Heavy Metal Textbooks

Korn

Paradigm Shift

reviewed by grownman

A mature Korn sound? Perhaps.

First impression, this album is closer to the "Queen of the Damned" soundtrack material than to Korn itself persay.

Brian Head Welch has returned to the fold after 8 years and puts a real stamp on the sound of this album. Gone are the dubstep moments and the redundant vocal cadence of Davis. Hints of digital influence are now used to add accents to the sound and bring Korn into the modern landscape of mainstream pop rock music.

Not sure who got into the band's ears but clearly this is a safer shift toward a sound that's much more commercial. Mixing Davis vocals further into the mix makes a world of a difference. The bass lines are predictable and sometimes come off as a novelty rather than the unique drive of their first few albums. The drumming and rhythm is servicable but neither make nor break the album.

This material is certainly devoid of the band's earlier angst and emotive sound. If you were a fan of the band prior to their greatest hits you may want to give it a spin and go into it without too much expectation. This isn't their best effort but it's a hell of an improvement over anything they've put out after the greatest hits album.

Thank you Brian Head Welch