Disco de Korn: “Untouchables [Limited]”

Its been nearly 3 long years since music's most compelling band has released an album. Many fans who thought "Issues" was a bit flat (which granted, it was) were eagerly anticipating KoRn's next release in the hopes that it would save "nu-metal" from the past 3 years of monotonous, imitator music put out by polised, radio friendly bands like Disturbed, Linkin Park, Puddle of Crap, etc. Well fans of real music, the day has arrived. "Untouchables" is here and it does not dissappoint.

I, like thousands of others, downloaded this CD back in March, but I also made damn sure that I was one of the first in line to buy the CD midnight on June 11th. This is a great CD, as its the next logical progression from "Issues". If I were to compare it to any other KoRn album, it would probably be "Issues", only "Untouchables" has much more memorable riffs, choruses, and songs in general. "Issues" seemed thrown together and each song seemed to bleed into the next with no real focus. "Untouchables", however, is very well put together. Practically every song is memorable and KoRn pushes the boundaries of their sound on songs like "Hollow Life", which has a very serious/eerie vibe to it. Then you have songs like "Hating", which has an 80s electronica vibe to it with a very big, epic sound. "Wake Up Hate" has a major techno/rave sound while still remainng quite heavy.

The great thing about this album is that it is innovative, and it makes the other wannabe bands in the scene look very unoriginal and stupid. Albums like this are what is needed to keep the scene legitimate and keep it evolving. Its a shame that bands like Coal Chamber, Nothingface, and Deftones, (just to name a few) don't get enough publicity because they're raw and cutting-edge, and bands like Drowning Pool & Limp Bizkit are all over media because they play catchy, pointless songs with a recycled KoRn sound. I hope "Untouchables" sells millions of copies, and I hope KoRn finally get the noteriety and respect they disserve. No, this album is not as good as their 1st (but what album is?) but it is still very very badass. Here's a brief rundown of the songs:

1)"Here To Stay" - 9/10 (1st single; picture a riot starting to this song)

2)"Make Believe" - 6/10 (only song I might call flat; very slow, spooky-core vibe to it)

3)"Blame" - 9/10 (very good song; possibly the best on the album)

4)"Hollow Life" - 9/10 (very origional and different; creepy, gothic feel to it; great singing)

5)"Bottled Up Inside" - 8/10 (great opening rhythm; heavy chugging guitars; awesome, slow jam session around the 2:27-2:52 mark)

6)"Thoughtlessness" - 9/10 (2nd single; very dynamic; Jonathon shouts angrily ocassionally, reminescent of the old days)

7)"Hating" - 9/10 (not a typical KoRn song, but I love it; great chorus; almost a ballad)

8)"One More Time" - 7/10 (gothic, loungy feel to it; okay song)

9)"Alone I Break" - 7/10 (no heavy parts in this song; very industrial; NIN vibe; cool singing though)

10)"Embrace" - 9/10 (very good song; good energy; could be heaviest song on the album)

11)"Beat It Upright" - 8/10 (wickedly heavy opening rhythm; very cool, very perverted song)

12)"Wake Up Hate" - 8/10 (heavy techno/industrial/rave song; hint of NIN at some parts)

13)"I'm Hiding" - 7/10 (starts out brutally heavy; song itself kind of drags, jon saves it with a great chorus)

14)"No One's There" - 6/10 (this song didn't make an impression on me; not bad, just a bit slow and monotonous)

15)"Here To Stay Remix" - 7/10 (not bad; you can understand the lyrics better; it'll get your head bobbing)

Thanks for reading this. I hope this album made a similar impression on you as well. KoRn owns!!!

I waited and waited and at last.... Having heard "Here to Stay" before the album release, I had expected the album to sound pretty much like that throughout but Wow! Was I ever surprised! This album runs the gamut of methods to excorcise the demons. "Hollow Life," "No One's There," "Bottled Up Inside," okay, I can't list them all, but there's some powerful stuff going on in this CD. (all the freaks gotta love "Beat It Up Right," I know I do)

These are some well tuned pipes belting out the pain and suffering that dredge up things I've tried to forget.

Layer that with the guitar-vortex that Head and Munky put out there, Fieldy's window-jarring bass, and David's rock solid drumming and its just undescribably good.

I'm tired of hearing people whine about how its not like the old stuff. Nothing stays the same. If it did, life would suck even more. Korn has taken their music to another level. I find it tighter and the lyrics better constructed than previous efforts. It goes down like ground glass. Thanks for the best album I've bought in a couple of years, Korn!

I am an eclectic CD collector, so I have collaborated quite a diverse range of CD's for my current collection. This CD is one of them. I've never been a big fan of Hard Rock, however this album really delivers and satisfies. Filled with an amazing sound and energy, it is now an album I frequently re-visit. Although some of the lyrics are confrontational and at times disturbing, I've learned to look past the initial and surfaced reaction to the album and accept its incredible nature.

Track Overview/Review:

1. Here To Stay: (5/5) One of my favourite tracks on the Album. Strong bass and guitar throughout. Vocals are top notch as well.

2. Make Believe: (2/5) Not a great track in my opinion. The lyrics are a let down for me personally.

3. Blame: (5/5) Fantastic track. An awesome sound, another true favourite on the album.

4. Hollow Life: (4/5) I quite like the "softer side" of Korn. Really emphasises a true essence of emotion which can sometimes be overlooked when listening to tracks with screaming vocals.

