Almost two months.This was the mother of all my absences! I just hope I haven't lost the touch which made this Blog cross 50k views.Yes, that is a 5 with four huge zeros.And I have no one to thank but all the readers.Thank you!
KoЯn's latest offering 'Path Of Totality' was a bolt from the blue.Though their single 'Get Up!' with Skrillex was out much, much earlier than any news about this album, I didn't expect that they would go ahead with Dubstep+Metal combo for a full-length album.But as they themselves assert in interviews, things just clicked amongst them and a year after their iffy 'KoЯn III : Remember Who You Are' , they put together an album that reeks of innovation and risk, collaborating with several underground EDM [Electronic and Dance Music] artists.
They have really put their brand on the line with this one.For all their claims that they had their own version of dubstep going on during their 'Follow The Leader' days back in 1998, it is but common knowledge that people have a very short memory span.And most aren't even open to the logic that a funky slap bass,and woozy drops qualify as dubstep.
The album name 'Path Of Totality' is derived from the special circumstances required to the see the Sun during the phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.You have to be at the exact right place and at the right time to witness it.Similarly, the band feels that nothing but pure juxtaposition of situations enabled them to make an album like this, and that this could never be repeated.
Onto the bits of the byte-
THE PATH OF TOTALITY ------- ******oooo [6/10]
Chaos Lives In Everything [feat. Skrillex] starts off in a tantalising manner but the bridge totally messes it up.Picks up again when the growling starts.In all, a better track than most on this record.
Kill Mercy Within [feat. Noisia] has a nice rhyming flow.I'm experienced enough to let lyrics float by.No one except Jonathan Davis [lead vocalist] knows the true meaning and references for his words!
My Wall [feat. Excision] begins almost seamlessly from the last track.The atmosphere created just stagnates at this point, neither moving up nor down.
And at this point enters the star that outshines everything that has been heard in 2011. Narcisstic Cannibal [feat. Skrillex and Kill The Noise] is a moment of inspiration. It talks about people getting so steeped in themselves that before they know it, they devour themselves, destroy themselves in their narcissism.
Illuminati [feat. Excision and Downlink] looks pretty forced.The dubstep is OK.The vocals really stretch like chewing gum, the cheap kind.
Burn The Obedient [feat. Noisia] sails in the same boat as Illuminati.You start cupping your face in your palms, waiting for the track to end.
Sanctuary [feat. Downlink] is next.A much easily skipped track.
Let's Go [feat. Noisia] begins with an engaging guitar track.Vocals spoil everything.
Get Up! [feat. Skrillex] brings back the enthusiasm with trademark Skrillex-style wicked bass drops,Munky's 'cathartic-as-ever' guitar, with Fieldy providing the rounded edges of the traditional bass.Ray Luzier keeps the backbone intact on drums while Jon Davis dishes out an impressive performance bettered only by Narcissistic Cannibal. This song is all about people complaining about their problems in life.JD asks them to just shut up, get up and actually do something.
Way Too Far [feat. 12th Planet] returns us to mediocrity.The dubstep is pretty amazing in the latter half of the track, so kudos for that.The haunting 'Oo-ooh' vocals towards the end are good.
The finale, Bleeding Out [feat. Feed Me] starts of with an extremely lovable piano and the standard 4-note progression, which surprisingly doesn't hold for long.I'd have based everything around those 4 notes.A refreshing change in pace is succeeded by arguably the best guitar riff in the album yet.The vocals are passable. The loud guitar riff finds much agreement with me, and the soothing bagpipe solo by Jon Davis is ethereal.Full marks.
The only thing that truly stands out on this record is the stunning genius of Sonny Moore a.k.a. Skrillex.It has not been even two years since his debut album of the EDM/Dubstep genre called 'My Name Is Skrillex' and he's out making crowds convulse to his infectious bass drops.
He is already being regarded as a pioneer and is synonymous with the genre.Each track that he has worked on, with KoЯn, has turned out great and that's saying something!
Finally, after all the amalgamations, talks of DubMetal and what-not hype, this album garners a 6/10 from me.It's just a bit better than it is boring.Just.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS:
1.Julien-K's second album 'We're Here With You' opened to immense success, racing to #2 on the iTunes Electronic charts.Look out for more on this next time!
2.Poets Of The Fall have revealed the name of their next album.It's going to be called 'Temple Of Thought'.Seven track names have been let out, one each day.All I can say that the names are pretty deep and enigmatic.Can't wait for a typical Poets masterpiece.March they say.
3.Skillet is expected to come out with a new album this September.
