Post-Apocalypse - Korn 21st Anniversary O2 Academy Gig (16th July, 2015)

So the three of us (my sister, our generous friend, and I) survived the mayhem of last night's gig after finding ourselves in the middle of a mosh pit the moment the beat dropped at the start of Blind.
Prior to that, we were treated to some insanity in the form of support act #1, Sunflower Dead. Think the visual aesthetic of Slipknot, crossed with Steam-powered Giraffe, and the sound of Disturbed - oh, and throw in an accordion-toting frontman! They were a real treat for something so new to us, the singer living up to the band's tagline of 'It's time to get weird' by almost swallowing his microphone,; it was a shame to see them go after 'feeding' the crowd with free shirts and the remains of one of the guitarists' guitars (that upset my sister).
Support act #2 was Snot. They seemed to get a much bigger response from the crowd (including a couple of lads in front of us who showed their appreciation by unconcernedly moshing into us); they didn't strike as great a chord with me, only increasing my impatience for Korn to come on. However, as I mentioned, the waiting was answered by the sudden eruption of the crowd around us after that iconic intro. Once free from the waves of the mosh pit, we were able to enjoy a slightly distant, though unobstructed view from the sidelines as they screamed and shouted their way to Clown (during which they stood silent for a moment, only brought back to life by the continued cheers from the crowd) and on to Shoots and Ladders, at which time Jon brought out his bagpipes (beautiful).
I recall a short passage of Alive being played after either Predictable or Fake, which kind of threw me, but all too soon it was time for Daddy. The haunting intro vocals got us all pretty excited, while it was evident the emotional toll they took on Jonathan who was bent double screaming the lyrics by its close. That touched a nerve for me. But we were all revitalised, it seemed, by the final three classics: Falling Away from Me, Here to Stay, and Freak on a Leash (the latter being the song which secured a place in my heart for the boys from Bakersfield). The set-list by no means saved us from the discomfort of the sweaty bodies passing close by us, the sea of plastic cups underfoot, or the occasional scuffle which almost broke out nearby, but I suppose to just hear our idols playing the music we love was near enough all we could ask for. My neck aches from headbanging, my ears still ring a little from the volume, I have slight blisters on my feet, yet it still remains a memory to cherish. So thank you Korn for being awesome; in my heart, you're here to stay! And to Jonathan Davis, my mental juggernaut of bile-laced, visceral anguish, I admire your courage and strength.

The Calm Before the Storm

So today is a very important day for me and British Korn fans: 21st Anniversary gig at the O2 Academy Brixton!
In approximately 10 hours, all hell is going to break loose, and thanks to a friend, he and I and my sister will be there (front row - fingers crossed)
I was hoping to get my entire Korn discography reviewed before today but sadly not, so in place of that I shall write up a live review (my first) sometime tomorrow.
Feeling immensely psyched just listening to their music on my stereo at the moment! See you tomorrow x

Korn - Take A Look in the Mirror (2003)

After a short hiatus, I'm back with more music mayhem in the form of Korn's 'Take A Look in the Mirror', an album which continues to touch on Jonathan Davis's feelings of despair, hatred, and torment, backed up by the album's title as it acknowledges the demon within (seen in the mirror) and the demon outside (the tormentor(s)).
Off the bat comes the familiar, iconic (but scarring, thanks to the music video - watch it, you'll see why) Right Now. Everything about this song is raw and visceral from Jon's angst-laden lyrics, screamed in the chorus, to the wall of instrumental noise which accompanies it. There is a short dip into Jon's barely contained and violent whispers, exploding seconds later into a raw repetitive scream of 'Shut up, I'll fuck you up!' and so on, before the fast-paced drum and bass of Break Some Off kicks in. This song seems to set a trend throughout of highs and lows in weight, as evidenced by Jon's dream-like verse which quickly collapses under the abrasive load of the chorus (entwined with his schizophrenic alter-ego), but for the most part, this song is brutal (and I love it!)
In a similar vein, Counting On Me is introduced with a sinister guitar note and Jon's schizophrenic vocals, before diving into new depths of despair with more monotone vocals, suggesting Jon had given up. The guitars which rise and fall throughout really give this song its true depth and have endeared this particular song to me like many others. Here It Comes Again also creeps softly in to start but is tearing the walls down before too long.
Breaking the pattern is the swagger of Deep Inside, encompassing the feeling of no escape like a straitjacketed schizophrenic, keeping the weight relatively level until the end. But it's an end that can't be put off for long as the revving guitar of Did My Time heralds the arrival of one of Korn's most iconic songs; one which spirals into the despair which saturates this album. Jon's vocals are strung-out, the mood carrying into the breakdown which transitions from light to heavy as the anger begins to change him ('I feel the anger changing me'). Almost without noticing, the same guitar tune picks up where Did My Time's lighter breakdown left off to start Everything I've Known, a despair-laced song packed with Korn's characteristic guitars and drums, and the ever-present (and slightly warped) schizophrenic vocals.
For those in need of a change, Play Me introduces a guest appearance by rapper, Nas (I don't know who that is). His vocals are backed by Korn's recognizable swagger, letting Jon's echoing schizo vocals come to the fore by the halfway point. As if we needed reminding that this was in fact a Korn song, the grating death growl also returns in recognition of his tormentor(s) and what they've done. Marking this change of attitude, Alive becomes a turning point, establishing itself as my album lynch-pin. The repetition of the title throughout, and the chorus, both show Jon to have risen up stronger from his ordeal, no longer afraid and out for vengeance, as detailed in the next song.
Let's Do This Now is another of my favourites on this album, a driving track of violent and graphic proportions seeing Jon 'watching as your blood pours down' in his mind; a veritable sledgehammer for the mind and the ears, barely letting up for longer than a single breath and ending abruptly.
I'm Done plays the same game of yo-yoing between light and heavy, featuring the same schizophrenic voices and seemingly dragging Jon back into his pit of despair. That is until the iconic Y'all Want a Single swaggers in with bags of attitude (which Jon can't fail to carry off). As if the anger is taking effect once more, the weight increases towards the end, but the swagger hangs on into the final song. Much slower paced than the rest of the album, When Will This End clearly illustrates how the torment cannot be fought or escaped; it never ends. The intensity of the backing increases as Jon's vocals go from silky to strained, and eventually screamed, but ultimately it does end.
However, we are treated to a live cover of Metallica's 'One' after a short silence, the rawness of the chorus handled perfectly by our immensely talented Mr Davis.

And with another album review under my belt, I'll See You On the Other Side! (That being the next album.)