Even though The Paradigm Shift might not be the album that listeners might expect after a reunion with Head, it shows the kind of creativity and inventiveness that, love them or hate them, helped to make them an influential force in heavy music.
This may not quite be KoRn’s best album ever, but The Paradigm Shift is KoRn’s best album since Untouchables and metal fans could do a lot worse than that.
This is my first review and felt like I needed to get this out there. Paradigm shift (if you are an old school KoRn fan) is a fantastic album.This is my first review and felt like I needed to get this out there. Paradigm shift (if you are an old school KoRn fan) is a fantastic album. It blends a lot of the old school hard riffing and removes that dub step nonsense. You can tell Head is back as the guitars are fuller and heavy. The band was never the same after he left. Say what you will about their first single, this is an amazing album that should be looked as the perfect successor to Take a Look in the Mirror.
People need to get off their high horse. This album is KoRn and there is no mistaking that. Waited 8 long years for this. Thank you KoRn.…Expand
First of all Korn is my favorite band and I love every album except for Path Of Totality was a disgrace.
This album is really good and KoRnFirst of all Korn is my favorite band and I love every album except for Path Of Totality was a disgrace.
This album is really good and KoRn made a progressive album. They were inspired by Issues to make this album and the thing is that they made a fusion with Untouchables and Issues. They have a much more heavy sound from Untouchables and they have some dark lyrics from Issues and combined all of that into The Paradigm Shift. In my opinion its really good I didn't such from them…Expand
This album is the best since "Take a Look in The Mirror". I like this record very much.I like every song on this album.It is very good thatThis album is the best since "Take a Look in The Mirror". I like this record very much.I like every song on this album.It is very good that Korn member came back to old stuff.They made really awesome album and I am not disappointed.Waiting new album...…Expand
Unsure where the paradigm shift is. This album is essentially what you have come to expect from Korn. I would say that this album is maybe aUnsure where the paradigm shift is. This album is essentially what you have come to expect from Korn. I would say that this album is maybe a little lighter than their older stuff, but it is still better than their dubstep album.…Expand
There are some decent tunes on this album, but not very much more, The album as a whole feels formulaic and predictable, lacking the tempoThere are some decent tunes on this album, but not very much more, The album as a whole feels formulaic and predictable, lacking the tempo changes and mood swings that made their first few albums disrupt the "tru-metal" equilibrium like no grunge album could. It's obviously more guitar heavy than the dubstep infested predecessor The Path of Totality, but not with the level of fury we've come to expect from the band, despite Welch's return. I'd pick Take A Look in the Mirror over this despite its lower critic score! Let's hope their recent touring with Slipknot has pushed them further in the right direction for their next album.…Expand
Being Korn's first album since their reunion with former second-guitarist: Brian "Head" Welch, the Paradigm Shift provides a stark contrast toBeing Korn's first album since their reunion with former second-guitarist: Brian "Head" Welch, the Paradigm Shift provides a stark contrast to the former album: The Path of Totality, which was both a brave and alluring experiment that melded metal and electronic music to create something that has not been heard before.
By comparison the Paradigm Shift, though still littered with electronics as evidenced by the album's first single: Never Never which some have described as notably "pop-ey", proves to be a far less bold attempt and sees Korn falling back on a more familiar and heavy sound with the electronics taking more of an awkward backseat, with the aforementioned Never Never appearing suddenly and unexpectedly among songs with vastly different sounds such as Mass Hysteria.
As a result this album feels a little complacent; not daring to aim high and instead playing with a variety of sounds previously seen in former albums with Mass Hysteria sounding like an outtake from the Untouchables while Paranoid and Aroused is reminiscent of Issues with the only major exceptions being Spike in my Veins and Never Never which see the electronic elements balance out with the more traditional sound more effectively, the former having been partially written by Noisia. One track in particular, Lullaby for a Sadist, sees Korn producing their first power ballad since Alone I Break and while it might sound appealing to some the song lacks the creepy and emotional impact it seems to be striving for, thanks in part to poor lyrical content, and as a result the attempt is rendered to little.
Korn fans who were expecting to see a major improvement with Head's return will be thoroughly disappointed. with the album being very reminiscent of Take a Look in the Mirror in the way in which it fails to establish its own identity, the result is surprisingly empty and lacking, especially in its lyrical content and while it isn't their worst album it isn't a good addition to the Korn collection.…Expand
