Take a Look in the Mirror

Take a Look in the Mirror is a fulfilling work on which Korn, using low, undulating heavy guitar, bouncing bass and Jonathan Davis’s pain-tinged singing, built a more direct, rough sound. Turning from the previous work’s precise production, the band self-produced and powerfully called back the early raw aggression. The songs surge heavily and shortly, putting the deep inner anxiety straight out without hiding it. A more impulsive record. From the aggression of the opener “Right Now” and the drama of “Break Some Off” to the popular “Did My Time,” which became a film theme, every song is engaging, while cuts like “Everything I’ve Known” and “Here It Comes Again” convey the work’s fullness. It also shows breadth, such as a song featuring Nas. Jonathan Davis’s emotional singing shines. A record on which, while firmly keeping experimental elements, its focus is firmly placed on the band’s bodily, powerful groove. It strongly binds fierce tension and a sure catharsis. An engaging record of Korn that united early aggression and mature ability — a record where the band’s return to origins shines.