Review: Korn 'The Nothing'

Pain, suffering, and disdain have been a constant since the inception of heavy music. Those emotions

have never been more apparent than within the catalog of alternative metal juggernauts Korn. While the

5-piece from Bakersfield have always been very open about their negative experiences in life, this record

finds them more focused than they’ve been in over a decade.

The Nothing is the 13th release from this band in a quarter of a decade. Korn has always been volatile

and ferocious. Saying that a record from them is “angry” or “aggressive” should go without saying... but,

this new record is dark. It is the band’s most emotionally heavy record since their debut some 25 years

ago. Much like Slipknot, who I’ve reviewed previously, this band has been through a lot in the past

decade. From drug addiction to line up changes and most recently, the passing of singer Jonathan Davis’

wife. The culmination of all of this is an exploratory effort lined with heartbreak and helplessness.

One would think that this record would be sad, and remorseful, but that isn’t the case. In the past,

whenever Davis crooned, he always seemed like he was in a panic, but this time it’s different. The singer

is focused. He is doomed, but not hopeless. Hurt, but graceful. These 13 songs serve as redemption, and

as a message to keep fighting through all of the pain and turmoil.

In 2016, the band returned to form with the release of The Serenity of Suffering; a true homecoming to

their iconic sounds of the mid-90’s. With The Nothing, they’ve rediscovered the lunacy and madness of

their early releases, but have also fine tuned every aspect of their signature sound. All of the tracks on

this record are equal parts diverse and aggressive. Musically, this record would fit right in with their early

2000’s record Issues and Take A Look In The Mirror, but with a more mature, introspective lyrical

theme. There are quiet, “proggy” moments, as well as sounds full of that signature Korn “bite”. The band

are firing on every cylinder they have left.

The record opens with a quintessential bagpipe intro mixed with the piercing guitars and tribal drums that

fans of the band have come to love. This is all accompanied by a Johnathan Davis openly sobbing into

the microphone while screaming “Why?!”. This opening track, ‘The End Begins’, is a perfect greeting from

a band in the midst of anguish.

The lead single from the record, ‘You’ll Never Find Me’ is a phenomenal example of this record being

jam-packed with cocky attitude, pounding rhythms, and catchy-as-hell choruses.

For me, the second half of this record falls short of the first. There are a few stripped-down, more

experimental tracks that would be better suited for Davis’ solo project. I 100% appreciate creativity and

the choice to experiment, but with such a strong opening, the rest of the record fails to hold that

aforementioned momentum. Aside from the trance-like anthem ‘Can You Hear Me’, which captures the

feeling of loss perfectly, the “slow-burn” of the backside of this record is ordinary at best.

With this record, much like life, memorable moments aren’t possible without the negative moments.

There’s is no “good” without “bad”. This record isn’t simply a dialogue on the recent hardships in Davis’

life. It is more of a display of the strength of this band; the ability to harness the darkest and most difficult

moments of life, and respond with an unrelenting, unwavering attack on a journey towards vindication.

Time seems to be cyclical, as there has been a resurgence of alternative metal, or “nu-metal” as of late,

with the recent returns of Slipknot, Tool, and Deftones. For lack of a better pun, Korn is “Here To Stay”.

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