Korn III...

It came out last week and while most people claim that they can't stand Korn now, sorta like Limp Bizkit, I've always been a fan no matter what. Korn was my first metal show in October '95 when they were on their first album tour. That self-titled debut was something that was totally new to the metal world and helped respawn metal's mainstream appeal (at a time when Metallica had decided that guitar solos and long hair both had to go).

On Korn III they really went back to their roots. Even though 2 of the original band members are no longer with them, the root appeal of the original sound is back. No more multi-track sampling, atmospheric keyboard fills or Pro-Tools fueled overproduction. They recorded live in a small room and hired Ross Robinson to once again produce all of it and I personally like the end result.

Will it be as popular as Follow The Leader? No, but that was a different era in music and media as a whole. Is it a better album though? Yes, to people who actually liked Korn when they first hit the scene.