Seeing as I touched on Skrillex a few articles ago, and am on a major dubstep kick right now, I thought it appropriate to talk about an album that I haven’t been able to stop listening to – The Path of Totality by Korn.
I’ve been a fan of Korn ever since their 1996 album Life is Peachy. Their low, crunchy bass lines, coupled with unrelenting drums, disturbing guitar riffs, and Jonathan Davis’ signature vocals have combined to paint a soundtrack to various points in my life over the years. I can damn near listen to any given Korn track and remember what was going on in my life when I first heard it. It’s not that I’m that in love with the band, mind you (although though they do kick 10 types of butt). It’s just that their sound is so different, so genuine, so uniquely Korn.
The Path of Totality was released back in December and marks Korn’s 10th studio album since the group’s formation in 1993. The album features dubsetp producers Kill the Noise, Excision, Flinch, Noisia, 12th Planet, Feed Me, Datsik, Downlink, J Devil, and Skrillex in a collaborative effort which sees Korn’s own blend of metal infused with the electronic mayhem of dubstep.
“I want to create art that’s different and not conform to what’s going on. We didn’t make a dubstep album. We made a Korn album.”
- Jonathan Davis
Spot on. All of the tracks, although each of them carries with them the personality of their various producers, contain that trademark Korn sound. The Path of Totality brings a variety of emotions into the fold. Whereas most previous Korn albums were very dark and morose, the band’s latest offering brings with it some fresh air. Some tracks are so upbeat, it’s almost accurate to call them “happy”. By far, my favorite tracks are the ones that are traditional Korn – dark and stormy like “Way Too Far”, or violent and loud like their single “Get Up!” (warning: naughty language).
If you’re a fan of nu metal, dubstep, or just Korn in general, you should already own this album. If not, then you’re doing yourself a disservice.
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