We’ve traveled all over the music spectrum. From Europe to the United States, we’ve heard all sorts of songs. Today’s review is a revisit to Korn, one of the more iconic nu-metal bands out there. The album in question for this review marks an interesting point in their career, not to mention an album to end the 90s with. Without delaying it any further, here’s a review for Korn’s last album of the 90s, Issues.
Background
Taken from the Wikipedia page:
“During one of the band's recording sessions, journalist Chris Connelly asked about how the recording was coming along, to which drummer David Silveria responded that it "Sounds like the music is a little more simplified and heavier. Kind of heavier grooves, more than the last couple. So kind of more similar to the beginning, except Jon is a much better singer now, so it's all coming together."
In October 1999, Korn posted "Falling Away from Me" on their website as a free MP3 download, although it was against the advice of its attorneys. A statement on the band's site relates: "We're so psyched about [the new album] that we wanted to give all you guys, the true Korn fans — a gift from us. "Korn Offers Free MP3 Of New Single". MTV. Also at this time, the band attempted to start an online chain email, by posting the letter online and asking fans to email the letter to 10 other people and to then sign the "I Downloaded the Korn Single For Free" guestbook on the band's site. For each person who signed, Korn donated 25 cents to the charities Childhelp USA and Children Of The Night. It raised over $250,000.
On November 15, 1999, Korn played at the Apollo Theater in New York City where they played Issues in its entirety. They performed with a choir as well as the pipes and drums of the New York City Police Department. The crowd was mainly radio contest winners. The band claimed that there was a limited number of tickets sold for the concert.
The album featured four different covers each designed by Korn fans as part of an MTV contest (the winning cover was designed by Alfredo Carlos; another album cover for special limited edition of the album features a cartoonish half-caricature for the band). There was also a fifth cover selected for the limited tour edition of the album.”
“Although the album received mixed reviews upon release, it became a commercial success. According to the band in the booklet that comes with Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 album, they did not want to be part of a popular trend and wanted to do their own thing. Thus the hip hop elements of Follow the Leader were removed, moving the band to an alternative metal sound rather than nu metal. The band admits that with Brendan O'Brien working alongside them, he kept them more focused during recording so far as to not letting them just fool around and party, and that there was a lot less drinking this time around.”
Songs
Dead (“***”): We begin Issues with the first of the mini-songs, and I gotta say, I think they’re not really needed on this album. In Dead’s case, it’s just a repetitive playing of guitars, drums, and some pretty cool bagpipes. Jonathan Davis’s singing is good, but it’s kinda hard to hear’s what he’s saying. Dead is a nice little diversion, with a big emphasis on the word little. A “Meh” way to start the album.
Falling Away From Me (“***”): A little story for you: it was about either 1999 or 2000, and me & my folks were coming back home from a trip to Albany. On the way home, Falling Away From Me starts playing on the radio. It was nothing I had ever heard of before: at that point in my life, all I was allowed to listen to was 80s pop songs, and anything my Mom listened to and approved of. Suffice it to say, she wasn’t a fan of Korn (She still isn’t for the most part).
As for the song, it definitely does sound like it’s more of a normal metal song than the Nu Metal that Korn was/is known for. There’s more tradition play of the drums & guitar, although small hip-hop noises & riffs show up once in a while. The singing is probably retains the most of the hip-hop influence, but said influence has been scaled back slightly so it sounds more like a standard metal song of the time. This is what really should have started Issues off!
Trash (“***”): Korn has always been know for songs that creep people out, but Trash my take the creepy factor up to 11. For a majority of the song, the guitars are played in a very distorted manner, often to the point where they sound incredibly alien. The drumming remain normal throughout the whole tune, as it sounds the least unaltered. The singing is a mix of both altered & unaltered: at least for half of the song Jonathan Davis sings in a whisper-like voice that’s untouched, but when he raises his voice, they warp the sound a little to where it sounds like it’s coming from another dimension. As for the subject matter.....yeah, I’ll let you discover that on your own!
4 U (“***”): This is probably the best out of the mini songs. For one thing, it sounds like you’re floating through space as the song plays. The sounds that they use really convey a ethereal vibe, and the instruments keeps things a little bit on the creepy side of things. The singing this time around is both understandable & confusing, thanks to the distortion effects used. Again, the best of the mini songs.
Beg for Me (“***”): The opening for this song is kinda funky. You’re given what sounds like a marching drum band for a little bit, then the sound effects & guitars start kicking in. The sounds used in this song are actually very minimal, with only some electronic effects & voice distortion applied during the softer/quieter sequences. Jonathan Davis doesn’t sound like he wailing at the louder points in the song, and when he sings more quietly, it’s like Trash all over again. Another decent piece.
