The Nothing (Korn album)

Last updated

The Nothing
KornTheNothingcover.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedSeptember 13, 2019 (2019-09-13)
Studio
Genre Nu metal [1]
Length44:20
Label
Producer Nick Raskulinecz
Korn chronology
The Serenity of Suffering
(2016)
The Nothing
(2019)
Requiem
(2022)
Singles from The Nothing
  1. "You'll Never Find Me"
    Released: June 25, 2019 [2]
  2. "Can You Hear Me"
    Released: February 11, 2020 [3]
  3. "Finally Free"
    Released: October 15, 2020

The Nothing is the thirteenth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on September 13, 2019, through Roadrunner and Elektra. The album was produced by Nick Raskulinecz. [4] [5]

Contents

Background and recording

According to the band's lead singer, Jonathan Davis, the title of the album was inspired by a villain from The NeverEnding Story . [6] This is the first album recorded after the deaths of Davis' wife Deven and mother Holly Marie Chavez, which is reflected in the lyrics of songs such as "Finally Free". [7] This affected Davis during the recording of the album, which he treated as a form of personal therapy. Some of his emotional breakdowns were recorded and ended up on the album, most notably towards the end of the intro, "The End Begins". Davis said about the album:

"I went through hell last year and had to purge what I was going through and bring the listener through that experience. I don't know how to explain it but it takes me over. When you hear me break down and cry, that's not fake. It's how I get it out. Some people go to a shrink. My music is that for me." [8]

The recording process was unusually long for a Korn record as Davis stated in an interview with Kerrang! that while he would do a typical Korn record in two weeks, he spent around four months recording the vocal tracks for The Nothing. [9]

Following the album's release, the band was scheduled to go on tour co-headlined with Alice in Chains. [10]

Release and promotion

On June 25, 2019, the band revealed the title of the album, official release date and unveiled its first single, "You'll Never Find Me", [11] and the second, "Cold", on August 2. [12] [13]

On September 6, with the release of the third single "Can You Hear Me", Korn announced a six-episode podcast series. The podcast bears the same title as the album and is a fictional show about a journalist who travels to a small Kansas town to investigate a teenager's disappearance. [14]

On the day of release, September 13, the band played an invite-only special concert. The set list included four tracks from The Nothing, three of which had not been played live previously. [15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 83/100 [16]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [17]
Blabbermouth.net 8.5/10 [18]
Consequence of Sound B+ [19]
Kerrang! Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [20]
Louder Sound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [21]
Metal Injection8/10 [1]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [22]
Rock 'N' Load10/10 [23]
SputnikmusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [24]
Wall of Sound9/10 [25]

The Nothing received acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 83 out of 100 based on six reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [16] It is also the highest Metacritic rating out of all Korn's albums rated on the website. [26] AllMusic gave the album a positive review saying, "Over atmospheric NIN-like piano and towering drums, he exposes his guilt-stricken soul in a final confessional. As the swell fades away, he weeps, "I failed, I failed." It's one of the saddest moments in their catalog, a low point that ironically elevates this album to one of their strongest statements. Korn have always excelled at pain, but with The Nothing, this is the most authentic it's ever been." [17]

Loudwire named it one of the 50 best metal albums of 2019. [27]

Commercial performance

The Nothing debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 with 33,000 album-equivalent units, of which 29,000 were pure album sales. It is Korn's 14th US top-10 album. [28] As of the end of 2020, the album has sold over 80,000 traditional copies in the US.[ citation needed ]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The End Begins" Jonathan Davis 1:31
2."Cold"Davis, James Shaffer, Brian Welch, Reginald Arvizu, Ray Luzier, Lauren Christy, Nick Raskulinecz 3:46
3."You'll Never Find Me"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, Billy Corgan, Raskulinecz3:41
4."The Darkness Is Revealing"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, Raskulinecz3:40
5."Idiosyncrasy"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, Raskulinecz4:39
6."The Seduction of Indulgence"Davis1:43
7."Finally Free"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier3:53
8."Can You Hear Me"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier2:53
9."The Ringmaster"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier3:01
10."Gravity of Discomfort"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, Christy, Raskulinecz3:35
11."H@rd3r"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, Christy, Raskulinecz4:47
12."This Loss"Davis, Shaffer, Welch, Arvizu, Luzier, John Feldmann, Raskulinecz4:41
13."Surrender to Failure"Davis2:21
Total length:44:20

Personnel

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korn</span> American nu metal band

Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band is notable for pioneering the nu metal genre and bringing it into the mainstream.

