Korn
Follow The Leader
»
Korn
Follow The Leader
Immortal/Epic, 1998
RiYL: Limp Bizkit, Tool, Rage Against The Machine |
Once again Davis is in the forefront, and that's where he should be. "It's On" is rare since it features one continuous track of Davis' vocals instead of the numerous overdubs used on the rest of the album. You can even hear him panting after the first verse. Only later do his own back-up vocals filter into the mix.
While "It's On" and the following track "Freak On A Leash" adhere strictly to Life Is Peachy's form, there are some new tricks. The band's first single "Got The Life" has a disco hook that is infectious, and has brought the band to the top of the alternative radio charts.
But it's also the band's collaborations with Ice Cube and Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst that make Follow The Leader a unique record for metal-head collections. "Children of the Korn" features Ice Cube, and the hard-core rapper fits in perfectly with the dynamics of the band. The bass is pumped up as if the song were a West Coast rap single. But Davis' vocals are deep, grating and spooky. Cube's are distorted and repetitive backing Davis, but suddenly the rapper captures the spotlight in a section of reverberating guitars.
Durst's performance is nowhere close to Ice Cube's, but he adds a lot to "All in the Family," a humorous track that has Davis and Durst hurling obscene insults at each other.
Korn will have to come up with something new if they want to keep their devoted fanbase. Until that time, Follow The Leader stands as a decent sequel to Life is Peachy.
DAVID THOMAS |