There can be no doubt of Korn's influence on the nu-metal music scene today. Korn, which was merged from two separate bands back in 1993, essentially created the nu-metal genre as we know it. Being a fan of said genre, it's interesting that the thought of ever buying a Korn CD has never really crossed my mind. I've always thought of them as "too heavy" like such other thrashy acts as Slipknot or Slayer, neither of which will garner much acclaim from this reviewer. However, despite this album's rather mediocre sales, I was intrigued by what the "forefathers" of nu-metal had to offer. Given the fact that my CD collection hadn't received a new addition in some time, I figured what the hell, I probably could do much worse, like subjecting myself to the new Britney Spears disc, or worse yet, Nickelback. "Take a Look in the Mirror" has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's a wall-to-wall thrash fest from start to finish, one which is creative and engaging enough to warrant a purchase.

There were many surprises about this album, besides the fact that it's one of the better metal albums to come along this year. In 2002, Korn released "Untouchables", and in a time span of less than two years they've already put out another album, no small feat considering the time it takes to write and record an album. This could be have been trouble, but ended up being a smart move, as the album is pleasure to listen to on a number of different levels. The musicianship is excellent, in that each member of the band has a moment to shine. Much of the credit should go to vocalist Jonathan Davis, whose grim lyrics stem from early childhood sexual abuse. Davis also possesses one of the more unique voices in metal music, that is, when he isn't barking out the lyrics like a venting madman. What it all adds up to is a stylish, hardcore album that blends furious guitars and Davis' guttural vocals for a truly dark and consistent record that shouldn't be overlooked because of its heaviness.

1) Right Now (3: 10)

- The album wastes no time familiarizing itself with Korn's typically brutal sound. "Right Now" is set-up by a wickedly entertaining guitar hook, joined soon after by David Silveria on the drums and the rest of the band charges in, establishing the heaviness that will be the album's trademark. Out of the album's thirteen tracks, "Right Now" is easily the best, led by Davis' raging vocals as he bellows "Can't find a way to get across the hate when I see you/ I feel it scratch inside I want to slash and beat you". Not exactly music for happy times, but then again, happiness has never been Korn's strong point. Apparently, this was one of the album's singles, though it's interesting choice, because the last third contains a plethora of profanity to the tune of "I can't control myself/ I f*ucking hate you!". Don't take this to mean that the lyrics are ridiculous just because Davis is swearing his head off, the music itself is extremely energetic and Davis gives a credible performance, hence my high rating.

Grade: 9/10

2) Break Some Off (2: 35)

- The second song, the album's shortest cut, rips open with Silveria's smoking drum pattern, giving way to an oozing bass line before Davis breaks in. He alternates effectively between a light, Goth-like voice and his more common vocal chord-shredding scream. Brian Welch and James "Munky" Shaffer combine forces for a sizzling guitar combo, but Silveria's the real star here. He's absolutely terrific on the drums, pounding incessantly behind Davis' somber lyrics, "I'm about to break some f*cking off/ Going to lose my mind". The problem here is that at just over two and a half minutes, the song doesn't get much time to go anywhere, and the lyrics get repetitive and stale near the end. Good performances can't cover up what feels to me like an incomplete song, but still a fairly solid one at that.

Grade: 7/10

3) Counting on Me (4: 49)

- Up next, the album's longest effort, the downright creepy "Counting on Me". Davis goes back to the same style of vocals he used on the hit single "Falling Away From Me" from 1999's "Issues". In the number three slot, which is typically reserved for an album's better moments, Korn delivers a roller coaster of a song that switches gears from soft to heavy in a split-second. The opening guitar hook is almost as catchy as that of "Right Now", and Reggie Fieldy, the band's bassist, serves up a wonderfully meaty low bass sound. The fading guitar rhythm at the very end definitely creates a haunting, uneasy feeling that matches Davis' malevolent lyrics. This track is not to be missed, one of the album's best.

