Korn

By the time Korn released Follow the Leader, their third album, they had already won the admiration and worship of pretty much every white teenage boy in America. Although on this album their formula begins to show through, the band manages to deliver it with enough gusto to keep things interesting.

Anger is not pretty or pleasant. It can turn violent, hurtful, even homicidal. But there are
times when just getting mad beats getting even, when that backlog of rage, resentment and
helplessness is something to be exorcised – channeled to a purifying extreme that leaves
you feeling scrubbed raw and new. And Korn know where that's at. In Follow the Leader,
vocalist Jonathan Davis, bassist Reggie "Fieldy" Arvizu, guitarists James "Munky" S... More >

Korn deny they're metal; that's Judas Priest, all four-four pomp and guitar solos. But they nevertheless demonstrate that the essence of metal--an expressive mode it sometimes seems will be with us for as long as ordinary whiteboys fear girls, pity themselves, and are permitted to rage against a world they'll never beat--is self-obliterating volume and self-aggrandizing display. Now calling up death-metal's signature groan to prove only to prove he's authentic, poor not-actually-abused Jonathan Davis raps, recites, scats, and sings dull tunes landscaped with eerie licks, odd bridges, and a hyperactive rhythm section. How much his fans identify with "My Gift to You" ("I kiss your lifeless skin"), "Cameltosis" ("You trick-ass slut"), or the tragic "Seed" ("Do I need this fame?") remains unclear. But I'm parent enough to hope they can find a more fully formed designated someone than a guy whose idea of transgressive art is netcasting soft-core s&m to any teenager with a logon. (Grade - C)