Korn
Follow the Leaders (Immortal/Epic)
The new kings of heavy grind themselves into dust reliving their tortured childhoods (you know the type, at least from slasher movies and Marilyn Manson videos: dysfunctional family disgorges a little brat who screams “dead bodies everywhere”). But when Jonathan Davis drops the attempts at shock-rock lyricism and just babbles like he’s exorcising a demon or, better yet, wails on his bagpipes, Korn sounds like the freshest, fiercest rap-metal beast around. Though two earlier albums were muddled sonically, “Follow the Leaders” layers textures into a sinister thrill ride; doom-laden synthesizers, noisemaker drum loops and cameo raps from Ice Cube and the Pharcyde’s Tre augment a pulverizing guitar-bass assault.
