The Path of Totality - Korn
Metascore
58 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 15
  3. Negative: 4 out of 15
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  1. Kerrang!
    Jan 4, 2012
    80
    They're still aggressive, heavy and furious, but this new approach also makes them relevant, incisive and swaggering again. [10 Dec 2011, p.50]
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  2. Q Magazine
    Dec 22, 2011
    80
    Their boldest and best album for years. [Jan 2012, p.124]
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  3. All Music Guide
    Dec 6, 2011
    80
    Despite all the electronics, there's no mistaking The Path of Totality as a Korn album...and one of their better ones to boot.
  4. PopMatters
    Jan 10, 2012
    70
    Surprisingly good genre-crossover experiment.
  5. musicOMH.com
    Dec 5, 2011
    70
    The Path Of Totality is overall quite an interesting and largely rewarding proposition. Whether it manages to please dubstep or Korn fans however is another matter.
  6. Spin
    Nov 30, 2011
    70
    Thing is, dubstep's slithering textures actually suit Davis' demented croon, particularly in the cuts produced by Skrillex.
  7. New Musical Express (NME)
    Dec 20, 2011
    60
    Much as there's no getting away from the fact that this is basically one long remix, it's much better than the car crash we all predicted it would be.
  8. NOW Magazine
    Dec 8, 2011
    60
    The combination of chugging half-time beats, machine gun riffing and techno's sonic extremism is way more pleasing than it should be, the weakest point being Jonathan Davis's earnest adolescent vocals, which we assume actual Korn fans will enjoy.
  9. Consequence of Sound
    Dec 6, 2011
    60
    Sonically, The Path of Totality feels culturally authentic and trendy, while at the same time, pounding enough for mosh pits and dance floors alike.
  10. BBC Music
    Dec 1, 2011
    60
    They get full marks for effort but, unfortunately, not for the end results.
  11. The Boston Phoenix
    Dec 14, 2011
    50
    This is the same ol' Korn you've loved or hated (or felt indifferently toward) since you first saw that slo-mo bullet in the "Freak on a Leash" video, except with de-tuned guitars swapped for garish, beefy synths.
  12. Prefix Magazine
    Jan 3, 2012
    30
    How does this sucker sound? Not very good.
  13. No Ripcord
    Jan 3, 2012
    10
    It is samey, ugly and spectacularly stupid at the same time.
  14. Sputnikmusic
    Nov 30, 2011
    10
    The Path Of Totality is an album that doesn't work because it tries to be something it's not; no, it fails because of not just its terrible premise but its truly dreadful execution.
  15. The A.V. Club
    Dec 13, 2011
    0
    To Korn's credit, The Path Of Totality is its most radical reinvention to date. It's also the worst slab of sludge it ever shat.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.2 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 58 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 28
  3. Negative: 7 out of 28
  1. r3views
    10
    A successful experiment that results in one of Korn's finest albums. While some of Korn's latest outings have been less then stellar, the choice to try something new proved right for the group from Bakersfield.… Full Review »
  2. TwisterAce
    8
    I am a longtime fan of Korn. I am not a fan of dubstep. Still, I believe it was an interesting idea to fuse Korn's brand of alternative metal with dubstep. The latter genre actually fits perfectly with lead singer Jonathan Davis' vocal style. Munky's guitars and Fieldy's bass may seem overwhelmed by the electronics at times, but they still stand out in their own ways. I do not consider "The Path of Totality" to be as groundbreaking as Davis made it out to be, but it's certainly a good idea and a welcome change. Not everything is perfect - a few songs are rather bland - but overall it stands as a classic Korn album.… Full Review »
  3. Salem
    6
    It is not bad at all. I expected it to be dull, especially after the release of "Narcissistic Cannibal" single, but even my first listen of the whole album made me rather benevolent. There is a couple of songs worth listening, even if one's not a fan of either dubstep or Korn ("Bleeding Out", or "Fuels the Comedy" from extended album edition). Mixing those genres seems a good move, once again towards mainstream, as it comes to dubstep, though creating something new, when blending it with metal. Potential was huge, but on the other hand, dubstep and metal parts aren't well-proportioned as Jonathan Davis had promised them to be. Repetitive measures and rhytm can push away those Korn hard-fans who awaited their band to create something more olschool. The album also can't be called "innovative", just because at moments (for example "My Wall") it sounds underproduced and incomplete.… Full Review »
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