Korn will be celebrating their 25th year as a band this year (2019). On top of that, they are releasing their 13th studio album, The Nothing, in September. This band has been going non-stop for so many years. Throughout that time, they’ve amassed quite the catalog of songs. So many songs, that a lot of them didn’t make it to the albums and got used in other ways, whether it was soundtracks, b-sides, etc. I thought why not delve into some of Korn’s b-sides.
Sean Olson (from The Crow City of Angels Soundtrack):
Proud (from I Know What You Did Last Summer Soundtrack):
This Broken Soul (from Debut Album):
Kick The PA (from Spawn Soundtrack):
I Can Remember (from Follow The Leader):
Layla (from Debut Album):
Camel Song (From End Of Days Soundtrack):
Christmas Song (From Debut Album):
Haze (From “Untitled”):
Out Of You (from The Serenity Of Suffering):
Baby (From The Serenity Of Suffering):
Calling Me Too Soon (From The Serenity Of Suffering):
20 plus years as a band and now on your 12th album, where do you go from here? Well, Korn knew exactly what they wanted to do, and they succeeded. The Serenity of Suffering, Korn’s new album is a throwback of sorts to their heavy groove days, but on this album they added a more hooks, to really keep your attention. This album has the feel of Issues and Untouchables, but with a bit more hope. That’s right “hope,” a theme that was always a bit buried in their albums. The 11 songs on this album all fit and flow together, making this one of their most cohesive albums since Issues.
Starting off the album is “Insane,” a very classic sounding song with a great riff and a catchy chorus. This song is a great opener and introduction to the rest of the album. “Rotting In Vain,” is classic Korn at it’s finest, complete with Jonathan Davis bringing back his scat vocals. “Black Is The Soul,” is my favorite song on the album. This is a very Issues era sounding song, with lots of melody, and a bit of a different vocal approach from Jonathan. “The Hating” is a very moody song with a crunchy riff and a heavy breakdown. “A Different World” features Corey Taylor on guest vocals. This song is not bad, but it’s a little underwhelming. I personally expected more from this song. “Take Me” could have been on Untouchables. In fact the main riff seems to be directly ripped off from that album. “Everything Falls Apart” is another classic sounding song. “Die Yet Another Night” is a bit of a mediocre song. The riff is solid, but the song a whole isn’t quite up to par with the rest of the album. “Next In Line” is a great song on this album. It’s full of hooks and catchy, with solid verses and choruses. This is a big throwback song. Closing out the album is “Please Come For Me” a very Untouchables sounding song. The ending riff of this song is a great summation of this album.
The Serenity of Suffering is the album many Korn fans have been waiting for. The production by Nick Raskulinecz is top notch. It’s the best Korn has sounded since Issues. Nick was really able to capture the “Korn” sound. Drummer Ray Luzier finally sounds like he fits in the band. He’s a great drummer, but no other producer has been able to really get him to sound right, other than Nick. Fieldy’s bass actually comes through in a way that thumps like the first couple albums. Munky and Head haven’t sounded this good in a long time. And finally Jonathan Davis sounds great. He tries out new vocal techniques and it really pays off, especially on “Black Is The Soul.” All in all this is a really good album. I personally would like to see them incorporate more of these new songs into their set list, so the fans can really get the full effect.
As far back as their first album I’ve been a Korn fan. Over the years I’ve had mixed feelings about the albums they’ve released, being that they haven’t been that good. The last good “Album” they put out (in my opinion) was Issues. I always hoped that they would come back with a new album that lived up to how good their self titled debut and Issues were. Well I can happily say that it seems like Korn has really put in the work to release their first worthy album in a very long time. Based on the two songs they have released from the upcoming The Serenity Of Suffering, Korn is back!!!
I don’t know why but I’ve been in a mood lately to listen to Korn. Though I’ve mainly just listened to the first album. So I thought I’d rank all their albums since I’ve been on a Korn kick.
audioeclectica 