Korn
The Nothing

Every time I listen to a new album from the founding fathers of nu metal, who also happen to be one of my favorite bands, I tell myself: "Come on, the last one wasn't much, but maybe this time will be the good one..." and yet, they consistently disappoint me.
But let's recap in order, starting from what I believe to be their last quality album, that "See you on the other side" from 2005, which came after a more than respectable career and, despite changing the rules, as is right to do after more than a decade-long career, it remained a pleasant work to listen to. Even though it presented darker atmospheres and, if you will, less heavy, it had its own identity and stood well on a qualitative level. From that moment on, Korn embarked on a slight decline, and it's no coincidence that their historic drummer David Silveria left during that period, tired of the fact that the group was becoming more and more the creature of Jonathan Davis and not pleased with the shift regarding the sound. A sound that, after the half-successful experiment of "untitled" (2007) and their worst album ("The Path of Totality" in 2012) with dubstep hues, in this album returns to mimic the formula that Korn already offered us in "Paradigm Shift" and partly in "Serenity of Suffering," namely a bad reworked copy of the much more successful "Untouchables".
It's a pity that in this case the ideas are fewer and boredom prevails, with Jonathan Davis at the helm of the ship delivering an excellent technical performance but at times not quite cohesive with the rest of the group. Not by chance, he recorded the vocal parts in the solitude of his studio, and this is evident in some arrangement choices. This is further aggravated by the often flat guitars and the usual rhythm section of Ray Luzier, an excellent drummer not suited to Korn's sound, or at least what they had until not long ago; he indeed limits himself to his task without notable episodes. Fortunately, this time Fieldy's bass is more prominent compared to other works.

And so the whole album flows, an overproduced work (at times plastic-like) and adequate, with some good ideas that are not enough. In fact, the songs are listenable and flow without leaving a mark, except for a few somewhat more successful episodes like "Gravity of Discomfort" or "Can you hear me," which recalls the radio-friendly solo Jonathan Davis.
In short, from Korn, one could rightfully expect much more than an album simply pleasant to listen to in the car or at the gym, and until 2005, each of their releases was synonymous with great music. But I assume those times are now gone, and with the next album, even my hopes. However, it seems that no one has noticed, and the album has been very well received; good for them, after all, they deserve it.