Make Me Bad (“***”): A theme I’ve noticed on Issues so far is the relatively even mix between soft & loud singing. Jonathan Davis sounds like he has a lot of control in terms of his voice, and this is no different in Make Me Bad. The instrumentation in this song is relatively different this time around: while the songs before hand has smaller bits of rap/hip-hop, Make Me Bad sound more like the Alternative Metal groove they were going for when making Issues. Everything feels a little distorted, a little alien, and perhaps a little unknown. This is easily the most strangest song on the album.
It’s Gonna Go Away (“***”): Just imagine 4 U, but minus the “floating through space” aspect, and more emphasis on the creepy. Next!
Wake Up (“***”): Delving a little into the psychedelic realm of music, Wake Up is a song that’s perfect for a fight. The psychedelic parts are somewhat obvious during the softer parts of the song, where the singing is lower in volume, and the instruments are played in kind of a surreal style. Outside of these moments, it comes back into the typical backyard of Korn. The guitars are fast, the drums are heavy, and the singing is intense!
Am I Going Crazy (“***”): A very goosebumbs inducing mini-song. Am I Going Crazy relies heavily on sound effects, as you can hardly hear any instrumentation, with the exception of some drum work. The singing is much like what was in 4 U, only somehow with more clarity & distortion. If you didn’t listen to 4 U, then it would hurt to listen to this one.
Hey Daddy (“***”): Okay, time for a funny story!
It’s 2005. I’m in 12th grade, and it’s also the final year that I was in my church’s youth group. The pastor told us one day to bring in a cd, play a song, and explain to everyone why we liked it. At this point, I only had Issues for I believe a couple weeks, so I thought that it was the right candidate. I brought it to the church, he took a look at the case, and sarcastically said “Hey, what song are you gonna play? Hey Daddy?”. In all seriousness, I thought that it was the right song. By the time we were done listening to it, he was like “What is this!? This is almost satanic!?”.
Who could blame him for that reaction? The song is very dark & dingy, with the instruments being played in a very sinister manner. Jonathan Davis goes pretty hardcore in this song, as his voice goes between whisper, squealing, and shouting/yelling at the drop of a hat. Coupled with some depressing lyrics, and it’s easy to see why some people would react this way.
Somebody Someone (“***”): It had to get simple at some point.
I’m not necessarily saying that in a bad way. Given that Korn was going down an Alternative Metal path, it’s nice to hear them do something simple. The instrumentation keeps things to a minimum: the drums are never over the top, and while the guitar work can be a little heavy sometimes, they’re kept in place so they don’t go overboard. Jonathan Davis’s singing seems to be carrying the most weight in this song, as he keeps things pretty loud for the most part. A nice song to listen to if you don’t want anything too heavy.
No Way (“***”): Here we have another simplistic song.
I won’t go too long with this one, since some of what I talked about was in the previous song. The instrumentation goes along very simplistically, and while it does play loudly at parts, it’s actually quite tame. Any sounds that are used are very few, and really only used during the somewhat loud portions. The singing itself is rather low key, as Jonathan Davis only yells at about 2 to 3 parts (I can’t figure out which). Another good song if you don’t want something terribly heavy.
Let’s Get This Party Started (“***”): With a title like Let’s Get This Party Started, you assume that it’s right for a party, and you’d be right!
You’ve got all the right things: fist-pumping instruments, body-moving riffs & beats, and vocals that can get you to groove with the whole thing. There’s really nothing else for me to say....other than to crank this up at your next get-together!!
Wish You Could Be Me (“***”): We conclude the mini-songs with this little ditty. Using some of the rap/hip-hop influence that the band hasn’t used much on Issues, there’s a record-scratching effect that being played alongside the instruments. There other sounds used also, and they make the rap/hip-hop elements a little more obvious. Finally, this mini-song has the clearest singing. There isn’t any heavy distortion used hear, and you can pretty much hear what Jonathan Davis is singing. An okay song: nothing hideous, but nothing memorable either.
Counting (“***”): Sounds like if Falling Away From Me had a second half. Next!
Dirty (“***”): We end Issues with perhaps it’s most bizarre song on the table. For starters, the song is 7 minutes & 50 seconds in length, but there’s only 3 minutes & 43 seconds of any actual music. The rest of it is just nothing more than static. But what about the musical portion, you may be asking?
I say it’s a good way to end the album. Everything that the band does before the static show is very steady, there’s never a moment where you think they’ll trip up, and has a even mix between soft and loud. Again, a good way to end the album.
Overall Impressions & Rating
Issues seems to mark a change for the band. While Untouchables was facing some serious identity problems, this album seems to have it’s head on it’s shoulders. There’s a relatively clear personality with Issues, and while the rap/hip-hop aren’t on here much, the metal aspects are still going full & strong. A must buy for any fans of the band.
Issues get a 8.5 out of 10.
See you next time. Until then, stay Otaku!
No comments:
Post a Comment