5. Bottled Up Inside: (4.5/5) Screaming vocals. Strong Bass and Guitar compilation. Fantastic track.

6. Thoughtless: (5/5) The reason I bought this album. I truly love this track. The guitars and simply superb.

7. Hating: (5/5) Fabulous track. This also demonstrates to an extent, the "softer side" of Korn - Although the name of the track seems the antithesis of this idea (the vocals are somewhat subdued). Great sound.

8. One More Time: (4.5/5) Another great track. Has a certain vintage sound to it. Amazing vocals supported by a great use of drums and bass.

9. Alone I Break: (5/5) A gem. Nothing more to be said. Divine vocals and musical arrangement - Another example of subdued honesty.

10. Embrace: (4/5) Screaming, Angry vocals. Intense energy. Another great track.

11. Beat It Upright: (2/5) Just too explicit and disturbing for me unfortunately. Being female, I find it rather disturbing. But I'm sure the males would think otherwise.

12. Wake Up Hate: (3/5) Another let-down in terms of lyrics. Otherwise the music is wonderful.

13. I'm Hiding: (3.5/5) Eerie effects and vocals offer a change-up here to the album.

14. No One's There: (4/5) A fantastic end to the album. Guitar soaring sound filled with agonizing lyrics.

15. Here to Stay - Remix/Revised (Bonus Track): (4/5) Not as good as the album version, but has a quirky, hip-hop flavour. A great juxtaposition of sound in my opinion.

Overall -- 60.5/75

"The Skip Factor":

I often use this term to determine the tracks which I often skip when listening to an album. "The Skip Factor" demonstrates in my opinion the success of the album. The lower the number of tracks that I apply "The Skip Factor" to determines its success. For "Korn's: Untouchables" I admit to the skipping of 3 tracks (Make Believe, Beat It Upright and Wake Up Hate). This means that the album (in my opinion) is a definite success.

A great addition to any persons CD collection. And for me, provided a new sound to all the other music I usually listen to.

Untouchables is a great album, hands down. The mix of the crunching metal that made KoRn rock stars with an almost New Romantic gothic vibe proved a great combination for this album. Lead singer, Jonathan Davis, has announced to the world on this album that he knows how to sing through his use of stacked harmonies and resonant notes. The rest of KoRn (Munky, Head, David, and Fieldy) have demonstrated that they have not lost the slightest ability to come up with pounding riffs, strong beats, and dark melodies.

So, what are the bonuses of getting the re-release of the album if you've already laid hands on the first release, or if you haven't gotten Untouchables yet? The reasons are as follows:

One, you get the album without the remix of "Here To Stay" at the end, which the limited edition of the original Untouchables album featured. That remix threw off the entire album, in my opinion. This version ends on "No One's There," the way it's meant to be. The album concludes with a desperate, haunting feel of a true KoRn album. It leaves the listener in the depths of despair, that sonic onslaught of darkness that KoRn is known for.

Second, you get a bonus DVD with this version, featuring live videos for "Here To Stay" and "Got The Life," which were performed at The Hammerstein in NYC, and also music videos for "Here To Stay" and "Thoughtless."

Third, the inside panel of the re-release where the CD and DVD sit features pictures of KoRn fans. How many other bands allow their fans to submit pictures to be put in an album? It was a great idea and another way that KoRn includes the people who love them in everything they do.

It's a great album, and one that previous haters of KoRn may actually like because it's a lot different than the band's other albums. Give it a listen. You won't be disappointed.

Sadly i have the duty to tell you that "Follow The Leader" was the cd by korn that got me into them. Now, when i look back at FTL, i see its their worst album. Very few good songs, too many pointless songs. KoRn over the years have been the greatest nu-metal band there is. But with this album, KoRn surpasses the 'nu-metal genre'....it goes much deeper then some horrible bands such as Slipknot and Mushroomhead and Limp Bizkit, who are full of anger but can't express it beautifully in the lyrics as well as in the music. With untouchables, KoRn, blaintly show that they are the most influencial band of the 90s and will continue to be influencial. Untouchables is magnificant. The lyrics have beautiful, "Hollow Life" "No Ones There" are great examples of Davis' vocals as well as lyrics. Untouchables has everything you'd want in an album. Heaviness, Melody, Angst, and a bit of humor (beat it upright). My personal favorite has to be "Hollow Life", a close second would be "No Ones There", both show the lonely depressing feeling like the previous albums, but without the screaming, but rather with brutal singing. Here to stay, is vintage korn, heavy as hell. Make believe has a computerized feel to it. Blame is just brutal. Just an awesome song overall. Hating, very good song. Embrace, heavy as hell like H2S. Wake up hate, this song is a pleasure to listen to. I'm Hiding, is great...to me it seems like Davis is trying to ignore what some of the old korn fans say about new-korn...(JUST LIKE METALLICA!). Bottled Up inside---heavy with tons of angst. One more time, good song, but not my favorite :( . Thoughtless, great 80s feel to the song....great vocals..heavy! Alone i break, it is the 3rd best track on the album...its soft and melodic, with awesome lyrics.

In konclusion, although this is my opinion, buy this album, best metal album in like the past 3 years...its fantastic. Thank you KoRn.

--STD