Korn
Untitled

I don't want to be inappropriate by saying that Korn were, are, and will be the most discussed and criticized band in the world: always riding the wave and at the same time on the brink of the abyss, from worldwide fame to the disoriented paths of some members, a sign for some critics and old fans that they are going through the descending phase of their career, at least in an artistic-creative sense. This theory seems quite valid especially after Head's departure, the production of the controversial "See You On The Other Side," and David Silveira's pseudo-hiatus during the sessions of this "Untitled."

The premises for yet another misstep by the Californian band were there, including the confirmation of the "SYOTOS" production team, but with Korn nothing is predictable. Like the phoenix, Korn rise from their ashes, where by ashes I mean the positive episodes of "SYOTOS," those so-called experimental songs that stood out from the banality of that album.

"Untitled" is something that at first glance you would not think to be a Korn-stamped product, an almost foreign body to their discography, but it remains something epic and innovative comparable to some artistic expression that goes beyond music itself (a film, a painting...), it cannot be labeled or cataloged into a genre or compared with other albums and artists, the sounds wink at industrial with electronic elements from the production but there is a strong prog cut in the songs and the typically Korn mark remains in the air.

The characteristic that strikes on first listen is the particular slowness of the tracks, which gives the entire album an aura of sadness and melancholy; this doesn't mean the tracks aren't heavy — on the contrary. The undisputed protagonist of this album is Jonathan Davis, whose vocal skills have been exalted by a never-before-seen production so functional to him: Munky no longer searches for the granite riff in every song and decides to use all the guitars (mandolin included) he possesses for this album, being creative and technical like never before, the same goes for Fieldy, who abandons the funky slap in favor of a very low groove giving a strong dark cut to the whole work.

There are two important innovations in the production session: his majesty Terry Bozzio on drums in some tracks and the addition of session keyboardist Zac Baird, the latter fundamental in the evolution of each song with the new sounds he brings. The themes of the lyrics are always autobiographical but completely different compared to previous productions: love, family and social affections.

I'll move on to the description of the sensations I had while listening to the individual tracks:

"Intro", circus sounds that invite us to attend the show;

"Starting Over", poignant and melancholic with Jonathan's cry to God "come take me" in the ending;

"Bitch We Got A Problem", schizophrenic with an engaging rhythm;

"Evolution", perfect alchemy between synthesizers and rhythms for a track that deals with social themes;

"Hold On", the typical song that encourages you and tells you not to give up, not just with words;

"Kiss", a beautiful semi-ballad with sad and melancholic tones, gentle Jonathan accompanied by Zac's piano, broken by Munky's distorted guitar in Kornish power-chords in the chorus, a unique and rare song;

"Do What They Say", the emblem of the album: a slow song but at the same time heavy, whispers intertwined with Jonathan's impetuous growl;

"Ever Be", slow, sad, and damnably prog, great to perform live as a manifesto of this untitled;

"Love & Luxury", the only discordant note, a track that could have easily been left out of the tracklist in favor of some B-side, a light and fun track that doesn't feel homogeneous with the rest of the album, the lyrics are explicitly directed at Head;

"Innocent Bystandar", great industrial headbanger groove;

"Killing", in this track all the musicians excel, with a great sound and sudden rhythm changes;

"Hushbye", the mandolin takes us through unexplored sonic realms by Korn, once again great Jonathan with his changes of tone and vocal register;

"I Will Protect You", epic with Terry Bozzio's manifesto in the interlude, this song could give birth to a new musical genre.

Album not recommended:

- to those expecting an "Issues" or a "Life is Peachy" because it stands apart and seems to deny the entire previous production

Recommended:

- to those who, like me, loved those SYOTOS songs ("Love Song", "Seen it All", "Tearjerker", "Throw Me Away" and B-sides) dark and damnably sad

- to those who aren't strictly Korn fans and are fascinated by sophisticated sounds

Each song has its own soul but unanimously they say Korn.

Creative and Unique.

Slow and Sad.

Not to be underestimated.