Korn – The Nothing (Album Review)

23 SHARES Share Tweet

Korn fans sat tight all summer long and finally the wait is over! Korn are ready to drop their brand spanking new album, The Nothing, on Friday, September 13, 2019 on Roadrunner Records.

The perfect Friday the 13th treat, in late June, Korn dropped a bomb confirming the fall release of a brand new LP to follow their summer co-headlining tour with Alice In Chains. While the monster summer tour held fans over well, everyone knows there is NOTHING better than new music by your favorite band. To get something on The Nothing, the back story of this new material from Korn was best described by Vocalist Jonathan Davis back in June. In so many words, Davis explained the underlying aura of The Nothing covers the existence of good and evil which, as an invisible spirit of sorts, overshadows and controls all of us whether we like it or not.

As any hardcore fan will tell you, arguably the best thing about Korn’s music is the emotional content imbedded in the lyrics each and every time pen meets pad. One of the most beloved bands ever, Korn’s overall raw emotion and dark as night melodies have gripped the hearts of fans for the last twenty-five years. With this in mind, it is imperative to note The Nothing is Korn’s first new music since the tragic loss of Davis’ wife Deven, who passed away in August of 2018. At times, following a tragic event, many fans are interested in seeing how, if at all, an artist’s first new material will address their emotions via the music.

That being said, The Nothing will arrive as the follow-up to Korn’s 2016 release, The Serenity of Suffering. Back for more, The Nothing is a thirteen track collection produced by veteran Producer Nick Raskulinecz (Stone Sour, Ghost, Deftones) for his second straight run with Korn. At heart, The Nothing tackles a balance between Davis’ previously noted depiction and his loss surrounded by Korn’s gritty Metal grooves. In the perfect opening piece, The Nothing is unveiled by the opening intro, “The End Begins.” In signature form, bagpipes followed by the thump thump of drums and bass provide an intriguing start which longtime Korn fans will love. Following this piece of nostalgia, Korn hand over the two singles that introduced The Nothing this past summer. First, the second single, “Cold” sees deliciously heavy hooks and Davis’ endearing growl lead a track that spans all generations of Korn’s style. After that, the fiending first single, “You’ll Never Find Me” might just be the best song on The Nothing.

Later, the profound lyrics of “Can You Hear Me” will strike a chord with anyone who has lost someone (“While my heart keeps holding on, You know I’ll never be the same again”). Going deeper, Davis openly expresses himself on the candid “This Loss” and feelings of unnecessary guilt are poured over on “Surrender To Failure.” Feeling like a Korn album, fans will indulge in tracks like the groove minded “Idiosyncrasy” which will make you think, a dynamic “The Darkness is Revealing,” the breakthrough song “Finally Free,” and those demons come creeping in on “[email protected]”

One of the most anticipated Metal albums of 2019, Korn comes out swinging on The Nothing. Primarily, The Nothing can be viewed in two parts with the original premise of good and evil playing us humans like puppets while some of the most emotional content Korn has put out in years shines through. Overall, die-hard fans will be happy to hear Korn’s signature vibe rock out on The Nothing in a realm somewhere between 2013’s The Paradigm Shift and The Serenity of Suffering with the emotive touch of Issues. Worth the wait, Cryptic Rock awards The Nothing 4 out of 5 stars.

Purchase The Nothing :

Products from Amazon.com ‹ ›