Grade: 8/10

4) Here It Comes Again (3: 34)

- A soft opening guitar line last all of fifteen seconds, before a thick bass and crunching guitars kick in. Davis follows the same formula of the previous track, using the Deftones' loud/soft dynamic to great effect. At the 2: 07 mark there's an eerie segment where Davis sings delicately "Oh I must hold on/ Oh I won't be gone/ Oh I won't stop now/ Oh I don't know how". While it's not quite as original as the songs that came before it, "Here It Comes Again" it's still another quality track that features impressively heavy sections followed by soft, almost mesmerizing verses. Like most of the material on this disc, the song deals with someone fighting to pull through in life, certainly not an uncommon theme for a Korn song.

Grade: 7/10

5) Deep Inside (2: 46)

- Another awesome guitar hook gets the fifth track, "Deep Inside", off to a great start. Though initially it sounds like every other Korn song on the album, with its heavy power chords and smashing drum patterns, there's an interesting twist about a minute twenty-five seconds in. The guitars fade out; leaving Davis to show off what a great voice he has as he cries, "What am I doing/ I can't believe this/ I have been hiding/ Wanting to be less". He is backed by rising background vocals, giving a nicely spine-tingling effect. This unexpected segment then charges right into Davis' most punishing scream on the whole album, and the pace quickens once more. Though it needed to be longer for a higher rating, what we're left with is a brief, but highly inventive and engaging track.

Grade: 8/10

6) Did My Time (4: 04)

- A mixed back guitar rhythm begins "Did My time"; the album's lead single. Slowly building into Davis' introduction, this song has a nice foot stomping beat to it, and Davis' vocals are among the album's most prolific. The lyrics are equally up to the task, such as my favorite part when Davis shouts, "I am the one who chose my path/ I am the one who couldn't last/ I feel the life pulled from me". Much like "Deep Inside", around two minutes and change in, the song relents a little and leads into another classic Davis scream. A superb bridge carries the song back into the chorus, leading to the ferocious conclusion as Davis hollers, "I feel the anger changing me!". The formula may be simple, but Korn has proved they have mastered it, so songs like this one don't feel as repetitive as they might with a less-skilled band.

Grade: 8/10

7) Everything I've Known (3: 35)

- Speaking of formulas, "Everything I've Known" falls into what has become the band's standard procedure with a gentle guitar hook, joined soon thereafter by the other performers. By track seven, "Take a Look in the Mirror" is firing on all cylinders. I'm really happy to see Korn continue the string of solid tracks, as most artists tend to put their CD’s on autopilot after track six. This song is somewhat quieter than the rocking numbers around it, featuring more self-pity lyrics and a couple soft interludes along the way. Davis again talks about his pain in the lines, "I know feels like I lost everything that I've known/ I cannot survive alone". Overall, this track seems to be neither a highlight nor a lowlight on the album, just another groovy, guitar driven song that is noticeable due to its softer approach.

Grade: 7/10

8) Play Me (3: 21)

- "Play Me" is Korn's attempt at experimentation, bringing in Nas for a rap/rock song that honestly, is a lot better than I ever expected. Given my utter disdain for most rap music (save for the song Rapper's Delight, which is a classic), I cringed as I hit the play button, fearing the worse. I mean, seriously, Korn's music and rap are almost parallel opposites, but even so, "Play Me" isn't half bad for what it is. Nas fires out of the gate with the lines "Everybody's an Enemy/ Telling me lies and it's killing me/ Why they all wanna get rid of me?". Korn really takes the backseat here, but they still have some heavy music to back up Nas' verses. It's not until nearly two minutes in that Davis shows up (briefly) with his soft chanting before he finally breaks out and barks out the lyrics like we know he can do. Nas wraps it up with the chorus, concluding one of the album's biggest stunners in fine fashion.

Grade: 6/10

9) Alive (4: 30)

- A grungy guitar lick and thundering drums open the ninth track, "Alive". Once again, Davis digs deep into his troubled childhood for the source of the lyrics. "Alive" features what is undoubtedly the album's most agonizing and heartfelt chorus:

"I am alive/ I will never run away
Places inside/ My heart screams inside with pride
Once I cried/ Now I wipe away the tears
Once I died/ Now I'm alive"

Welch and Shaffer are again in top form, with their thick guitar riffs bouncing off each other, but Davis' lyrics and his gripping performance are why this track succeeds. With each word he speaks, his pain is evident, which only further enhances his cheerless but exceptional story.

