Metal Wani
  • NEWS
    • News
    • Tour
    • Festival Report
  • REVIEWS
    • Album Reviews
    • E.P. Reviews
    • DVD Reviews
  • LIVE COVERAGE
    • Concert Reviews
    • Festival Reviews
  • INTERVIEWS
  • GALLERY
  • EXCLUSIVE
  • STAFF
  • CONTACT
  • PRIVACY POLICY
Metal Wani
Metal Wani
  • NEWS
    • News
    • Tour
    • Festival Report
  • REVIEWS
    • Album Reviews
    • E.P. Reviews
    • DVD Reviews
  • LIVE COVERAGE
    • Concert Reviews
    • Festival Reviews
  • INTERVIEWS
  • GALLERY
  • EXCLUSIVE
  • Album Reviews

REVIEW: KORN – “Requiem”

  • January 19, 2022
  • Carl Rourke
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
0

With their eponymous debut album, Korn forever changed the face of heavy metal. Spearheading an entire sub-genre that would eventually become self-parodic. But Korn escaped the nu-metal implosion and have remained lords to the throne for legions of fans ever since. Over twenty-five years into an illustrious career, forty million albums sold worldwide, two Grammys and multiple world tours, everyone’s favourite freaks on a leash are let loose once more on their fourteenth studio album, ‘Requiem.’ Fuelled by a luxury Korn have not enjoyed since before most of their fan base was born: time. Time to experiment. Time to record using analog tape. Time to produce a record as tortured as it is hopeful.

A dystopian Los Angeles offered the ominous backdrop in which ‘Requiem’ was birthed. With forest fires illuminating the sky and crime rates on an upward trajectory, Korn cautiously migrated from their respective lockdowns into the studio. What came out is an introspective look at the men within, complemented by an extrospective narrative on the world that was falling apart outside their window. A world deserving of a requiem: a mass to honour the dead.

Despite the dejected view on the doorstep, ‘Requiem’ chooses to encourage survival as opposed to villainy or victimhood. Revealed in the albums leading track, “Start the Healing,” an unfettered exploration of what it means to be responsible for our own happiness. Ushered in by rhythmic stylings that echo “Coming Undone” from ‘See You on the Other Side’, “Start the Healing” is delightfully uncomfortable, offering a wide variety of vocal expressions and melodically melancholy riffing.

Korn have always thrived on extracting the darkness from their shadows and synthesising it into music. When they hit their stride, the result is harrowingly powerful. Standout tracks “Let the Dark do the Rest” and “Penance for Sorrow” find Korn at their contemporary creative best, with both songs crying out to be singles. Enormous, haunting anthems brought to life by choruses built for arenas, with performances by drummer, Ray Luzier, as dynamic as they are rooted in the bands core sound. Unfortunately, only half of the band’s rhythm section bring their best, with bassist, Fieldy, not having his finest hour, lacking his slap-scrape signature sound or anything that satisfies as a substitute. Recently announcing an indefinite sabbatical from the band to work through some personal struggles, Fieldy’s return to form is something we can all look forward to.

Throughout, ‘Requiem’ captures something of the refined brutality of ‘Untouchables,’ brought to life by guitarists James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch. The pair making for either a vicious duo, in tracks such as “Lost in the Grandeur” and the doom metal influenced “Hopeless and Beaten”, or offering a beacon of preternatural, twinkling melody in songs like “Disconnect.” In range and depth, vocalist Jonathan Davis still evokes emotions like no other. Closing track “Worst Is on Its Way” momentarily feels misplaced until Davis injects his trademark scatting, immortalised on 1998’s ‘Freak on A Leash’, paving the way for a chaotic finish.

‘Requiem’ may take a moment for fans to digest, marking a shift in the Korn narrative. Serving up an outpouring of vulnerability that doesn’t stew in the serenity of suffering. Instead, it looks for ways forward. Becoming a temple of mantras built to break the mould. An ode to the road less travelled. Making ‘Requiem’ a brave, bold, and extremely important album in the Korn oeuvre.

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Related Topics
  • Korn
Carl Rourke

Carl Rourke is a musician, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, music journalist and also Assistant Editor and UK/Ireland Region Head at Metal Wani. He studied journalism in Dublin and covers shows, DVD's, albums and interviews. Carl has toured extensively and was twice the recipient of an Irish Young Musicians Award. Carl divides his time between London, UK and Dublin, Ireland.

You May Also Like

View Post
  • Album Reviews

JAG PANZER – “The Hallowed” (Review)

  • Bruno Medeiros
  • May 31, 2023
View Post
  • Album Reviews

IMMORTAL – “War Against All” (Review)

  • Bruno Medeiros
  • May 14, 2023
View Post
  • Album Reviews

THE OCEAN – “Holocene” (Review)

  • Jonathon Rose
  • May 14, 2023
View Post
  • Album Reviews

MESMUR – “Chthonic” (Review)

  • Jonathon Rose
  • May 7, 2023
View Post
  • Album Reviews

VEIL OF MAYA – “[M]other” (Review)

  • Saif Shaikh
  • May 7, 2023
View Post
  • Album Reviews

ENFORCER – “Nostalgia” (Review)

  • Andrew Small
  • April 29, 2023

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending Posts

  • 1
    • News
    Lars Ulrich Says James Hetfield Is More Vulnerable Than People Think
    • June 4, 2023
    • Owais 'Vitek' Nabi
  • 2
    • News
    Gene Simmons on Final KISS Tour: “Have The Dignity And Pride To Know When It’s Time To Call It Quits”
    • June 4, 2023
    • Owais 'Vitek' Nabi
  • 3
    • News
    John Corabi on Public Fighting Between Mick Mars and Motley Crue: “It Was Inevitable”
    • June 4, 2023
    • Owais 'Vitek' Nabi
  • 4
    • News
    Brian Johnson Hints At New AC/DC Studio Album
    • June 4, 2023
    • Owais 'Vitek' Nabi
  • 5
    • News
    Roger Glover Says Ritchie Blackmore’s Ego Doomed Deep Purple’s Reunion
    • June 4, 2023
    • C

Latest Reviews

  • 1
    JAG PANZER – “The Hallowed” (Review)
  • 2
    IMMORTAL – “War Against All” (Review)
  • 3
    THE OCEAN – “Holocene” (Review)

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get the latest Rock & Metal news straight to your inbox!

About

Spreading Metal Globally Since 2012

Unique Readers Globally

Flag Counter
Copyright © 2023 - Metal Wani Pvt. Ltd. All Rights Reserved Lovingly Crafted by LUBUS

Input your search keywords and press Enter.