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Album: The Nothing
Label: Roadrunner
Release date: 13th September
Rating: 9.5/10
Despite it only having
come into my life a mere week ago, The Nothing, the (lucky?) 13th
album from Bakersfield legends, Korn is already my most listened to album of
2019 by far. These days, it’s a rare occasion that an album really gets my
attention, rarer still an album by a band as established as Korn. How much
hyperbole can be crammed into one review? Read on to find out.
From the instantly familiar
jarring and off-kilter guitars which welcome in the first proper track, Cold,
through to the very last note of closer, Surrender to Failure, The Nothing is
just pure, unadulterated and unapologetic Korn and is an impressive and hard-hitting amalgamation of their
entire career, neatly consolidated into one album. While the vibe of the band’s early work undeniably
dominates, The Nothing still
manages to sound fresh and innovative. Everything the
older fan could want from a Korn album is here, just with a cutting edge, contemporary
twist. The comforting warmth of nostalgia collides with the more mainstream
friendly choruses and crisp production values of latter-day releases to create the
band’s most well-rounded and experimental album to date. It just so happens
that it also their heaviest since 1994s self-titled masterpiece, while at the
same time being instant and accessible. Don’t for a moment think, however, that
this is Korn by numbers as there are still surprises dotted around here and
there. For the most part though, they don’t stray too far from the unique sound
that defined a generation. Simply put, it gives me “the fizz”. Even for a band not exactly renowned
for their upbeat and bouncy subject matter, The Nothing is an unsettling, uncomfortable and occasionally heart-wrenching listening experience as the lyrics deal with
the overdose death of singer, Jonathan’s wife last year and his subsequent
struggle to accept and come to terms with it. Standout tracks for me are Cold, H@rd3r, This Loss, Gravity of
Discomfort and The Ringmaster, but you’d be hard pushed to find anything to complain
about. Korn have managed to release an album which, in my opinion at least, is
a contender for a career best and at this stage in their career, that is no
mean feat.
