See You on the Other Side
On its seventh album--and first without founding member Brian "Head" Welch--Korn makes a few changes and gets on with proving that it's still a viable force within the world of heavy rock. The venerable veterans lean on outside help from the songwriting team of the Matrix and producer Atticus Ross (Nine Inch Nails). The end result is that this is a big change for Korn and one that will garner large shares of message board controversy on wether this album is more industrial than nü. The band is at its deftest on "Getting Off," "Politics" and "Coming Undone," which highlight the industrial bend. Stalwart fans need not worry for "Liar" and "For No One" remain in lock-step with classic Korn. One need not listen to the full hour-plus to discover flaws. Its center becomes weighed down with bland mid-tempo numbers and the final song detracts from the powerhouse close the record might have had they ended with "Interlude #3/I've Seen It All." Still, Korn has demonstrated that it's capable of weathering the storm and emerging with an album that will carry them onward.-- Jedd Beaudoin