Year: 2019
Total Time: 44:10
Label: Roadrunner / Elektra
“Are you ready?” It’s been almost 26 years since Korn’s debut album and nu-metal’s youthful days, a musical genre that ruled the extreme sound in the second half of the 90s. Loved by many, hated by even more and with-it Korn, a landmark band of that sound. But these days are gone. Nu-metal no longer exists and the few bands that have remained since then (SLIPKNOT, DEFTONES etc.) have created their own personal sound. Korn did the same, of course. After exploring nu-metal as much as they could in their previous releases, it seems that in their last three albums they have settled in a style that combines their alternative past with a modern and groovy metal. This of course has to do with the return of Brian “Head” Welch in 2013 as well as the replacement of their first drummer David Silveria in 2007 by the impressive Ray Luzier who has given the band a new life.
“The Nothing” finds the five musicians from California at their best. Heavy guitars and vocals that almost sound like death metal (something they started in 2016’s “The Serenity of Suffering) alternate with melodies and the clean vocals of Davis who has come a long way as a singer since his whispers and semi-angry vocals in the 90s and early 00s. His voice is now mature, melodic, dynamic and quite expressive. Something that he used to the fullest, as the album was written while Davis was mourning the tragic loss of his wife, which inspired him lyrically. That’s what makes “The Nothing” one of the darkest records in Korn’s career, a band that has always been inclined to sing about difficult subjects (abuse, drugs, etc.) Behind the console, we find once again Nick Raskulinecz who beautifully ties the band’s melodic moments and catchy choruses with its heavy outbursts and electronic touches that enrich their sound. Korn had some special guests appearing in the song writing credits of the album: Lauren Christy, Billy Corgan (SMASHING PUMPKINS) and John Feldman (GOLDFINGER).
The only drawback of the record, I believe is the riffs. Although there are some quite inspired ones that bring to mind even more traditional metal forms, the majority of them are recycled riffs that you come across on almost every album of the Californians. Lucky for them, the way they use them as well as the well-written songs make you ignore this repetition. To conclude, Korn seems to have found the recipe that will allow them to continue to sound fresh and relevant in the third decade of the 21st century and as long as they produce quality works like “The Nothing” and “The Serenity of Suffering” they have nothing to fear.
Rating: 7/10
Editor: Dimitris Benetatos
Related Link: KORN – Official Page
