ALBUM REVIEW: Korn, from the future

by Nikki M. Mascali
Weekender Editor

Adding several drum and bass, electro-house and dubstep producers to any album could be a disaster. But on Korn’s 10th album, “The Path of Totality,” the gamble paid off with a No. 10 debut on the Billboard 200.

While there are an abundance of bells and whistles from the producers, there’s an intimacy to Jonathan Davis’ vocals, thanks in part to him recording in his home, closets and hotels. Most of the album is futuristic and atmospheric, with some new sound constantly coming at you, especially if listening on headphones.

The first of three tracks featuring Skrillex, “Chaos Lives In Everything,” is a perfect example of that, with its fast cymbals, electronica and far-away vocals. The second, “Narcissistic Cannibal” (also featuring Kill The Noise), is vast with a great beat and lots of clatter, while “Get Up!” is a standout that blasts into an electronic wonderland with sinister guitar, bass and drums. “Shut the f--k up/ get up!” Davis urges over droid-like nuances.

Noisia guests on three tracks: “Kill Mercy Within,” which has a dirty, fuzzy feel with a dash of woeful piano; “Burn The Obedient” picks up the pace following the off-putting and sluggish “Illuminati,” while “Let’s Go” is trippy.

The 12th Planet track, “Way Too Far,” is spacey, and there’s so much going on that just when you settle in, it changes to chanted growls or a catchy chorus. “I put my walls up each day/ you tear it down,” Davis declares atop deep, creepy backing vocals singing the same lyric on the Excision track, “My Wall.”

The Feed Me closer, “Bleeding Out,” starts with lush piano before electronics kick in, and there’s a mix of heavy guitars, rave-y sounds and even bagpipes.

At times, “The Path to Totality” seems leaden, and not just in sound, as if you’re wading through sludge as you listen. There are rare bursts of the in-your-face Korn we expect, and that’s the best part.

Rating: W W W 1/2