Monkey Diaries Archive

I've been punching keys too long today. The only thing keeping me at my desk is Korn's newest album, Untouchables. One song in particular seems to strike a chord with me. "Thoughtless" is unlike any previous Korn song I've ever heard in so much as the use of melody is more apparent and allows Jonathan Davis, Korn's lead singer, to utilize his wide palette of vocal tricks. I've always thought that his voice had been held in check, just waiting for an opportunity to announce it's range, from the little used soulful wail to the often used, clear-throated wail to his trademark death metal growl. One review I read prior to grabbing the album off Limewire pointed toward "King for a Day, Fool for a Lifetime-era Faith No More", as the most notable inspiration and I can easily hear what the reviewer was writing about. The only problem that I have ever had with Davis was his lyrics, which tend to fall into the "am I going crazy" trap that many of today's grunge metal bands seem to be so infatuated with. While he does tend to lean into the darker recesses of insanity on this newest album, I can at least see a departure in the delivery. Instead of the growl, he uses his melodic voice as a counterpoint to what is being said, figuratively and literally.