KoRn
See You On The Other Side

THE REVIEW

We are in 2005, the nu is now dead and buried, but the releases of the various surviving bands of the scene have poured in like snow this year: there are those who haven't changed a bit, re-proposing the same formula with ups and downs (Disturbed, Ill Nino, Sevendust, Staind, Static-X), there are those who wanted to turn from the recent past but didn't fully succeed in implementing their ideas (Limp Bizkit), there are those who slightly modified their sound towards harder shores (Hed Pe, Soulfly), there are those who released even two albums in the span of 6 months, of questionable value (System Of A Down), there are those who evolved while always maintaining high standards, confirming themselves as one of the leaders of the genre (Mudvayne), and there are those who, to calm the wait for the new album, released a collection of unreleased tracks and b-sides (Deftones). And naturally, at the peak of this year rich in nu-metal comebacks in the increasingly dominant (and annoying) metalcore chaos, they couldn't be missing, the undisputed godfathers, the leaders, the prophets, the immortals: KoRn.

The premises anyway weren't the best: the departure of guitarist Head for the Christian faith was undeniably a hard blow for the group, but they didn't lose heart, and this new album already has the distinction of being the first album by the Californian band without the usual line-up, which had remained unchanged since the day of their inception. Moreover, this is also the first album by the band not produced by Sony, with whom they had dissolved the contract a few months ago, to land at Virgin. But besides these considerable events, there were other factors that didn't bode well for this new release: already "Take A Look In The Mirror" hadn't seemed all that great to me (sure, a good album, very powerful, but a bit lacking in ideas), then the participation in "Coca Cola Live At MTV" honestly made me cringe a bit, and naturally the usual awareness that they will no longer propose unforgettable songs like "Faget" or "Kill You" (just to mention two titles), but perhaps it's for the best, since they have always been a group in constant evolution.

But now the wait is over, and finally the seventh album by the Bakersfield band has been released, "See You On The Other Side". Well, what to say, the evolution continues! You can see that this album had a very long and thoughtful conception process, at least compared to its predecessor. In fact, the explosive anger that "Take A Look In The Mirror" was impregnated with has drastically reduced to give way to darker and more electronic atmospheres than usual, as if to confirm all the statements made by Jonathan and company regarding an album with strong industrial influences. In fact, almost all the tracks are seasoned with pleasant electronic arpeggios that enrich the offering. However, this absolutely doesn't mean that they have suddenly become mellow, on the contrary, the anger is there and thunders imperiously in tracks like "Politics", "Hypocrities", "Coming Undone", "Getting Off", "Liar", and "For No One", confirming that the KoRn style still dominates, despite already more than 10 years have passed. "Love Song" still brings the trails of the underrated "Untouchables", "Open Up" is a long 6-minute ride introduced by a very pleasant bass riff by Fieldy and dissolved into a final acoustic arpeggio followed by an interlude similar to those present in "Issues"; this song is countered by "Seen It All", another piece lasting a total of 6 minutes. Naturally, how can one forget the great single (as well as the first song of the album) "Twisted Transistor", catchy, lively, very enjoyable, with a really cool video: great! Davis then reprises in "Liar" those senseless vocal outbursts that made great pieces like "Twist", "BBK", and "Freak On A Leash" (who remembers them?), truly goosebump-inducing; and he even surprises at the end of "Getting Off" with a growl that sounds too much like Devin Townsend's. There are plenty of cues here: disorienting and surprising "Throw Me Away", with its "Depechemode-like" atmospheres, and the conclusive "Tearjerker", a truly unusual song for KoRn, with a magnificent Jonathan who for the first 3 and a half minutes guides us with his wonderful and melodic voice, accompanied only by a dark electronic background, before the advent of all the other members to conclude this seventh chapter of the KoRn saga. Also noteworthy is the very frequent use of bagpipes, present in the endings of some songs, and the absence of rap pieces played in collaboration with some famous rapper (as happened with Nas in TALITM). There's no need to underline that having a singer like Jonathan Davis in a band is a luxury that few can afford: he is indeed the one who gives that extra touch that makes KoRn a unique band, and here he has demonstrated it once again (as if there were any need).

So, an album with more ideas compared to "Take A Look In The Mirror" (which always seemed to me like a way to get back on track immediately after the misstep of "Untouchables") that aims less to attack the listener with violence, favoring a more massive use of electronics, an element truly dominant throughout the album. Maybe it's because I wasn't expecting anything special, but I was pleasantly surprised by this new work. In my opinion, a great comeback for KoRn, who never disappoint (at least as far as I'm concerned). In the humble opinion of the undersigned, the best nu metal release of this year, naturally along with "Lost And Found" by the legendary Mudvayne.

Highly recommended!!! They've already gone to the other side (with or without Head)... Now it's your turn!