<i>Untouchables</i> (album) 2002 studio album by Korn

Untouchables is the fifth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was officially released on June 11, 2002, and featured the Grammy-winning single "Here to Stay". Untouchables debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 495,991 copies sold during its first week, second only to Eminem's The Eminem Show. The album received positive reviews from music critics. It was certified platinum on July 11, 2002, and has sold at least 1.4 million copies in the United States.

<i>Korn</i> (album) 1994 studio album by Korn

Korn is the debut studio album by the American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 11, 1994, through Immortal and Epic Records. Before recording the album, the band was approached by Immortal/Epic Records after a performance at Huntington Beach, California. The band signed to their label because they did not want to "sign away all of their creative freedom". The band would record at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu, California, with producer Ross Robinson, who also produced their 1993 demo Neidermayer's Mind. The recording took place from May to June 1994. After the recordings, Korn toured with Biohazard and House of Pain.

<i>Life Is Peachy</i> 1996 studio album by Korn

Life Is Peachy is the second studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 15, 1996, through both Immortal Records and Epic Records. After the release of Korn's 1994 self-titled debut album, the band reunited with Ross Robinson to produce and went back to Indigo Ranch Studios to record. Life Is Peachy features such themes as drugs, social encounters, sex, betrayal, and revenge. The album has fourteen tracks, excluding the hidden track after "Kill You". Martin Riedl photographed its cover art, and its title is credited to Korn's bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. Life Is Peachy was Korn's first significant breakthrough, which came from constant touring after the debut album's release and building a fan base, thus fueling great expectations.

<i>Follow the Leader</i> (Korn album) 1998 studio album by Korn

Follow the Leader is the third studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on August 18, 1998, through both Immortal and Epic Records. This was their first album not produced by Ross Robinson. Instead, it was produced by Steve Thompson and Toby Wright.

<i>Take a Look in the Mirror</i> 2003 studio album by Korn

Take a Look in the Mirror is the sixth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. Released on November 21, 2003, through Epic Records and Immortal Records, it is the last Korn studio album to feature their full original lineup, as their original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch left the band in February 2005 until his return in 2013. Original drummer David Silveria also left Korn before the end of 2006 after the release of their next album See You on the Other Side. It was also the last studio album by Korn under the Epic and Immortal labels.

<i>The Paradigm Shift</i> 2013 studio album by Korn

The Paradigm Shift is the eleventh studio album by American nu metal band Korn. Produced by Don Gilmore, it was released by multiple labels in the United Kingdom on October 7, 2013, and in the United States the next day. It is the first Korn album to feature original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's Take a Look in the Mirror.

<i>.5: The Gray Chapter</i> 2014 studio album by Slipknot

.5: The Gray Chapter is the fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot, released on October 17, 2014 by Roadrunner Records. It was the first studio album by the band in six years and the first not to feature original founding members bassist Paul Gray and drummer Joey Jordison due to the death of Gray in 2010, and Jordison being fired from the band in late 2013, as well as the only Slipknot album to feature original guitarist Donnie Steele on bass, although the tracks he played on are unknown, and the first Slipknot album to have Alessandro Venturella on bass and Jay Weinberg on drums. The album includes six singles and has received commercial success and acclaiming reviews. A standard and deluxe edition of the album was released. It is also the band's final studio album to feature their longtime percussionist Chris Fehn before his dismissal from the band due to a lawsuit in March 2019.

<i>Thats the Spirit</i> 2015 studio album by Bring Me the Horizon

That's the Spirit is the fifth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. The album was released on 11 September 2015, and marks a departure from the group's metalcore roots, in favour of a less aggressive alternative rock and metal style.

