Korn, Freak On a Leash - Amy’s First Listen And Analysis
Added 2025-01-10 15:30:21 +0000 UTC“Nu Metal”. I will have to adjust my ear to this, but for a first contact, I have to say that it sounds interesting.
Comments
What a great song! They also have TWISTED TRANSISTOR; SHOOTS AND LADDERS (a song with prominent bagpipes!); and one of my favorites, COMING UNDONE.
DJ Marquis Marc Rambeau du Tacoma
2025-01-14 02:59:26 +0000 UTCI have a grudging respect for Korn, because although I don’t quite enjoy it, at least it was unique and distinctive. I even had their first three albums, at one time. They piqued my interest, initially, but I later moved away from that. I wonder if Amy noticed the unusual sound the bass was making? I think “Fieldy?” tuned his strings down so much, they would slap against the neck and frets. This gave the strings a more percussive sound than usual. Perhaps it was lost in the mix, some. Or, she was focusing on the *squeak* she kept hearing from the guitar.
Jeremy Finch
2025-01-11 23:05:54 +0000 UTCDefinitely, but as I said, Korn popularized the guitar. This is where you start to see many young guitar players wanting a 7-string for their next instrument. In addition to those you mentioned, there are great 7-string players in the metal genre (Tosin Abasi, James Monteith, Mike Stringer) who really make the most of the instrument within the context of the songs they are writing. Even Stephen Carpenter of Deftones, who is a fairly basic player, is far more interesting to listen to than the Korn guitarists, imo.
djredmoney
2025-01-11 17:18:19 +0000 UTCKorn were not the first to use the 7-string guitars. Ibanez made them for Steve Vai back in the 80s. John Petrucci from Dream Theater also used a 7-string for several tracks on their third album, Awake, released in 1994, the same year as Korn’s first album was released. It’s annoying that Korn are the ones who get the credit when they only use the top three strings. They could have gotten the same effect by down tuning standard 6-string guitars. Vai and Petrucci at least use all the strings. 🤦🏻♂️
Julian Ortiz
2025-01-11 16:47:10 +0000 UTCGood God, no. I love you Amy and Vlad, but I will not be subjecting my ears to this torture even though I’m morbidly curious to hear what Amy thought. I just can’t.
Julian Ortiz
2025-01-11 16:38:32 +0000 UTCKorn is not my thing either... but I enjoyed your reaction :) Regarding videos: the only time I really felt that you should have watched the video was with Rammstein's piano version of Mein Hertz Brennt. That video adds so much to the whole experience of that rendition!
Stefan Martelius
2025-01-11 16:34:55 +0000 UTCKorn, like most nu metal, is not my thing. I'm all for GenX/early Millennial trauma expressed artistically through anger, sorrow, pathos, etc. But too many bands, Korn included, push things into "whiny" territory. They weren't the only ones. One positive, however, is Korn popularizing the use of the 7-string guitar in modern metal. The extra string, is the low "B" string, and it's then common for bands using 7 strings to tune down from standard. The guitar is tuned down a whole step for this particular song. The 7-string opens up a new world of possible sounds and techniques.
djredmoney
2025-01-11 04:40:17 +0000 UTCWow when you were imagining the guitar sound as violins, that does help enjoy the music more.
Rea Lavi
2025-01-11 04:16:42 +0000 UTCThey have talent
Rea Lavi
2025-01-11 04:11:54 +0000 UTCOne important thing to understand about nu metal is that's it's part of what used to be called "crossover rap metal". The verse beats and odd sounds (I think the squeaks are electric guitar flageolet tones) would not be out of place at all in a rap song. I like some rap metal, but never could get into Korn. Hope that one day you get to the (awesome) Faith No More and some of the more sophisticated Rage Against the Machine songs. Oh, and I also believe that the videos are not as important as some make it out to be. Most videos are conceptualized after the music has been produced.
Vitor Zimmerer
2025-01-11 00:40:23 +0000 UTCMusical movies and plays, are like that, where the visual is part of the song. :) Not my type of music because it sounds to angry for me and I don't know where that anger is coming from, so it is lost on me. Good review Amy. You smiled a lot more than I would have.
Paul D. Hoffmaster III
2025-01-10 19:29:15 +0000 UTCOne of the few metal band I have in my own collection. Korn is worth dealing with.
Peter Buwen
2025-01-10 17:46:04 +0000 UTCEnjoyed that. I was a Korn listener myself. I have watched a couple of their performances on YouTube. I like their cover of The Wall. Your like mind reader. And I agree. It’s a time and place for everything, and it’s your thing. and you should do it you way. That’s why I’m here. did you know Flea was from Australia., they do have an interesting dialect. I visited that island when I was in the Navy. BTW…. (Snow(HeyHo)ing) ,
TONY SURRATT
2025-01-10 16:53:36 +0000 UTCOk, first 2 minutes and I am grateful I was 11 years old the first time I heard the Beatles. Had I been 11 in 1999 I never would have listened to music.
TangoEliott
2025-01-10 16:01:06 +0000 UTC
