Roaring back after the grief and bloodletting of 2019's
The Nothing
, metal veterans
Korn
add yet another highlight to their late-era renaissance with their 14th set,
Requiem
. The intense, focused assault is as simple and no-frills as can be, a slim nine tracks of introspection, growth, and, shockingly, a faint sense of optimism. Recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown, the band found themselves with no deadlines, no label pressure, and plenty of time to simply record as a full unit (even though founding bassist
Fieldy
was on hiatus for personal reasons, his basslines are still here). With that space, they tapped into something that's a rarity on a
album: setting sights on hope and healing. Let's be clear, though,
Jonathan Davis
and company haven't delivered a happy pop album. Rather, they're trying to see the light and keep the darkness at bay, taking a self-aware approach to a batch of songs that crushes just as heavily as anything
have done in the past. On the explosive opener, "Forgotten,"
Davis
takes a hard look at his life, making difficult realizations as he demands, "Don't feel bad for me/Don't feel sad for me" while
Munky
and
Head
charge forth with a buzzing twin riff attack and
Ray Luzier
crushes his kit. That urgency and vigor surges through the entire album, elevating classic stompers like the cathartic earworm "Start the Healing," the agonized metallic lurcher "Hopeless and Beaten," and "Penance to Sorrow," a towering hurricane of emotional turmoil and
Untouchables
-esque melody that implodes as
shreds his throat with repeated cries of "Go/I will never be free." At this stage in their story, the group could cruise on autopilot, yet they still make rewarding artistic leaps on
. Standout track "Let the Dark Do the Rest" clatters to life like any signature
number, that is until the layered vocal harmonies pop up during the chorus. Then, at the bridge, the sky suddenly opens with expansive guitar feedback, and
sings in a major key, "I just want to see what the future holds." It's a lovely surprise and as close to angelic as
could get (even if
closes the track with a guttural "You make me sick!"). Another highlight, "Worst Is On Its Way," ends the album, balancing whatever positivity
has mustered with a fatalistic pessimism that tragedy inevitably comes just when life starts to feel nice. There's nothing really remarkable going on here, at least until
drops in with a ferocious scatting break that comes out of nowhere. The hit of serotonin for longtime fans is an absolute joy. Against the odds,
have done it again with
, a quick and potent blast that finds the band still hungry and innovative nearly 30 years into the game. [The deluxe
Requiem Mass
includes five tracks recorded live at the band's 2022 release show at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. In the moment, without studio polish or editing, the slight vocal imperfections, live instrumentation, and choral backing make for an intimate and engaging experience that further bolsters the parent album's messages of healing and growth, however messy and vulnerable.] ~ Neil Z. Yeung