Review: Korn

Artless and bludgeoning, Korn is not a particularly good rock band. Yet they've managed to sell 10s of millions of albums and have been awarded two Grammys because they do one thing extraordinarily well. Korn forges a menacing sound that's a perfect reflection of the inchoate rage and frustration they share with their fans.

The audience of approximately 1,800 inside the sweltering Uptown Theater on Tuesday didn't buy tickets to hear nuance. Instead, they received precisely the sort of primal attack they expected from the California-based band. Headliners at last year's Rockfest at Penn Valley Park, Korn's return to Kansas City resembled a miniature version of the annual spectacle. Women perched on men's shoulders warily watched for reckless crowd surfers. Tossed drinks and thick smoke rose above a furious mosh pit.

Korn's style, a blunt metallic groove, rarely varies. New single "Oildale (Leave Me Alone)" from the band's forthcoming ninth studio album carefully follows their successful formula. It features grinding guitars, tribal drumming, a rhythmic pulse that alludes to hip-hop, gasped vocals and profanity-laced lyrics about alienation. It's raw, crude and wholly effective.

Only two selections deviated from Tuesday's otherwise monochromatic attack. Supplemented by two additional two musicians, the quartet toyed with dynamics on "Falling Away from Me." And "Shoots and Ladders" was introduced with a burst of bagpiping by frontman Jonathan Davis. Otherwise, the primary musical variations came in the form of Davis' vocal inflections. On "Here To Stay" Davis displayed much of his arsenal. He shrieked, whined, bellowed and sputtered his way through the visceral song.

Korn's catalog is so loaded with anthemic material ideally suited to a live setting that when they briefly riffed on Queen's "We Will Rock You," the energy level in the room was reduced by the arena rock staple. Mob mayhem peaked during vicious readings of "Blind" and "Freak On a Leash."

Although Korn played only 80 minutes, few fans seemed disappointed by the concert's brevity. The band's performance was so relentlessly unforgiving that even Korn's most ardent admirers were likely exhausted by the sonic assault.

Opening bands

2 Cents: The Los Angeles band's calculated audience banter was more memorable than its pedestrian thrash.

Conquest: The refreshingly ritualistic opening set by Conquest served as a unintentional tribute to the recently deceased vocalist Ronnie James Dio. The St. Louis-based band offered an irony-free recreation of Dio's histrionic work with Rainbow and Black Sabbath.

| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star

Comments

[math]

Korn(hole-io) has sold 10s of millions of albums?? but only 1800 people show up? and they only played an hour and change? .... somehow those numbers do not add up, what is the deal?

Main attractions in concert who only play an hour+ are a waste of time.

It takes 1/2 an hour to get there, 15 minutes to situate, then the "music" starts, ladeda ...yadda yadda .... then you grab a beer, take a piss ... and bam bam boom it is over .... then half an hour back home ....... just does not add up.

[Bubba]

Since I missed KORN at last year's ' sardine city ' packed Rockfest - I thought about hitting the Uptown gig, but I simpy didn't feel like messing with it. 80 minutes is their average length they USUALLY play, isn't it? Maybe next time.

[adidas]

If you have ever been to a Korn concert you know they don't stop between songs. It's a constant flow of one song right into the other so that 80 minutes is well worth it.
When the first line of a review is a criticism of the band and their ability you know it's not gonna be a good review. Why send someone to review them that is already against them. I know it's all opinions but I'm just sayin come on man.

[Steve]

I did not think it was a bad/negative review. Does the reviewer like them, no. But other then that, he seems to like the performance, and was happy the crowd got what they wanted.

I wanted to go, but did not like them enough for $42 a ticket, maybe $20. Now if Devo or LCD Soundsystem come this year, that's worth $42 (or more)to me.

[Green]

80 Mins ... seems short, but if its an all out attack sometimes a shorter show works better, seems like they could have played longer, from what I recall the prices for this show were kinda high, I think I would have wanted a little more bludgeoning.

[pellboy]

Huh, I didn't take the review as really that negative either. I've never been a fan of Korn but I thought the reviewer did a good job of describing the band (they ARE artless and bludgeoning but in this context, that's not necessarily a bad thing) and what went down at this show.

[Green]

Is it fair to say they are artless, art is any creative expression.

[pellboy]

You're right, Green...it's all in the eye of the beholder. How about less art? :)

[Green]

I dunno about less art, I always liked korn, the rhythm section of the band was insane. I thought they stuck around a lil long but some of those first albums were great. I moved on when Issues came out, guess i wasnt angry any more, but by then it was the same old thing. However, Korn, Life Is Peachy and Follow the Leader are favorites!

[mankvill]

since when was nu-metal popular again?