KORN 'See You on the Other Side' (Virgin) RATING: 9/10 Buy now

By JEFF MAKI

By now everyone knows Korn so there's no need for any elaborate introduction. The band that started the nu-metal genre and ushered in tons of bands and numerous imitators has now cemented their place in rock history as far as I'm concerned. Korn has never been afraid to experiment and See You On The Other Side is the band's most experimental offering to date, even more so than Untouchables or the groundbreaking Follow The Leader. 

On this album an industrial influence is at the forefront and adds an entire new dimension to the sound. The band, now without guitarist Head who left to pursue his religious beliefs, doesn't rely as much now on the guitar sound but instead sounds like more of a complete band. Fieldy's slap bass playing only shows up on a couple of tracks. Instead, it's been replaced with more of a heavier fuzz sound, making the tracks stronger and tighter. There's definitely a very strong The Downward Spiral influence on more than a few tracks, particularly "Throw Me Away," which sounds like it could've easily been on that album. The same could be said for "Open Up" and "Seen It All." The best tracks play out when the band combines their old sound with the new industrial tinges. The lead single, "Twisted Transistor" did not really impress me much at first, but after several listens it has grown on me and flows with the rest of the album nicely. "Politics" and "Hypocrites" are excellent, combining styles making for two of the heaviest tracks the album has to offer. "Love Song" starts off slow but if you give it a chance, you'll uncover an eerie ballad laced with cool percussion, one of the best of the album. "Coming Undone" has a "We Will Rock You" beat and is heavy enough to satisfy Korn fans, but could also be a new track to play at your next party. This track is probably the most hip-hop influenced on the album. The mix and variety is good although towards the middle of the record it seems to slow down quite a bit only to pick back up just in time.

Lyrically Jonathan Davis has shifted his ideas and topics to more of what's going on in his life and in the world right now. There's no more songs about his childhood or troubled past and you don't hear much of any whining or whimpering as on past efforts. I felt this was somewhat overdue because there's only so much one can take before it grows tiring. But overall the lyrics are intelligent and catchy and fit the songs well.

Take A Look In The Mirror seemed to try and bring back the band's original sound and I feel that it didn't really fair very well in the long run. With See You On the Other Side Korn once again prove that without a doubt they still belong in the scene and they still have many surprises left. Look for this album to be a solid hit among Korn fans and it should bring in new listeners as well. I was pleasantly surprised with this release and I think many others will be as well.