u/PapaAsmodeus

Flew from Canada all the way for this and my god what an experience.

Only posting because KJ posted.

So excited for... Something About Henry tomorrow

Sharing this for no reason other than that it made me laugh stupidly hard... and wonder if I was having a stroke.

Keep those damn words out of your mouth, they belong to my man Bruno.

Keep my favourite Disney movie out yo damn mouth

I'm genuinely convinced he's trying to get in her pants.

Ahhh, 2003. Perhaps the most serial Trainwreckords offender when it comes to years. You had 0304, American Life, St. Anger, Results May Vary. And I hate to add to the pile, but that last one I mentioned last for a reason: it and Korn's album are the two albums often considered to have killed nu-metal.

I often see people say that Korn had a "gradual decline" and I wonder if I'm taking crazy pills every time I do. Yes, even moreso than Cyndi Lauper. Because I actually was there when this album was released and I remember what a DISASTER it was. Sure, Korn have more obviously bad albums like The Path of Totality (though Narcissistic Cannibal is a banger and you won't convince me otherwise) and Unplugged that might also qualify for this show. And yet... that's actually precisely why I think if any album should get an episode, it's this. And not just that, but since this album, Korn have released albums and even had one off hits here and there and some of those albums are even pretty fucking good if I say so myself.

And yet... Take a Look in the Mirror still represents a sort of demarcation line. Before this album, Korn dominated the conversation and they were even pretty critically acclaimed. This album is what caused the backlash to REALLY kick off.

Before I talk about the actual quality of the album though, I'll mention its production: Untouchables, while not as successful as Issues, still had some of Korn's biggest hits and continued their reign as radio staples. Behind the scenes though, things weren't so rosy. The album was rushed into production because Untouchables was making them successful, and they had a hit single for the Tomb Raider Cradle of Life soundtrack. On top of that, the band was an absolute MECCA of drug issues. Head was so addicted to meth and valium that he couldn't even perform shows unless he was on some level of Meth. Jonathan was on Xanax, Munky was both a druggie AND an alcoholic, so was Fieldy, etc.

So yeah, let's get to the album: it BLOWS. Right from the word go, it validates every single negative stereotype about the band with a track called "Right Now", a song that someone in this very sub delicately described as "(sounding) like a meth addicted teenager throwing a tantrum because you asked him to do chores". There's lyrics about cutting his wrists, and even a repeated refrain of "Shut up, I'll fuck you up!" And "I fucking hate you!" (Is Jonathan Davis secretly Sully Erna in disguise? Must investigate further). And things don't get better. The utterly terrible "Did My Time" is on the album (which should only further prove just how rushed this album was). There's even a song on the album called "I'm Done" (lmao), and for some reason Nas is on a track. And like Todd's summary of the St. Anger share, it's another example of "bad idea, but it's also your only idea".

You might or might not have noticed that I haven't really talked about a lot of the songs at length at this point. Well there's a reason for it: there is one song that is so utterly bad and juvenile that it drowns out the rest of the album. The song? "Y'all Want a Single". I know this song would utterly TRIGGER Todd, because it's the epitome of just about everything wrong with these types of songs. Like in every aspect. It was born out of the band being told by the label that they wanted a single worthy song. Like, okay yes, I get being against the record label. Hell, the best industrial song ever written, Head Like a Hole, is lashing out at the record label for all the unreasonable demands they were making on someone whose name wasn't even out there yet. But while I usually disagree with Todd's stance on "fuck the record label songs", this song is the ultimate justification for it! Why? Because:

1. You included the single for the Tomb Raider soundtrack on this album YOU FUCKING DIMWITS!!! Hell, I'd argue you threw it on this album for the same reason Madonna threw Die Another Day on American Life: so it wouldn't be the only Korn album without a hit. Sigmund Freud, analyze THAT!

2. YOU RELEASED THIS FUCKING SONG AS A SINGLE!!!!! So effectively you disproved your own point. And you were so committed to making it an anti-single that the words "fuck that" are repeated 49 times, but YOU WERE WILLING TO CHANGE IT TO "SUCK THAT" AND "SUCK ON THAT" FOR THE RADIO!!! My mind is utterly blown even typing that out holy fuuuuuuuuccckkkkkkk.

So yeah, say what you will about AKornstic rock and Kornstep. But at least those albums are charmingly bad. I can admit the "dubstep beat box" and "Illuminati"are kinda hilariously awful so much that they loop back into being awesome. At least there's a trainwreck kind of charm to Korn thinking people want to hear what they sound like without distortion or pickups. But this is the ultimate justification for people thinking Nu-Metal is lowest common denominator rock.