WELL, i've got it. The new album, the one with the 20 songs. You know what? i like it. I was prepared for the worst, but i honestly like it. I think its the best effort they have put forth at least since issues, maybe even as far back as peachy. Metal elitists will probably still complain that it is mainstream, and cite the inclusion of non-metal producers to the mix as a travesty, but what they came out with is a heavilly layered goth-industrial mix that actually doesnt suck. Its like Untouchables with better writing, better lyrics, and some old school korn bagpipes and scatting mixed into a morbid industrial thread. There is VERY little hip-hop influence here, so much so that Fieldy is really a background bit player, but it does lend itself to a more straight up, cleaner metal sound at times, but to say that overall this album distances itself apart from the others is an understatement, but in a way that i think really works for them. If they play this right, they may even matter on the big stage again, as its been a while since they had something original to say, and now that they have it, lets hope people give them a chance. Oh, and Head gets tore up on one of the better songs of the album, "Liar", which is also, bad for him, probably gonna be one of the songs that gets big, as its one of the most successful songs at displaying the new sound with a lot of well placed breaths of the old school sound (that for once don't feel forced). This is, as a warning, going to be an album that requires muliple listens, as it is dense, but i will go on record as saying that so far i like it better initially than the last couple (Untouchables and TALITM) which got boring fast, and it seems to have stronger legs to carry it than FTL and Issues. Twisted Transistor is by far the poppiest song on the album, but dont let it fool you, not only does it sound better on the album with a much cooler intro that the commercial cut, the album as a whole is actually less commercial sounding than they have sounded since they actually were underground. The songs are longer, the guitars are actually interesting (as a guitar player myself i realize how simple they can be, this is a step up), and it is dense in a way that most songs wont appeal to the aweful standards by which singles are picked these days. The closest thing to "nu-metal" i have listened to in a while is the Deftones (whom i adore and cringe at calling "nu-metal"), as otherwise i find the genre bland and cliched, as Cold, disturbed, godsmack, Breaking benjamin, trapt, Linkin Park, they all suck, and they all are whats wrong with the radio (that and Emo). But this album could in reality be Korn's "White Pony" (as opposed to the St. Anger" everybody thought it was gonna be, sorry Metallica, still love ya, but you know what you did), and a reason to listen to them again. I know this was long, and i am not here to bash anybody, so please dont bash me for speaking my opinion. In summery, i liked this album. i think i will end up liking it a lot once i give it a few listens and let it sink in. (i also think that the video they came out with is really funny, some kid was playing it on a pc in my art class, the class was crackin up, but for all you rap haters, that is the most rap you see on the whole album, and i say "see" since its only visually in the video, and not in the audio whatsoever). Give it a chance. really. its not bad at all. i think its "good" right now, with the possibility of being "great" once i let it sink in a little bit.

# Dec 6, 2005 @ 4:30 AM ET | IP Logged

Since i essentially have an unopened official deluxe version, i hadnt realized that the final three tracks that i have from a high quality rip on my PC were actually different than what on the CD. The tracklisting that i have been litening to is identicle to the Deluxe edition through 17 songs, but the final 3 that i have been hearing are apparanty B-sides that the ripper included instead of the videos the real deluxe edition has. The B-Sides are actually really good, and i was suprised to find out that they were just that. These tracks, which arent on the official version (i think they are on the TT ep disc in europe or something) are "Too Late, Im Dead", "Appears", and "Love My Way" which is actually aparantly a cover, but i have never heard the "Psycadelic Furs" version before, so it was new to me. Id recommend downloading those songs and tossing them into the overall playlist, they fit right in with the "official" deluxe album.

# Dec 6, 2005 @ 5:29 AM ET | IP Logged

and here comes that "Lord of Agony " dork in 3..... 2..... 1......

# Dec 6, 2005 @ 5:36 AM ET | IP Logged

Asianfetish, if you liked Untouchables that much, you will dig this one, because it takes the better elements they hinted at with that one and just makes a better stab at it this time. It s a very "thick" album i have realized, after listening to it twice in a row, i had to take a breather and throw some other stuff on, but so far, day 2, i still dig it and am finding new stuff i like about it. by this time last album, i felt i had already heard all that it had to offer, which was solid, but nothing that would last over time, as i havent even played it in over 6 months. I would have to say that this album is far more "Industrial" metal than Nu, sometimes coming off as a cross between The Fragile, Untouchables, a rock opera, and a dash the Self titled thrown in for recognizability and to reach the anger quotient people expect.

Does anybody picture LordAgony to sound/look like Gollum/Smeagol from the Lord of the Rings? hahaha

# Dec 6, 2005 @ 8:10 PM ET | IP Logged

any of you who remember korn when they were viciouse, tell me you didnt get chills when that motherf***er jon just starts shredding in the middle of "Liar", scatting like he's in the middle of a goddamn hurricane, and the riff is pretty killer. this album is the heaviest sh** they have put out in a WHILE! \m/

# Dec 7, 2005 @ 3:14 AM ET | IP Logged