Published on Aug 18, 1998
Prior to receiving an advance copy of Korn’s latest release
Follow The Leader, I had never heard the band before. (Yes,
’tis a sheltered life I lead.) All I knew about the band were the
rather nasty posts I’ve read about them in some of the metal
newsgroups, calling them “poseurs” and other rather unflattering
names.
Four words:
shut the fuck up.
Follow The Leader proves that music can be fun to listen to,
and you can hear the joy in the irreverent performances and
attitudes that make up this disc.
After the twelve tracks of nothing but silence (each one lasting
five seconds), Korn – vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarists James
“Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Fieldy and drummer
David – kick out the jams in an unbelievable fashion with “It’s
On!” For almost the remainder of the album, Korn refuses to let up,
and keeps the listener interested in each new chapter that
unfolds.
Davis might not be the greatest singer in the world, but his
unique style of vocals seems to blend right in with the style of
music that Korn plays. If you had to describe it,
punk-meets-metal-meets-hip-hop would be the best definition – and
even that would still be woefully inadequate.
But no matter how you describe it or slice it,
Follow The Leader is an obscenity-laced trip that is almost
totally enjoyable. From songs featuring just the band (“Freak On A
Leash,” “Got The Life”) to guest spots (Ice Cube on “Children Of
The Korn,” Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst on “All In The Family”), the
sheer intensity and power that Korn exude hits hard and repeatedly
on the listener, making them wish it would never stop. The funky
interlacing of the dual guitar lines and David’s frantic drumming
make what sounds like a volatile mixture all the more special.
However, near the end of the album, Korn’s power stagnates a
little bit. “Justin” and “Seed” don’t live up to the promise the
other songs on
Follow The Leader deliver, while “Our Gift To You,” a strong
enough song as it is in the span of six minutes, loses a lot of its
power following a silent pause with random conversations and a
heavily-distorted rendition of “Earache My Eye,” featuring none
other than Cheech Marin on vocals.
Still, a few weaker links refuse to break the chain for Korn,
and
Follow The Leader is a better album because of the stronger,
intense tracks. Of course, this won’t mean much to the detractors
of the group whose rantings I read in newsgroups every day. My
advice: sit down, crack open an Old Style or two, put this one on
at full volume, and give it a few listens. (Hell, it took me one
listen to know this was a great album.) If you’re not liking it
after three listens, you’re either in a nursing home or you’re
dead.
Follow The Leader is advice from Korn that is well worth
heeding.