Korn
Take a Look in the Mirror (Epic)
Less than a minute into Korn’s sixth album, vocalist Jonathan Davis confesses “Can’t find a way/To get across the hate/When I see you.” It turns out that he’s only kidding. After taking creative detours on 1999’s “Issues” and 2002’s “Untouchables,” Korn has returned to its grindcore roots while also managing to steer its dysfunctional station wagon of sludge-plow metal down uncharted avenues. Steeped in equal parts hip-hop funk and abrasive goth, the dreadlocked quintet borrows frayed riffs from Metallica, Nirvana and Godflesh, reinstates its signature bagpipes and lyrical rhymes, and centers a black celebration on Davis’ garbage-disposal gurgle. The band’s heaviest and most consistent effort yet, “Take a Look in the Mirror” is a healthy dose of anger catharsis for the disaffected masses.