As I promised in my last post, I’m devoting the rest of this month to catching up on anniversaries & birthdays of games, albums, and anime I may have missed back in May during Catchup Month 2.0. This first week I’ll be covering birthdays that actually happen this year, and today’s review I’m actually doing a little early in anticipation for a special October event I have planned. But anyways!....
As you can tell by the title, I’m covering Korn for today’s review. I haven’t looked at a single album of theirs on this blog since the earliest days in 2014, and despite my overview of them back in 2016, I’m surprised that I never covered them in another post since then. Today is a look at their 2013 release, the Paradigm Shift. Coming in at almost 5 years old now (It officially turns 5 in early October, but again I got a surprise coming), it’s one of the best things that the band had put out for a long time at that point. Let’s not waste anymore time, and take a look at The Paradigm Shift. Let the review begin!
Background
Taken from Wikipedia:
“Following the year after the release of The Path of Totality, Korn had begun proposing ideas for their next album. James "Munky" Shaffer stated that the album would contain darker elements similar to Issues mixed with the heaviness of Untouchables (2002).On May 2, 2013, it was revealed that original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch rejoined the band after an eight-year absence and had been recording for the new album.The first single, "Never Never", was officially released on August 12, 2013.The track "Love & Meth" leaked on September 6, 2013 after the band had released several previews. The track "Lullaby for a Sadist" was originally written in 2010 prior to the idea of a dubstep-infused album, but the song did not make the cut for Korn III: Remember Who You Are. "Spike in My Veins" was originally written and recorded with Noisia for inclusion on J Devil's debut album, but ended up being reworked as a Korn song.
Regarding the sound, Munky says, "The new music is inspired by our Issues album, or even Untouchables, that era. It’s a little more melodic and a little more aggressive at the same time."Head added in an interview with Rolling Stone that "I'm a metalhead. I love rock music, and I came here just wanting to do the old Korn vibe, but with a new twist. "Me and Munky [James Shaffer] haven't been playing guitar together for eight years, so we came in just wanting to jam out with the bass player Fieldy [Reginald Arvizu] and Ray [Luzier], our drummer. The end product is a really good mix of old Korn mixed with some new elements. It's got a fresh new Korn 2013 sound."
Jonathan Davis described the writing and recording process as "weird". He explains: "They started writing, I think, in August, and I didn't get into the studio until March, because I was going through all kinds of crazy shit. My boy got diabetes and I had come off medication for my depression, and that fucked me up. I was in a straight haze."Davis entered rehab, then returned to writing the album. "It was weird – I moved into the studio. I stayed there for four months, I only came home on weekends. I moved my boys in with me, so I had my kids with me the whole time. It was an interesting creative space." Davis continued, "I don't know how the hell I did it. I was so fucked up from coming off all that medicine, and I feel so good about the record. When I look back now, I'm like, 'Wow, how did I come up with this shit?'"”
Reception for The Paradigm Shift was considerably more solid & positive than what they put out back in 2011. Max Barrett of Rock Sound wrote "Korn’s follow up to ’11’s dubstep-infused ‘The Path Of Totality’ is a completely different monster to its predecessor, and for all the right reasons." in his review of the album. Kerrang! noted the album as a "more organic effort", and AllMusic stated the album "shows the kind of creativity and inventiveness that, love them or hate them, helped to make them an influential force in heavy music.".
In a more mixed take on the album, Uncut stated "Essentially this is Korn returning to their familiar discomfort zone.". Popmatters was also mixed in their review, stated that it "may not quite be Korn's best album ever, but The Paradigm Shift is Korn's best album since Untouchables and metal fans could do a lot worse than that". At the same time as this, Classic Rock Magazine stated "It's Korn's most significant album in a long time" in their look on the album.
The Paradigm Shift debuted & peaked at no. 8 on the Billboard 200, selling 46,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. This made the album the 12th album from Korn to appear in the top 10. Since September of 2016 in the United States, the album has sold 174,000 copies, which is pretty impressive if you ask me!
Basic Description
A return to the old days.
I’m not kidding when I say that The Paradigm Shift.....was a breath of fresh air for the band. It had been nearly a decade that founding member Brian "Head" Welch worked with Korn, and having him come back injected the band with a massive new lease on life. When he left, it almost seemed like it was an excuse for the group to continue to drift further & further away from their Nu Metal roots. I’ve said it before, but Take A Look In The Mirror was the last truly Nu Metal release for a long time. Not anymore!
The Paradigm Shift is a truly awesome album. From beginning to end, Korn really channeled their 90s past, as their brought back Issues-like darkness, along with just a hint of the heaviness & experimentation of Untouchables. The end result sounds like a lost album from the 90s, but with modern technology & production techniques. Fans of the band who became disenfranchised after 2003 (Myself somewhat included) who want to get back into Korn would do well to listen to The Paradigm Shift at least once.
Best Track
Prey For Me is the best damn thing on this album. Though every track is worth your time, it’s the opening track of The Paradigm Shift that really grabs your attention. Gone are the days of the forced return to Nu Metal with Remember Who You Are, and the dubstep debacle that was The Path Of Totality has been thrown out with the bathwater. Instead, the entire band went back to their heyday in the 90s, and it shows on this tune. No Pro-Tools to clean things up: just a raw, natural approach to Nu Metal that hasn’t been heard by fans for years. If there was a song on this album you absolutely need to listen to more than once, make it this one!
Prey For Me
Worst Track
When I first talked about this album back in my Korn overview for the band (Which you can read here), my only complaint was the exclusion of the song Haters on the main album. While a great track to listen to, in hindsight I confess that my complaint was rather childish. Putting things aside, this album has no fault at all, and really shows that Korn can pull things back together & create so good music.
Other
If you’re curious about this record, then click on the link below:
The Paradigm Shift
Overall Impression & Rating
The Paradigm Shift.....is just that damn good. Forgoing just about everything the fans were complaining about in prior releases, not to mention some of the things that Korn themselves disliked, they really felt like for the first time in nearly a decade, a full-blown Nu Metal band. With the return on an original member, Korn were given a second chance, and they ran with it! Whether you’re a disenfranchised fan, or someone new to the faithful, The Paradigm Shift is waiting for you with it’s arms open.
The Paradigm Shift gets a 10 out of 10. Good to see you’re back on top Korn!
Again it was a little early, but I hope you enjoyed my 5-year anniversary of Korn’s return to Nu Metal, The Paradigm Shift. Full of old-school sound, it really tugs at the nostalgia strings in so many ways it’s almost touching. With this out of the way, stay tuned till this Friday, as I’ll be celebrating an album’s 35th birthday. Until then, don’t shift around too much.
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