Artist: Korn

Title: Take a look in the Mirror

Label: Sony

By Adam Bowman

Sometimes the first song you hear from an album paints a perfect picture of what to expect from the forthcoming release. The newest expansion in the leagacy of KoRn fits this mold to a tee. People who perked up and dug the dingy feel of "Did My Time" will feel right at home with "Take A Look In The Mirror," which finds it roots more in their pre-"Follow The Leader" releases in terms of its dirty, grimy feel. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on when you picked up on KoRn,) there are more than a few references to their more rap-oriented releases.

The album finds a band desperately trying to capture the pure hate-filled magic it had in its younger years, while not sacrificing the elements that brought them into the world's musical spotlight. End result: a cross-breed of "Life Is Peachy," "Untouchables," and Metallica's "...And Justice For All." Machine gun drums shoot holes all through "Break Some Off," while the quirky vocals we've all come to expect from Jonathon Davis show up more than a few times (most notably in "Counting On Me.") Meanwhile, "Ya'll Want A Single" and the Nas-assisted track "Play Me" carry the rap-rock, head-bobbing feelings found in previous efforts.

It's been duly noted that KoRn were attempting to revert strictly to their old-school rage and hatred. Instead of quantum leaping into that era, however, they've managed to mingle their influences and emotion with the same musical ferocity and sound found with 80s-era Metallica, right down to the cover of "One."