Korn
Take A Look In The Mirror

THE REVIEW

Released in 2003, "Take A Look In The Mirror" is an emblematic title: indeed, this is a fundamental album for the discography of the most revolutionary group of the past decade. After the excesses of the previous "Untouchables," Korn decided to look in the mirror, to take a moment for reflection, and evidently, judging by the results of this work, they rediscovered the motivation, the ideas, the musical insights that made "Korn" a vital work for understanding the musical evolutions of the new millennium.

"Take A Look In The Mirror" thus assumes a particular importance for the group of Davis and company, establishing itself as a sort of return to origins and rediscovery of the purest Korn sound. Simply leaf through the booklet to realize that today's Korn reflect (through the mirror) in yesterday's Korn. Obviously, from a brilliant group, one cannot expect a simple replay of already heard (and especially copied by thousands of followers) schemes; for this reason, "Take A Look In The Mirror" reworks the sounds of the first Korn characterized by a mix of funky, hip-hop, death metal, violence, brutality, and extremism in light of albums like "Issues" and "Untouchables," which have instead shown us the more melodic side of the five Californians. Unlike what happened in the debut (where the inaccessibility of the pieces and the lack of a melodic structure prevailed), these thirteen tracks are characterized by a perfect fusion between sonic aggression and melodic ideas with an eye for song form.
This is how indispensable pieces like "Counting On Me" are born, where it immediately becomes apparent that Korn are exceptional songwriters, or the excellent "Right Now," where the taste for killer and immediately assimilable riffs is rediscovered. Bagpipes return in "Let's Do This Now," and also duets with important guests like NAS in the very fierce "Play Me," in addition to the desire to amaze the listener with songs at the limits of listenability like "Break Some Stuff." In so much grace Jonathan Davis's voice returns to shine with its own light, bringing him back to the standards of "Korn" and making him regain theatricality and ability to move as he maneuvers between melodic passages (which here are even more melodic) and moments of uncontrollable and extreme fury (which here are even more extreme).

With this album, Korn reclaim the scepter of generational spokespersons, those who know how to capture the emotions, frustrations, anger, and fears of a generation to then channel them into a single point, into a unique form of expression. The cover of "One" at the end of the album is a sort of passing of the torch between what Metallica represented with "...And Justice For All" and what Korn represents today with "Take A Look In The Mirror."
In this case, it can be said without hesitation: untouchable, truly.