Korn

Tearing apart Korn is as difficult as picking on a fat kid: they’re both obvious targets. However, we’ll disregard their many trials and tribulations with members, successors and stagnancy. This second eponymous album (their eighth overall) strives to keep the dying flame alive. The songs overlay Korn’s traditional rhythmic style with moderately new, yet predictable, synthesisers and a poppy flow. No, it doesn’t sound vastly different from what they’ve been up to over the past few albums and Korn aren’t as aggressive, progressive or impressive as they were 15 years ago. We know that. There are plenty of arguments for them hanging up their seven-string (formerly plural but they’re down an axe-slinger) but who can fault them for flogging a dead horse? When was the last time you quit your job because of a less than productive year? Despite the jabs and hoopla, nothing has really changed. Current Korn fans will find enough caterwauling and whining to appease their inner-pre-teen and the bass-heavy breakdowns are still present. Besides, older fans gave up after Follow The Leader.