Grade: 8/10

10) Let's Do This Now (3: 18)

- Korn changes things up for the intro to "Let's Do This Now", utilizing bagpipes instead of the obligatory guitar hook. However, the song quickly goes back to the more archetypal Korn structure of raging vocals and churning power chords. The chorus is great, featuring the delightfully sadistic lines, "Break you now/ Mercy, I cannot allow/ Do your face, My fist go pow/ Watching as your blood pours down/ Lets do this now". However, everything else seems to be a bit lacking. Davis' voice is very distorted, but it lacks his usual menacing presence and the constant screaming doesn't pack the same punch as songs like "Deep Inside". The guitar playing gets the job done, but is nothing to write home about. A decent, but in the end, skippable number.

Grade: 5/10

11) I’m Done (3: 23)

- A echoing guitar line commences “I’m Done”, the song I felt should have been the album’s closer, because it is considerably much strong lyrically and musically than “When Will This End”. The lyrics are solid as ever, as Davis yells, “We wait, we hate/ We try to get away/ Mistake my pain/ It has been lead astray/ I'm Looking around, I drop to the ground/ Why does it have to end this way”. It may sound like a broken record by now, but at exactly two minutes in, the band switches the tempo to a much more relaxed pace and Davis actually sings, rather than his usual shouting. The final thrashing finish of ripping power chords brings an end to an admirable track this far into the album.

Grade: 8/10

12) Y'All Want A Single (3: 16)

- Korn takes a much-needed break from singing about pain and sorrow, and decides to take a few shots at their label and the music industry as a whole. Davis is of course referring to the pressure many labels put on artists today to create a likeable, radio-ready single to promote the album. Korn, never being fans of radio-friendly music, are basically telling their label to shove it. The profanity is back in full force, as the f-word occupies practically 50% of the lyrics. Davis endlessly repeats the title line "Y'all want a single say f*ck that!" in a variety of high to growling voices, but the lyrics as a whole are bland and silly. The music isn't imaginative either, the guitars are monotonous and Silveria's drums merely exist as background noise. This is a prime candidate for your skip button, a button that's barely been needed up to this point.

Grade: 4/10

13) When Will This End (3: 39) / One (4: 23)

- The full band comes barreling in the closer "When Will This End". Davis again deserves major kudos for a fine vocal performance, and though I felt the guitars were mixed a bit to far back during the chorus, Davis has shown on many tracks that he and Korn are capable at producing their own album. The theme is not surprisingly, suffering and Davis wishing for it to end. The rising chorus is the standout part, with the lines "I can't seem to get away/ I feel I'm here so you can play/ With my head/ There's nothing I can say/ I keep feeling like I'm to blame/ When will this end?". A solid closing track, though I have a preference for a faster song to wrap up an album.

Grade: 6/10

Luckily, the album doesn't technically finish there. If you watched MTV's Icon show for Metallica, then you'll know that Korn performed an abbreviated rendering of "One" live, and they chose to stick it on this album as a hidden track. By now I'll assumed everyone reading this review is familiar with this Metallica masterpiece, so I'll spare you the details of the real version of the song. Korn's version is a capable effort, the electric guitars sound excellent, and Davis lends some solid vocals. Silveria's drumming to wrap up the song ends "Take a Look in the Mirror" on a high note.

Grade: 7/10

To sum up, my initially skeptical outlook on a Korn album was blown away by what has been one of the more consistently entertaining CD's I own. Davis and company have created a wonderfully uncanny album full of memorable guitar hooks, echoing bass lines, and hard-hitting drum patterns. I would highly recommend, "Take a Look in the Mirror" to any fan of System of a Down or Godsmack. The bottom line is that Korn have again breathed life into a tried and true formula without compromising the heaviness and aggressiveness that made them famous.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Romancing