<i>The Serenity of Suffering</i> 2016 studio album by Korn

The Serenity of Suffering is the twelfth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on October 21, 2016. According to guitarist Brian Welch, it is "heavier than anyone's heard us in a long time" and it contains their most intense vocals and music in recent times.

<i>Black Labyrinth</i> 2018 studio album by Jonathan Davis

Black Labyrinth is the debut solo studio album by American vocalist Jonathan Davis. The album was released on May 25, 2018, through Sumerian Records.

<i>I Loved You at Your Darkest</i> 2018 studio album by Behemoth

I Loved You at Your Darkest is the eleventh studio album by Polish extreme metal band Behemoth, released on 5 October 2018.

<i>Evolution</i> (Disturbed album) 2018 studio album by Disturbed

Evolution is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Disturbed. It was released on October 19, 2018, by Reprise Records. The album's first single, "Are You Ready", was released before the album in August 2018, while the second single, "A Reason to Fight", was released a month later. The third single, "No More", was released on June 2, 2019.

<i>Amo</i> (Bring Me the Horizon album) 2019 studio album by Bring Me the Horizon

Amo is the sixth studio album by British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Originally scheduled for release on 11 January 2019, it was released on 25 January 2019. The album was announced on 22 August 2018, a day after the release of the lead single "Mantra". It was produced by vocalist Oliver Sykes and keyboardist Jordan Fish, and was written and recorded primarily in Los Angeles.

<i>Walk the Sky</i> 2019 studio album by Alter Bridge

Walk the Sky is the sixth studio album by American rock band Alter Bridge, released on October 18, 2019 via Napalm Records. It was produced by the band's longtime collaborator Michael Baskette, who has produced all of the band's albums since 2007's Blackbird. The album's first single, "Wouldn't You Rather", was released on June 28, 2019. A second single, "Pay No Mind", was released on July 25, 2019, with four further singles, "Take the Crown", "In the Deep", "Dying Light", and "Godspeed" later released. The album's cover art was designed by Dan Tremonti, brother of guitarist Mark Tremonti; its packaging was designed by Sturge Media and Janus Music Mgmt. Along with the announcement of the album's release, it was also revealed that the band would embark on a European tour with Shinedown, Sevendust and the Raven Age towards the end of 2019.

"You'll Never Find Me" is a song by American nu metal band Korn, released as the lead single from their thirteenth studio album The Nothing.

<i>Atonement</i> (Killswitch Engage album) 2019 studio album by Killswitch Engage

Atonement is the eighth studio album by American metalcore band Killswitch Engage, released through Metal Blade Records on August 16, 2019. Lead single "Unleashed" was released on June 25, and followed by "I Am Broken Too" in July which would later follow up with a music video in August, as well as "The Signal Fire" shortly before the album's release. The band began a co-headlining tour of North America with Clutch in promotion of the album in July.

"Cold" is a song by American nu metal band Korn. It was released as a promotional single from their thirteenth studio album The Nothing.

<i>Requiem</i> (Korn album) 2022 studio album by Korn

Requiem is the fourteenth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. The album was released on February 4, 2022, through Loma Vista and Concord. It was produced by the band and Chris Collier.

"Can You Hear Me" is a song by American nu metal band Korn, released as the penultimate single from their thirteenth studio album The Nothing.

