Save Me from Myself is the solo
debut of former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch.
Everyone should know the story by now. Head quit Korn to pursue
a life of religion, spend time with his daughter and, most
importantly, free himself of his deadly drug addiction. The
album works as a companion with his best-selling autobiography
of the same name.
I, like so many others, had my doubts when Head first left
Korn. “Was this a joke? What in the hell is he thinking?
He's gone mad.” But soon after I finished reading his
book, my opinion changed. Here's an honest guy who finally
decided what was right for his life and the path that he wanted
it to take. And as ridiculous as it may sound, Head believes
God told him he was going to die if he continued living the
way he did. All of this and more are reflected in the album's
lyrics. From his personal battles with addiction (“Home,”
“Save Me from Myself,” “Flush”), to
his separation with Korn (“Loyalty,” on which
he takes a few light shots at his former band here), to social
issues like child abuse (“Re-Bel”) and religion
(“Die Religion Die”), all the bases are covered.
Head's lyrics are straightforward, often sounding so literal
that you sometimes get the impression that they were penned
by a fourth grader. At first this is a little discouraging,
but after thinking about it, isn't that the running theme
for the first two Korn albums? This just shows Head was one
of the main creative forces behind Korn. The songs are mostly
slow to mid-tempo, but memorable and exhilarating. Standouts
include “Re-Bel,” which features an eerie
children's chorus; the first single “Flush;” the
melodic “Home” (my pick for next single); and
the triumphant nine-minute closer “Washed by Blood.”
Musically, Head is a badass guitarist. You're not going to
hear any soloing, but what you get is a massive wall of downtuned
drone echoing from his signature seven-string, accompanied
by odd sounds and cool effects. Layered synths back him, giving
the album a gothic, religious vibe. Vocally, Head is strong.
He emulates his favorite singers, such as Korn's Jonathan
Davis and Deftones' Chino Moreno, but has added his own
style of screaming, whispering and crooning. The end results
make you wonder why Head didn't perform more vocals with Korn.
(He is only credited with lead vocals on the cover of "Lowrider"
and backing vocals on all albums) This may sound strange,
but I'll throw it out there: at times, Head's soft vocals
and his loud drudging guitar fuzz remind me of lighter material
on Bloody Kisses-era Type O Negative. Save Me
from Myself also features renowned musicians Tony Levin
(Peter Gabriel, David Bowie) and Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle,
Nine Inch Nails).
As far as the religion thing goes, Head does not shove anything
down our throats. Sure, there are references to God in a few
songs and the song “Adonai” is direct tribute
to his new faith. (The name Adonai translates as “Lord”
and appears many times in the Old Testament.) If anything,
his new religious path makes everything more interesting,
adding a whole new element.
Fans couldn't have asked for a better debut from Head. I think
a lot of people are in for a nice surprise with this one.
Sure, he will continue to be mocked for finding spirituality,
but all kidding aside, Brian “Head” Welch is an
amazing musician and a talented songwriter, guitarist
and vocalist. On Save Me from Myself, his talents shine
brightly like a heavenly light. |
