may be surprising, but seems logical when you know the process of creation of this album, which was mainly inspired by Jonathan Davis. The album as a whole will definitely delight KORN fans. With this album, KORN managed to confirm their leading position in Nu-Metal. However, they also managed to renew themselves in some aspects, which adds a new dynamic. A sincere and efficient album that you should definitely listen to.
Tracklist
01. The End Begins
02. Cold
03. You’ll Never Find Me
04. The Darkness Is Revealing
05. Idiosyncrasy
06. The Seduction of Indulgence
07. Finally Free
08. Can You Hear Me
09. The Ringmaster
10. Gravity of Discomfort
11. H@rd3r
12. This Loss
13. Surrender to Failure
Line-up
Jonathan Davis – Lead vocals, bagpipes
James “Munky” Shaffer – Guitars
Brian “Head” Welch – Guitars
Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu – Bass
Ray Luzier – Drums
Website
https://www.KORNofficial.com/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 7
Total: 7.5 / 10
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