Korn
See You On The Other Side

THE REVIEW

One word will suffice to describe this album; a piece of crap.

I'm sorry to say it, because I consider Korn, if not technical (except for Fieldy, who is an excellent bassist), at least a band that "knows how to be a band," releasing albums that, in my opinion, are very valid and interesting.
There might be all the possible excuses (Head's departure), but this "See You On The Other Side" crosses the line. Even Korn played their part in making this blunder... they reach out to crappy producers like Atticus Ross and The Matrix, let themselves be influenced by Virgin, and, the cherry on top, release garbage like "See You On The Other Side."

Believe me, I tried to listen to this record thoroughly, spending hours trying to understand it; nothing. It makes no sense. The current Korn make no sense. Flat and useless songs, they serve no purpose anymore; is it possible that Davis and company still don't get it?

About the tracks, there's little to say; each one worse than the other. Repetitive songs to the point of nausea (the annoying "Twisted Transistor", "Open Up", "Coming Undone"), songs that have nothing to do with Korn ("Tearjerker", "Seen It All", "Throw Me Away", "Love Song", although in the end these are the tracks that at least are bearable), heavy tracks that add nothing to the discography, in fact, they only make it more ridiculous ("Getting Off", "Liar", "Politics", "For No One", and "Hypocrites"). Not to mention a pathetic and shocking imitation of Marilyn Manson by Davis ("Souvenir" and "10 Or A 2-Way").

And the band members? Not even worth mentioning. Jonathan Davis barely gets anything right, going from senseless high-pitched screams (if he tried doing them 100 times a day, he might get only 1 right...) to growls that no longer impress me. And Fieldy? Where the hell has Fieldy gone? How could they eliminate him in such an absurd way? How, how, how? If they were to remove Claypool from Primus, Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.) from Death, or Devin Townsend from Strapping Young Lad, what would come out of it? Munky… well, his riffs are boring and repetitive like the rest of the album, but at least he manages somehow... David is the only truly functioning engine of the CD and the only one of the four who still wants to play.

And the funny thing is that:
1) The b-sides recorded during the same period as the previous songs are five times better than all the tracks on the album.
2) Korn really seems convinced of what they are doing, they truly believe they are making their fans happy.

At this point I wonder; are they serious or just pretending?
I don't want to create unnecessary disputes; I agree with the idea that a band cannot remain fixated on the same roots and must, album after album, change something; but there is evolution and evolution. For example, I consider their own "Untouchables" among the best albums of the new millennium: damn, that is evolution! What does this glimmer represent instead? Nothing, except the testimony that Korn is no longer in their right mind and that they are now disposable.

To think that this band up to 2002 released masterpiece after masterpiece... the self-titled album, "Life Is Peachy," "Follow The Leader," "Issues," and the aforementioned "Untouchables"... with "Take A Look In The Mirror" they had declined a bit, but at least it was clear that they were still themselves. Not here. Here it is clear that these four are together just for the money.