References

  1. 1 2 "Album Review: Korn – The Nothing". Metal Injection. September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  2. "Korn – You'll Never Find Me". Play MPE. June 26, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  3. "Korn – Can You Hear Me". Play MPE. January 29, 2020. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. "Korn Shares New Song". iheart.com.
  5. Israel Daramola (June 26, 2019). "Korn Announce New Album The Nothing, Release "You'll Never Find Me"". Spin . Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  6. "Jonathan Davis Explains The Title of Korn's New Album, The Nothing". Kerrang!. July 3, 2019. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  7. "Korn's Jonathan Davis: "I have the remains of at least seven people in my house"". New Musical Express. September 13, 2019.
  8. "With new fans aboard, Korn shows how to metal in middle age". Los Angeles Times. September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  9. In Conversation With Jonathan Davis of Korn , retrieved September 13, 2019
  10. Childers, Chad (June 26, 2019). "Korn Debut 'You'll Never Find Me' Music Video". Loudwire. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  11. "Behold KoЯn's Brand New Song 'You'll Never Find Me' From Forthcoming Album The Nothing". Wall Of Sound. June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  12. "Stop Everything: A New Korn Song Has Surfaced Called 'Cold'". Wall of Sound. August 2, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  13. "Korn Shares New Song "You'll Never Find Me" & Reveals 'The Nothing' Album | iHeartRadio". Iheart.com. June 25, 2019. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  14. "Even Korn can't resist releasing its own branded fictional podcast miniseries". The Verge. September 6, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  15. Childers, Chad (September 14, 2019). "Photos: Korn Play Intimate 'The Nothing' Record Release Show". Loudwire. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  16. 1 2 "The Nothing Reviews – Korn". Metacritic. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  17. 1 2 Z. Yeung, Neil (September 13, 2019). "The Nothing Reviews – Korn". AllMusic . Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  18. Lawson, Dom (September 4, 2019). "KORN - "The Nothing"". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  19. "Album Review: Korn Deliver Groove and Emotion on The Nothing". Consequence of Sound. September 12, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  20. "Album Review: Korn – The Nothing". Kerrang!. September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  21. Hill, Stephen (September 12, 2019). "Korn's The Nothing recaptures the genuine darkness of their earlier works". Louder Sound . Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  22. Leivers, Dannii (September 4, 2019). "Korn – 'The Nothing' review". NME . Retrieved September 8, 2019.
  23. "Korn // The Nothing // Album Review". September 10, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  24. "Korn The Nothing". Sputnikmusic. September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  25. Birkin, James (September 12, 2019). "Korn – The Nothing (Album Review)". Wall of Sound. Retrieved September 16, 2019.
  26. "Korn". Metacritic.
  27. "The 50 Best Metal Albums of 2019". Loudwire . Townsquare Media. December 3, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2021.
  28. 1 2 Caulfield, Keith (September 23, 2019). "Post Malone Spends Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200, The Lumineers & Korn Debut in Top 10". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  29. "Korn – {{{album}}}". Argentine Albums. CAPIF. On Fecha, select {{{date}}} to see the correspondent chart. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  30. "Australiancharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  31. "Austriancharts.at – Korn – The Nothing" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  32. "Ultratop.be – Korn – The Nothing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  33. "Ultratop.be – Korn – The Nothing" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  34. "Korn Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  35. "Eesti Tipp-40: Official Estonian Digital Albums Chart". Eesti Ekspress . Retrieved September 30, 2019.
  36. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 39.Týden 2019 on the field besides the words "CZ – ALBUMS – TOP 100" to retrieve the correct chart. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  37. "Korn: The Nothing" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  38. "Lescharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  39. "Offiziellecharts.de – Korn – The Nothing" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  40. "Korn - The Nothing" . Retrieved February 21, 2023.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
  41. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2019. 38. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  42. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Korn". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  43. "Italiancharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  44. 23, 2019/ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: September 23, 2019" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
  45. "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 38. nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on October 10, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
  46. "Savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. September 23, 2019. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
  47. "Korn - The Nothing". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  48. "Top Album - Semanal (del 13 al 19 de septiembre de 2019)" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  49. "Dutchcharts.nl – Korn – The Nothing" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  50. "Charts.nz – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  51. "Vinyl 2019 uke 38" (in Norwegian). topplista.no. September 19, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  52. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  53. "Portuguesecharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
  54. "Worldwide iTunes Album Chart".
  55. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  56. "Slovak Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI . Retrieved December 15, 2022.Note: On the chart page, select SK - Albums - Top 100 under the left field and "201938" on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data.
  57. "Spanishcharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  58. "Swedishcharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  59. "Veckolista Hårdrock, vecka 38" (in Swedish). Sverigetopplistan . Retrieved September 10, 2022.
  60. "Swisscharts.com – Korn – The Nothing". Hung Medien. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  61. "Lescharts.ch – Korn – The Nothing" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
  62. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  63. "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. September 20, 2019. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  64. "Korn Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  65. "Korn Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  66. "Korn Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  67. "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  68. "Top Hard Rock Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved August 19, 2022.