After spending recent years playing other genres including dubstep with Skrillex & Noisia (which is kinda cool – I love them both) and even country, the California style outfit, applied with the term to Adidas and eyeliner, have come with “The Serenity of Suffering” (Roadrunner Records). Nu-metal Gods, KORN return to the pit with their brutally heavy 12th studio album that makes a return to a more familiar sound.
The mood, the vibe, the smell, the sound, the bashed-up teddy bear artwork, takes me back through my school years. We are thirty-two years old but we still love our face-smashing breakdowns.
“KORN have made nothing more than a great groove metal record that stays true to the kind of sound we all know.”
Each song stands well on its own, they all follow the same classic pattern: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, heavy breakdown, chorus. This is the formula that KORN have followed (also LIMP BIZKIT, LINKIN PARK, DROWNING POOL etc.) throughout the years, and while it has never done them any harm. But, they still described as disco-metal boy band, funky weirdos, grunge goths, matrix-produced dance group, experimental dubstepers etc. No, It’s NU METAL b*tch!
From a musical and lyrical perspective, it is safe to say that “The Serenity Of Suffering” nearly rivals the first 4 albums terms of heaviness. Songs such as the opening track ‘Insane’, ‘Black Is The Soul’ and ‘Everything Falls Apart’ contain some of the most hell-inspired breakdowns that Korn has ever produced, while more interesting and thoughtful melodies with catchy chorus, feature on tracks ‘The Hating’ and ‘Please Come For Me’. ‘Rotting In Vain’ Jonathan Davies does a little of his Tasmanian Devil growl like he’s never done it before! Finally, Corey Taylor from Slipknot breaks up the sick carnival ride of “A Different World” with his golden voice which burns my brain-cells.
This album is melodically rich, has extra bass bombs, a massive hook and KORN have made nothing more than a great groove metal record that stays true to the kind of sound we all know.
Mr. Davis, the generation that had its ‘Issues’ has now grown up!