Metal Reviews

You're seriously bringing Discharge into this? They have NOTHING to do with this discussion. You couldn't have shown yourself up more if you'd have said Disturbed were more technical than Meshuggah.

i'm sorry then
but with your perspective of it you might as well say that discharge are terrible

OLD SCHOOL FLAMEWAR! GO!!


That's still a negative. Tell me, besides the prominent bass-playing, how does Korn sound like Primus, dumbed down or not?


Oh yeah? Besides the nonsensical comparison to Primus, who did they sound like back then? Who do they sound like now?


Surely I'm no fanboy. I hardly like these guys. And I read the review. It's precisely the kind of review that should never be written. You're incapable of objectively seeing the album for what it is. You essentially trash it, insist only musically immature people ever liked it, and no one should ever give it a chance now.


Were they? How do you figure such a thing?


I never said they were anything. I said the debut was a classic. Simple as that.

The problem with reviewers like you is that you can't simply not like something. You have to tear it down and discredit whatever it may be. You try so hard to make your opinion a fact that it makes you look like an ass. Your review is not a review; it's a rant.

By the way, I do love you very much.

1. Musical similarity! Primus have a twisted funky thing that Korn do, reliance on the bass, groove... The similarity's obvious to me.
2. Erm, every Nu-Metal band going?
3. What? Funny how rio sees the attempt I made to like them and you don't. I tried to like it and failed. You wanted a positive review, you should have written one.
4. Erm, because every Rock band on the radio copies Nirvana but hardly any copy Korn?
5. Don't dissemble; you said I was simple and ignorant. Avoiding that doesn't make it untrue.

And what do you mean, 'reviewers like me'? You're ranting now! Your only argument here is the impact that Korn had, you're not defending their musicianship, or lack thereof, or their lyrics, or even the production! You're grasping at straws, trying to shout me down. ITS A CLASSIC you say. Well, I've already explained the 'it's not a classic' thing with Adam's helpful input; answer that instead of being bitchy.

And yes, nice afterthought.

Right. They also play guitar, so you know, they're like Led Zeppelin. Your review pretty much says they're a second-rate Primus. Neither band, despite both having prominent bass playing, sound the same.


Huh? You really think Korn sounds like every nu-metal band? Are you just making this shit up as you go?


Like I said, you don't have to like them. I don't care either way. But you didn't review the album; you ranted about how you can't understand why so many people like/liked this album.


Hmmm...that's odd. Shall I refer you to #2?


Failure to comprehend is your downfall.


That is my only argument, because the rest is all opinion and we're all entitled to those. Denying it's classic status, or trying to reduce it with revisionist history, is what I have an issue with. Because you're wrong.

1. Oh come on, that's clearly not what I'm saying. Korn and Primus are closer than Led Zep and Mr Bungle, and that's the way it goes. You can't see a single bit of similarity at all? Ha. RELIANCE, know what that means?
2. Most of them. Early Deftones, from the top of my head. Anything that you can call Nu Metal. Or else who did Korn influence, if not the Nu-Metal bands?
3. Because they're shitty at playing their instruments and make simplistic music, as I said in the review? I described the album, I reviewed it fine. Again, if you wanted it done different, you should have done it.
4. Not as odd as you.
5. You called me ignorant and simple and are now avoiding that. That's all that needs comprehending.
6. But that's as reliant on opinion as the rest of it! Name ten bands that were influenced by Korn.

I was kidding about an old school flamewar. I surely don't have the time for it.

But for the sake of keeping this civil, I said "sometimes you paint yourself as completely ignorant" and "the problem with this review is that you're trying to rewrite historical fact with a simpleton-like opinion." Now, I do believe that I am not saying that you are always this way. Smart people can do some dumb shit. Doesn't make them dumb but for a moment. Get it?

And I'd like to also point out that you cannot really be asking me to name 10 bands Korn influenced right after you essentially say every nu-metal band sounds like them, right?

Nor me, haha. And you're the one that is claiming this is dumb, because it goes against your personal opinion.

But hey, you're admitting that most if not all Nu Metal bands sound like Korn? After claiming that Korn were completely original and no-one sounded like them now or then? You can't have it both ways, man.

Not at all. People don't have to like Korn. I don't love the debut, but I do have fond memories of it simply because it was so very different at the time. I found that album for $2 in 1994, two years before it went mainstream. I thought it was really cool then, and I still do. It's an amazing album by any stretch, and I think Issues is far better, but it still doesn't change the fact that it is a classic. That's not my opinion.

Everything else doesn't matter to me. People love it, people hate it, people are in between. Who cares?


Where did I admit that? I don't think any band really sounds like Korn. Similarities exist, of course, as no band is entirely original. But they definitely have a unique sound.

There was one band way back in the day called Juice, and they had a very similar sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMXU9UzSPQ

Pretty close, but they came out well after Korn and went nowhere. Clearly copy-cats.

You were how old in 1994? What an age to form musical taste, or to know exactly what's different to what. Amazing, ha. And whose opinion is it, then? You clearly care, from your repeated posts here.

I was nearly 20 in 1994, and quite knowledgeable at that time. Aside from the first few years that I got into music, I was always extremely open-minded. By the time Korn came out, I already had at least 1,000 albums—probably more—ranging from jazz to hip hop to death metal; I ran a zine, a small indie label, had been in numerous bands, had done mini-tours with bigger bands like 311 and No Doubt. Trust me, I knew my music.

And yes, I care about this discussion we're having. It's nice. =)

Is anyone really pretending that Korn don't have an instantly recognizable sound?

I like when arguments have their points segmented by numbers.

Oh look pages of posts about a shitty band again.

This album sucks, by the way. Same with the band. I had to grow up with this crap.

Ken, I must have been around the same age as you if not a little younger when I first heard Korn. Maybe it's our differing musical backgrounds, but I'd say I'm quite well versed in music even if I haven't been on tour with No Doubt or run a label, and Korn's debut is not musically, spiritually, atmospherically or personally amazing, and I tried to put that opinion over as best I could within the confines of a review.

I think it's worth stating that this isn't the beginning of an exploration of Korn's discography over the coming weeks, a la Rush or Skyclad. Such a sun-starved, pasty Kornish road would lead only to chaos, destruction and madness, for me as much as Ken, if not moreso.

And for all metalreview forumites. Every week a flamewar!

We generally get one a week anyways. And this hasn't been a flamewar, just a friendly discussion between two guys over a beer.

ok honestly that korn review needs a classic status or at least 85/100
i mean how can you deny the brilliance of these guys
first they all came from musically very different backgrounds
second how can you say that they are talentless and have no musical merits
is it because they don't have over the top 80's style fretboard wankery
i mean alot black metal bands make simpler shitty songs
they deliberately chose to abondon solos DELIBERATELY
john is an amazing singer but here he used a style which he could sing with his heart
P.S they are much better than discharge

Above crazed poem
So odd, such twisted thinking
Makes author seem mad

I could reply but
Then I should take my own life
For time spent on shit