Review Summary: A definite return to their roots, but it still doesn’t change the fact that they are running out of ideas. Fast.
In many instances, a return to form can be a grand thing. The whole point of a return to form is to go back to the basics of course. To go back to the place where it all began, to what defined it all. For the now famous nu metal band Korn, a return to form means a lot of things. It means a departure from experimentation (which was so apparent on See You On The Other Side and Untitled), it means the return of Ross Robinson (who produced their best work in the early 90’s), and it means a return to the raw sound they once had on their 1994 debut. Now, they tried this before, as some might remember; on 2003’s Take A Look In The Mirror, but the record was a mixed bag and a lot of it sounded forced as if they were trying way too hard to be heavy. On Remember Who You Are, these elements are gone and are replaced with a fresh approach which ultimately results in a much better record which harkens back to their early work.
As we all well know, a huge part of what made Korn so big in the 90’s and what got them on the map in the first place was Ross Robinson. The man found them and helped create the nu metal era of the 90’s, which Korn spearheaded. For the first time in 14 years, the band has brought him back as producer. This can be seen as a good and bad thing – those who appreciated the bands experimentation will be disappointed, while others who loved their earlier work will be extremely satisfied. Robinson pushed the band to their limits on their debut, and on this record he took the band and stripped them down to nothing but old equipment. Gone are the keyboards, the industrial influences, the layered vocals, and everything else Korn have been using on recent recordings. Instead, the result is a gritty, raw nu metal album recorded in a small room as a 4 piece band on tape with no Pro Tools.
Vocalist Jonathan Davis has always been unique, even though he is hit-or-miss. On Remember Who You Are, Robinson once again takes him and breaks him down to create a memorable vocal performance. We all know that on the earlier Korn albums he sounded convincing and emotional and was tolerable, but on later albums his lyrical content got old fast and he ran out of things to talk about, and his vocals became more processed and didn’t have any emotion within them. On this album, the lyrical content isn’t much different than past Korn albums, but that’s not the point; his vocals sound emotional again and it really pays off. His screams on songs like “Lead The Parade” and “Fear Is A Place To Live” haven’t sounded this good since the 90’s. His maniacal laughter on “Not Around” is downright chilling, and his performance on “Holding All These Lies” is possibly his best, with him sounding like he’s losing it and is finally broken down to the point of crying by the end of the track as the album fades out with his sobbing. Surely it hasn’t felt this real since the first 2 records.
Munky and Fieldy also put in their 2 cents with this record, combining well with new drummer Ray Luzier. Munky’s riffing has gotten better, and he’s successfully managed to incorporate some new twists into his nu metal riffing. The riffs are heavy, but there is also a neat flavor to them and the clean passages are eerie and set the mood for Jonathan’s vocals. He also uses the wah-wah effect in some songs like “Holding All These Lies” which compliments his riffing as well. Fieldy, known for his distinct (and sometimes annoying) bass playing, actually takes the back seat this time around. Munky and Ray form the backbone of the band now, while Fieldy just sits back and clicks away on his Ibanez while sometimes being nearly drowned out by Munky’s distorted guitar. His playing on “Are You Ready To Live?” is memorable though, as his deep bass lines add to the vocals and Munky’s guitar to form a creepy vibe in the songs verse. Ray Luzier proves to be a worthy replacement to David Silveria behind the kit, as his performance here proves to be memorable and precise. An experienced session drummer, the man was tortured by Robinson into recording the album with no click track, and given it is his first record with the band and the difficult conditions Robinson made him go through, he did a great job.
Part of why the earlier Korn records were so successful and why they lost their edge on later albums is partly because Robinson was absent. Sure, Head and David left the band, but they were already starting to go downhill before that. Ross pushed the band to create something unique at sometimes brutal conditions. During the sessions for Remember Who You Are, he tortured Ray Luzier and did anything to make him uncomfortable as Korn’s new drummer; he forced him to record with no click track and to combine with Jonathan’s vocals to create beats. He pushed Jonathan Davis to the limit by bringing out tormented memories from his past and forcing them out. He sat his wife down and made him record in front of her, he hung pictures up on the microphone of people who tormented Davis in his childhood, and he broke him down to the point where Davis fell into a depression in the months following the recording sessions. Even though a lot of it seems insane at first, it all contributes to the signature Korn sound and it’s something that was born in 1994 and has been largely absent for a long time now. Robinson knew this and on Remember Who You Are that sound is brought back into a new, somewhat rejuvenated state.
As Korn are a nu metal band and no nu metal band is without its faults, this album surely has its fair share of weaknesses. The members of the band might have added some cool new twists to their individual performances, but a lot is still lacking. For one, and of course as I mentioned earlier, Jonathan Davis is still a terrible lyricist. He is still rambling about the same subjects he did 14 years ago, just using different (and in some cases, the same) words. Normally this wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but after eight records it gets extremely tiring to listen to. Fieldy’s bass might still piss some people off even though it’s not as high in the mix here, and Munky is still not showing his true capabilities as a guitarist. Even though the whole point of this record is to go back to their roots, they still could have showed a little progression here and there. Ray Luzier proves to be the one that truly shines here, as he proves himself as a vital member to the band and the one who keeps everything moving along. Without him this album would probably be a joke.
So, in the end, Korn III manages to be a powerful return to form. Sure, they lost their way at some point in their career, but the band were helped by Ross Robinson in remembering who they were in the first place and were able to make another great record out of it. All of the experimentation may be gone, but the raw sound is back, and a lot of people were missing that feel. This type of thing should only be a one record deal though, and Korn have been running out of ideas fast, so it will be interesting to see where they go from here. For now though, we can enjoy a good record from them that we haven’t seen since the early 90’s.