4.Linkin Park have been quietly working on new material too and might just have a record out this year.They'll be playing at the Rock AM Ring, Germany for sure. Here's what Mike Shinoda of LP has to say about the new album. [Zoom In !! ]
Next: A change in sound from SynthRock to Indie-Electro.Does Julien-K still win hearts?
 |
| Album Art |
KoЯn's latest offering 'Path Of Totality' was a bolt from the blue.Though their single 'Get Up!' with Skrillex was out much, much earlier than any news about this album, I didn't expect that they would go ahead with Dubstep+Metal combo for a full-length album.But as they themselves assert in interviews, things just clicked amongst them and a year after their iffy 'KoЯn III : Remember Who You Are' , they put together an album that reeks of innovation and risk, collaborating with several underground EDM [Electronic and Dance Music] artists.
They have really put their brand on the line with this one.For all their claims that they had their own version of dubstep going on during their 'Follow The Leader' days back in 1998, it is but common knowledge that people have a very short memory span.And most aren't even open to the logic that a funky slap bass,and woozy drops qualify as dubstep.
 |
| Album art - Follow The Leader (1998) |
The album name 'Path Of Totality' is derived from the special circumstances required to the see the Sun during the phenomenon of a total solar eclipse.You have to be at the exact right place and at the right time to witness it.Similarly, the band feels that nothing but pure juxtaposition of situations enabled them to make an album like this, and that this could never be repeated.
Onto the bits of the byte-
THE PATH OF TOTALITY ------- ******oooo [6/10]
Chaos Lives In Everything [feat. Skrillex] starts off in a tantalising manner but the bridge totally messes it up.Picks up again when the growling starts.In all, a better track than most on this record.
Kill Mercy Within [feat. Noisia] has a nice rhyming flow.I'm experienced enough to let lyrics float by.No one except Jonathan Davis [lead vocalist] knows the true meaning and references for his words!
 |
| Jonathan Davis [JD] |
My Wall [feat. Excision] begins almost seamlessly from the last track.The atmosphere created just stagnates at this point, neither moving up nor down.
And at this point enters the star that outshines everything that has been heard in 2011. Narcisstic Cannibal [feat. Skrillex and Kill The Noise] is a moment of inspiration. It talks about people getting so steeped in themselves that before they know it, they devour themselves, destroy themselves in their narcissism.
Illuminati [feat. Excision and Downlink] looks pretty forced.The dubstep is OK.The vocals really stretch like chewing gum, the cheap kind.
Burn The Obedient [feat. Noisia] sails in the same boat as Illuminati.You start cupping your face in your palms, waiting for the track to end.
Sanctuary [feat. Downlink] is next.A much easily skipped track.
Let's Go [feat. Noisia] begins with an engaging guitar track.Vocals spoil everything.
Get Up! [feat. Skrillex] brings back the enthusiasm with trademark Skrillex-style wicked bass drops,Munky's 'cathartic-as-ever' guitar, with Fieldy providing the rounded edges of the traditional bass.Ray Luzier keeps the backbone intact on drums while Jon Davis dishes out an impressive performance bettered only by Narcissistic Cannibal. This song is all about people complaining about their problems in life.JD asks them to just shut up, get up and actually do something.
Way Too Far [feat. 12th Planet] returns us to mediocrity.The dubstep is pretty amazing in the latter half of the track, so kudos for that.The haunting 'Oo-ooh' vocals towards the end are good.
The finale, Bleeding Out [feat. Feed Me] starts of with an extremely lovable piano and the standard 4-note progression, which surprisingly doesn't hold for long.I'd have based everything around those 4 notes.A refreshing change in pace is succeeded by arguably the best guitar riff in the album yet.The vocals are passable. The loud guitar riff finds much agreement with me, and the soothing bagpipe solo by Jon Davis is ethereal.Full marks.
The only thing that truly stands out on this record is the stunning genius of Sonny Moore a.k.a. Skrillex.It has not been even two years since his debut album of the EDM/Dubstep genre called 'My Name Is Skrillex' and he's out making crowds convulse to his infectious bass drops.
 |
| Sonny Moore a.k.a. Skrillex |
He is already being regarded as a pioneer and is synonymous with the genre.Each track that he has worked on, with KoЯn, has turned out great and that's saying something!
Finally, after all the amalgamations, talks of DubMetal and what-not hype, this album garners a 6/10 from me.It's just a bit better than it is boring.Just.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NEWS:
1.Julien-K's second album 'We're Here With You' opened to immense success, racing to #2 on the iTunes Electronic charts.Look out for more on this next time!
2.Poets Of The Fall have revealed the name of their next album.It's going to be called 'Temple Of Thought'.Seven track names have been let out, one each day.All I can say that the names are pretty deep and enigmatic.Can't wait for a typical Poets masterpiece.March they say.
 |
| Temple Of Thought |
3.Skillet is expected to come out with a new album this September.
4.Linkin Park have been quietly working on new material too and might just have a record out this year.They'll be playing at the Rock AM Ring, Germany for sure. Here's what Mike Shinoda of LP has to say about the new album. [Zoom In !! ]
Next: A change in sound from SynthRock to Indie-Electro.Does Julien-K still win hearts?
