An intricate fusion of nu-metal and dubstep, Korn’s 10th studio album, The Path of Totality, was released Dec. 2 under the Roadrunner record label. Unfortunately, their attempt to assimilate themselves into the dubstep genre falls flat. Front- man Jonathan Davis describes this release as “groundbreaking” and the most inventive Korn album to date. This statement holds true to the self titled Korn released in 1994. But this new effort is just plain sad. It sounds more like a collaborative remix album that should have been tossed into the trashcan. Fortunately, dubstep fans will appreciate the collaborations with renowned artists Skrillex, Datsik, and Excision.
“Get Up!,” the first single released April 14, is the only track that truly sticks out. Skrillex’s presence dominates this track as the industrial screeches balance Davis’s vocals. Speaking of vocals, Davis appears to have decided to simply sing over a dubstep album just for kicks and giggles.
Why slap the Korn name on an album that was hardly created by the band? Why have they decided to deviate so far from their original sound? There was an uprising of controversy when Davis stated that Korn was dubstep before there was dubstep. “We were dubstep before there was dubstep. Tempos at 140 with half-time drums, huge bassed-out riffs. We used to bring out 120 subwoofers and line them across the whole front of the stage, 60 subs per side. We were all about the bass,” he said. Some believe that the integration of dubstep into metal is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately for metal purists, the guitars and drums are at times suppressed by the dubstep elements. Davis believes that they are changing the game yet again, and are appealing to the younger crowds who are apparently crying out for a new sound. Will we see an increase in the collaborations between artists of different genres? Only time will tell. The Path of Totality can be summed up as largely forgettable, boring and a testament to the nu-metal pioneers who are going to great lengths to escape the tedious sounds that their recent music possesses.
by Derek Fuhrmann
