Korn
Combining the stop-start rhythms of Helmet, the hip-hop assault of Rage Against the Machine and the brooding vocals of Faith No More, Bakersfield, California band Korn concocted a golden formula that would reanimate the dormant corpse of heavy metal. The band's self-titled debut is a teenage-fantasy-endorphin-rush--a subversive noisefest as angry and hostile as Slayer but with a propulsive groove perfect for skateboarding, vandalism, or jumping up and down until you're nauseous. Songs like "Blind," "Clown," and "Shoots and Ladders" blend dark, bleak riffs with head-spinning guitar effects and scream-and-response choruses. But even at their most vitriolic, Korn imbue their blustery music with a cathartic element of fun.--Jon Wiederhorn