Korn
Path Of Totality
Roadrunner Records

Well, this one has caused a mighty stir in the metal scene. Not quite as much as the recent Lulu debacle but still, when Korn announced their new album would feature collaborations with the likes of rock media darling Skrillex, more than an eyebrow was raised in their direction.

So, with all the usual hoo-hah about Skrillex not being rock or whatever the fuck he is supposed to be, have Korn crossed the line with what is acceptable in terms of heavy music? Well, if you’re still thinking that after the angsty Get Up has smashed you in the face then you possibly need to chill out a bit. Of course it isn’t your stereotypical metal album and most heavy music fans can probably do without tracks like Sanctuary and My Wall in their collections but it’s hard to deny that the Skrillex butchered Narcissistic Cannibalistic is a serious tune. Our advice? If you’re a Korn fan, dig past the collobarations and you’ll find Jonathon Davies sounding angsty than ever on an experimental album meaning that, for the whole part, this is no different to other recent Korn album. Sure, it’s going to be difficult for your hardened metal fan to swallow and even some hardcore Korn fans may find Chaos Lives In Everything a bit too much of a shift in direction but with the last twelve months seeing some interesting new movers in the heavy music world, maybe Path Of Totality is just an indication of what the future holds for us?

At the end of the day, Korn have probably known all along the backlash they were going to get from their hardcore fanbase over this album. It’s an experiment which, on the whole, works well. Path Of Totality is a challenge to modern heavy music, it’s a challenge to the modern heavy music fan and, on the evidence of tracks like Get Up, we’re quite looking forward to 2012.

Buy this album from Amazon

Review by Graham Finney