Korn - The Serenity of Suffering (2016)

Ever since Brian "Head" Welch got back into nu-metal legends Korn, the band has been on a seemingly never ending path towards their glory days, regressing their music back to the 90's, while still holding a toe or two in the present. Their latest album, "The Paradigm Shift", was a cool little experience that dragged the band out of the mud, and into the shower. It certainly got my hopes up that the band would get into their second wind, releasing a bunch of great records.

The first signs definitely pointed towards the positive. When "The Serenity of Suffering" was announced, one could instantly recognize the nostalgia of the cover art, taking us back to the album "Issues", in which it borrows elements from. Like that was not enough, the first two tracks from the album, "Insane" and "Rotting In Vain", have tons of familiar Korn elements in them. We have to voodoo beat boxing, the crunchy and groovy riffs, and that mental feeling that the band nails so good when they are at their best. Both tracks are great, and opens up the album perfectly.

However, you could just as well just listen to those two tracks, because the rest of the album is more or less the same music being repeated over and over again. It is of high quality, but close to all songs have the same tone, sound, structure, and theme, so it is extremely easy to get lost, not knowing which song you are listening to. This makes "The Serenity of Suffering" a very dense album, one that feels much longer than its relatively short 40 minute play time. For a die hard Korn fan, that might actually be an advantage, but to me, it just feels like a chore.

There are though several small details that do make some songs more manageable, and more enjoyable. We got a small guest appearance from Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour) in "A Different World" where he contributes with his own creepy vibe and some emotional screaming. Then we have "Everything Falls Apart", a song that is not driven by the riffs or a groove, instead it is the whole picture that drives the song forward, creating a cool mood that bursts out into a very repetitive, but effective, chorus. A very interesting song that truly stands out. Or how about "Next In Line", that contains one of the more melodic choruses that I have heard from the band in some time, mixed with some classic Korn breakdown goodness of course. It is weird at first, but it tickles your nerves just about right, forcing a smile onto your face.

While it does not have the same versatility as "The Paradigm Shift", "The Serenity of Suffering" is still another proof that the return of Head and the old school sound is still going strong with this band. It is a very dense record to get through, but the quality is there, and that is honestly good enough for me. The band is doing their thing, and they are doing it well. Now, I do need to see some more diversity in the next album, but until then, I am gonna enjoy the best tracks, because they do bring me serenity.

Songs worthy of recognition: Everything Falls Apart, Insane, Next In Line

Rating: 7/10 Different Worlds

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More reviews of Korn
The Paradigm Shift

Korn - The Paradigm Shift (2013)

The American Nu-metal band Korn has gone through some drastic changes these last couple of years. Their latest album, "The Path of Totality", was a weird experiment that can only be described as the birth of dub-metal. And after that, the band was re-united with the original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch. So the questions about Korn's 11th studio release, "The Paradigm Shift" were many. Could "Head" bring the band back to its glory days? Was the dub-metal experiment a one time thing? Would I see the South Park version of the band before my eyes when the songs starts playing?

First off, Let me ease your minds with the fact that there is no sign of dub-step in this album (well, maybe a little on "Never Never"). With the entrance of "Head" has come a more classic Korn sound that may not have the same mystical touch like back in the days, but it still feels fresh and interesting. Several details are very interesting, like the catchy riffs, the passionate drumming and Jonathan Davis's fine vocal work.

Cause it is the small things that makes "The Paradigm Shift" a good album, not the whole experience. There are 11 songs in this album, but none of them are really surprising nor really impressive. I like the more aggressive songs like "Prey For Me", "Punishment Time" and "Love & Meth", and some of the melodic melodies ("Spike In My Veins" and "Mass Hysteria") are nice, but they are not strong enough to make "The Paradigm Shift" a complete winner. It is obvious that the band have found a new strength during the last years and the performance is more or less flawless, but when a album is mixing between good songs that both the band and fans can be proud of with boring and pointless fillers like "Never Never" and "It's All Wrong", it is impossible to fully appreciate all the hard work that the band has spent to make this record happen.

I can however still confidently say that this is the best album by Korn in some time. It is obvious that Brian's return has helped the band in the right direction and if this form is continuing like this, then I would not be surprised if the next album will not only be better, it also could potentially be a future classic. "The Paradigm Shift" will probably not be remembered as the highlight of Korn's career, but it is still a album that has some really neat quality in it.

Songs worthy of recognition: Prey For Me, Love & Meth, Punishment Time

Rating: 7,5/10 Spikes In My Veins