Korn - See You On The Other Side (2005) WMA320

Upon initially hearing "See You On The Other Side" this reviewer wasn't sure exactly what to make of it. It was not a bad album by any stretch, though I felt it was - to a certain extent - a bit disappointing and frustrating. Back then, it was my belief that, after the departure of lead guitarist Brian "Head" Welch the year before, Korn were a bit strapped for ideas, and had to scramble to come up with songwriting ideas. They were blatantly abandoning their roots, and not even making an attempt at the same heaviness that was heard on, say, `03's "Take A Look In The Mirror." Plus, yours truly didn't find it to be as catchy, either. However, the key word here is "initially"...because now the above opinion could not be further from the truth. Confession time: Korn is among my all-time favorite bands, yet I didn't really give this 2005 effort the fair shake that it deserves. It would be safe to say that I had a prematurely made-up opinion about it. In my defense, this task was easy to do, when considering the new album's experimentalism was a total surprise, making it likely to leave many fans cold after the first couple listens. But sure you mark my words, when I say this: I officially retract my last review (a long, long overdue statement)! Reading between the lines, this is the kind of record that grows on you. And grows, and grows, and grows...and grows! In fact, it may never - or at least rarely - cease growing in appreciation. Yes, the new material is bound to sound different. Hence, one might think that the band are afraid of riffing, and that their rhythm section sounds a bit weakened. These things are simply not the case, though. Instead, look at it this way: Upped levels of creativity, breaking new ground, breadth, and epic-ness. Anyone can out-heavy themselves, but John Davis & the Gang opt for good songwriting (among other things). As aforementioned, "SYOTOS" does possess more-than-a-few experimental elements. But cool your jets, because it does not have too many. Furthermore, I hope I have not mislead you into thinking that it has absolutely nothing that sounds familiar - because it does. With repeat listens it becomes increasingly clear that numerous heavy riffs still remain in tact, here (really, they do!). Thus, the songs capture an almost perfect balance between innovation and the raw, mean angst of old. As a result, the experimental aspect stops well-short of the "selling-out" point; it makes the songs boast great texture, unpredictability and soft-hard friction. Also, it is a necessity to say something about its accessibility. True, the new material is less immediately catchy than fans are used to, but fear not because the songs do bristle with memorable hooks. The only difference now is that Korn have developed a surprisingly smooth and subtle way of delivering them (a surefire sign of maturity). In other words, as was the case with the guitar riffs, the hooks are still there, and they are as prominent as ever, even if they might take a little extra time to appreciate. And once they have sunk in, it should only be a matter of time before you are headbanging just like you used to, with John's lyrics/vocals tattooed to your brain, and mimicking David Silveria's crashing (and frequently reverberating and tmospheric) percussion on air-drums. Heck, one might even him/herself humming a tune the rest of the afternoon. "Twisted Transistor" is an insanely hooky, infectious, and addictive opener. Trippy, Eighties-era transistor-like sound effects, rhythms that are as ready for the dance-floor as you can get, nice vocal hooks, Davis' usual gross lyrics (this time they are about a girl who falls in love with her radioy...it's all here, and is enough to make it easily one of the best singles in Korn's discography. "Politix," with its climactic, angry choruses and near deathly growls, sees the group entering a bit heavier territory; as does "Hypocrites," which is complete with really memorable vocal patterns (including a bit of near-rapping, and shout-worthy refrains), and some of Munky's strongest rifffing to date. (It has chunky, memorable, and at times near-funky-sounding guitar licks from beginning to end.) "Souvenir" is another very catchy number. It finds Davis summoning higher, near-falsetto notes over Tom Morello-style keyboard-sounding guitars. A heavy Marilyn Manson influences shines through sporadically. In fact, it would not be unfair to say that some tracks, like "10 Or A 2 Way" and its successor, "Throw Me Away," are so industrial-lite that they could have almost been lifted wholesale off of a MM outing. Two other standouts, "Love Song" and "Coming Undone," feature perhaps the most memorable choruses of the bunch. The latter is also of note for its terrifically toe-tap-able, Nine Inch Nails/Rammstein-esque stomp-and-clap rhythm. "Liar" again delves onto the more aggressive side of things, thanks to the plenty of rhythmic, industrial-strength, staccato power cords sprinkled on here-and-there throughout. Lastly of note is the set's pinnacle (and closer). "Tearjerker" is almost startling in its tunefulness; Davis digs deep and comes up with a truly breathtaking and soulful bit of accomplished clean singing. "Tearjerker"'s lyrics aren't anything to write home about, but still - it does deserve credit for being an excellent, very atmospheric, pretty, and soaring power ballad. And it proves JD has has a surprisingly good vocal range because he can actually sing! Whether or not Korn can pull-through on their own without the assistance of Brian "Head" Welche remains to be seen. But this is a fact: "See You On The Other Side" is definitely a big step in the right direction. Overall, the affair manages to sound both new/different while simultaneously being a bit familiar. So, in short, both new and old fans of the band should find something worth their while in "See You." And upon hearing it, both parties should attest that it is pretty-darn-great! by A. Stutheit "Teyad" TRACKLIST: Disc 1: 01 - Twisted Transistor.wma 02 - Politics.wma 03 - Hypocrites.wma 04 - Souvenir.wma 05 - 10 Or A 2-Way.wma 06 - Throw Me Away.wma 07 - Love Song.wma 08 - Open Up.wma 09 - Coming Undone.wma 10 - Getting Off.wma 11 - Liar.wma 12 - For No One.wma 13 - Seen At All.wma 14 - Tearjerker.wma Disc 2: 01 - It's Me Again.wma 02 - Eaten Up Inside.wma 03 - Last Legal Drug (Le Petit Mort).wma 04 - Twisted Transistor (The Dante Ross Mix).wma 05 - Twisted Transistor (Dummies Club Mix).wma + EXTRA MATERIAL WMA 320Kbps 44100Hz STEREO Follow Me On Facebook Pages: MarcelodrgzTPB

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