Album Of The Week: The Paradigm Shift by Korn

A lot of die hard Korn fans have been waiting for this moment when Brian “Head” Welch has rejoined the fold and they were more than excited to hear that there was new music. The Paradigm Shift has been one of the most anticipated releases from Korn since they had announced that they were indeed working with Head again. It’s the eleventh overall album for Korn and their seventh with Head on guitar. The album also features the usual suspects in Jonathan Davis (Vocals), Munky (Guitar), Fieldy (Bass), and Ray Luzier (who records his third album with Korn)and the album was produced by Don Gilmore. Munky helped describe where the album title came from, “It’s a term encompassing different perspectives. You can view a piece of art from one angle and it takes on a certain image. If you look from another angle, it’s a completely different image. We liken that to Korn in 2013. With Head back in the fold, all of the elements fans have loved since day one are there, but we’re interpreting them from a new perspective. It’s a bigger, brighter and bolder Korn.”

Every great Korn record has a song that just hits you like a freight train right from the start like Here To Stay from Untouchables, Right Now from Take A Look In The Mirror, or even Blind from the self titled. Prey For Me is that track on the record that hits your subwoofer like a bomb and you can’t do anything, but headbang with Fieldy’s slaptastic playing and the demonic 7 string attack. Love And Meth starts with an awesome bass line from Fieldy before it explodes in with the sonic assault in this groove metal laden track. The song also features some of the best vocals I have heard from Jonathan Davis. What We Do follows in the same pattern as the last track and if your not happy so far then I don’t know what your problem is because Korn is delivering. The track has elements that remind me of Untouchables and Take A Look… in it. Spike In My Veins is Korn further exploring that electronic element from the last record on this mixed with some crushing metal. Mass Hysteria is up next and when it kicks in he hits you like a sledge hammer. Then out of nowhere it gets calmer, but just when the coast is clear the sonic assault comes back in full force. Paranoid And Aroused has a little of a hip hop feeling in Jonathan’s delivery mixed with the metal side reminding you why they were kings of Nu Metal. For Never Never, see http://eddiesentertainment.wordpress.com/2013/08/11/single-of-the-day-never-never-by-korn/

Punishment Time is one of my favorite songs on the record cause it’s a typical in your face with the typical melodies that help you escape. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of Lullabies For A Sadist, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be. Victimized also features the electronic side of Korn which is probably influenced by J.Devil (JD for those who don’t know) mixed with the twin sonic assault. It’s All Wrong ends the album and it doesn’t disappoint as Korn is smart and stays heavy with the grooves. I hate to say it to all the haters out there, but Korn is back and they are here to stay. Do your self a favor and go out and buy the record. It’s well worth it and see Korn live if you can. I am going to give the record 4 stars out of five.

Album Of The Week: Untouchables By KoЯn 2002

courtesy of wikipedia

For this week’s album of the week I chose one of my all time favorite KoЯn records that the band released. It’s their fifth studio album and was follow up to 1999’s Issue which at the time was the darkest KoЯn album to date. It was also the most expensive album KoЯn had released at the time ranging in the 4 million range. Michael Beinhorn at the time was known for producing Hole’s Celebrity Skin and Marilyn Manson’s Mechanical Animals. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 selling 434,000 copies in it’s first week and as of January 2013, it has sold 1,612,602 copies in the US and over 4 million worldwide. Things weren’t always easy for the group though. They are reports that tensions were high amongst the five of them causing them to write music in Arizona to see if the change of scenery would help. During the tour that followed the release, the band even contemplated firing Fieldy due to his drug habit, but obviously they never did. Let’s check out the album.

The first track on the album which was also the first single, Here To Stay, starts off like a guitar making noise until it’s very brief pause. Then out of nowhere it explodes and the music hits you like a ten ton hammer. My favorite thing about the song is the groove because man does it ever groove and Jonathan’s voice matches over it perfectly. Make Believe is the next track on the record and KoЯn was always known for making unique sounds come from their guitars. Jonathan comes in after the eerie guitar riffs and he sort of raps and sings over the riffs before they explode into the chorus. Blame starts off much like Here To Stay before exploding into the track. The best is the riffs played during the verses because it’s almost like the calm before the storm as it’s real mellow before the rage shines through in the chorus. Hollow Life is a very dark track on the album in that it starts off slow and ominous. The chorus gets a little scarier as Jonathan screams about living a hollow life. Bottled Up is one of the heaviest and grooviest songs on the record about keeping hatred all bottled up. It’s also a song that I took to heart because I at one time had insecure feelings about my appearance and I always felt Jonathan spoke to me. 

Thoughtless is the next track and the lyrical themes to the song are dark. It was the second single released off the album and it was about an experience where Jonathan Davis was bullied in school and he dreams of seeking revenge on those who bullied him. Hating is one of my favorite tracks on the whole album and it starts with this cool guitar riff as the drums start to kick in, you get this eerie feel to it and then Jon takes over. It’s another track on the record that deals with the ever growing theme of hate that Korn has explored. One of my favorite parts is the pre-chorus where David and Fieldy are doing their best with the groove. One More Time is the next track on the record and it has a Nightmare On Elm Street like groove to it, at least that’s what I hear. The harmonizing on the track is cool as you can hear they tracked Jonathan’s vocals a bunch of times to get the effect. Alone I Break was the third and final single off the album. They traded in the distortion for clean guitars and some funky bass lines. I saw the song described as a haunting power ballad which is such a true description. Apparently, Head and Munky used custom built 14 string guitars for the track to create that wide chorus effect.

Embrace is another track that is just pure metal with the screaming vocals and big power chords. It sort of combines elements of early Korn which included that hip hop influence with metal grooves. Beat It Upright has a major bass groove that feels like their just bouncing the sounds off the ground. It’s all about the bass in this track that is just hoppin and it you’ll be bobbing your head to it. No One’s There is another one of my favorite tracks on the record that is just dark to the core. It’s another one of those tracks that I felt really spoke to me on all levels of my life. I really love this album and I would say that it’s one of my top three KoЯn releases. I told my brother that KoЯn to me is what Motley Crue was to him when he was growing up in the 80’s. It’s funny, before this album was released I had never had the chance of seeing KoЯn live and when I heard they were playing I made my brother go to Connecticut with me to see them. It was the greatest experience of my life. I am giving the album 4.5 stars out of five.