Korn has promised a change in the sound of their music, and with the release of See You on the Other Side, they have delivered. Like it or not, bands evolve, instrumentally, and vocally.
Ever since the release of Follow the Leader in 1998, we've heard the instrumental growth of Korn, while the vocals were still riveting and sick. Songs like Freak on a Leash, Justin, and Dead Bodies Everywhere, just to name a few off of the album, were unlike anything we had heard from Korn, and remain originally untouched by the band.
With the release of Issues in 1999, I noticed a change in how heavy and dark sounding the guitars had become. What we didnt hear was much of Fieldy's unique use of his trademark 5-string K5. The drumming somewhat lacked its appeal, losing its discinct acoustic style, which Silveria had made so popular. Jonathan came through on this album with some very gut-wrenching lyrics and superior sound. This album was a dramatic change from their self-titled release, Korn, showing that Korn's sound was already steering us into a different direction.
I wasn't inspired by Untouchables, which was released in 2002. It seems like Korn with this album were trying to find themselves within a heavier sound. Tracks like Here to Stay, Thoughtless and Alone I Break really showed the band's transition. That's not including their hidden track, song No. 15 on the album, the remix of Here to Stay, which makes you want to bob your head. This shows us even more the urge that Korn wanted to change.
After listening to their 2003 release, Take a Look in the Mirror, one could sense that Korn had become confused in the sound they wanted to produce. It was a very off-beat album, for example it seemed songs 1 through 13 were all experimental disasters, as if tracks to slap on the album to complete it.
Their latest release, See You on the Other Side, was quite surprising. Tracks like Throw Me Away, Love Song, Open Up, and Tear Jerker hardly seemed like the Korn we'd all grown accustomed to. Ever since their work with the Queen of the Damned Soundtrack, it is as if Jonathan Davis has been trying to grasp a certain sound that the movie portrayed, and run with it. This album is exactly what Korn promised us, and the band was true to their statements that this was a real change in their sound. I'm very fond of the new sound, the tracks listed above I felt to be refreshing. The tracks I didn't connect with, disagree with me or not, were Liar, For No One, Getting Off, and Seen It All. The songs were too repetitive, and a little bit thrown-together. I actually liked the idea of the new sound and disliked the T.A.L.I.T.M clones on the album. All in all, See You on the Other Side is a drastic change from their self-titled release album, Korn, but is still a very solid album.
Since their self-titled release, Korn has shown us progression in their music. Korn threw us a pitch with some of their earlier releases, and have established themselves with their ever-changing sound. If the new sound of See You on the Other Side has marred the image of a once hard-hitting Korn, it's time to go back into your CD case and get out their older albums, because this just may be the face of a new Korn.