Korn are the heavy rockin', angst singin', murky dark golden boys of the mid-late 90's. This is where it begins, their self-titled debut. Touted by most critics and most fans as being the best thing they've ever done, it's also a nice way for the band to hype future releases. You know, the old "This next one is gonna be heavier than our first" shtick.

But it's hard as hell to get more heavy or more personal than this. Singer Jon Davis wears his heart on his shoulder throughout the record, from the pain-drenched opener "Blind" to the horrifying rape tale closer, "Daddy." Davis has a fairly simple lyric style. When he's pissed, you're gonna know it.

Such is the way of the song after "Blind," "Ball Tongue." Angry song. "Ball Tongue" is the first time Davis uses his little, um, weird noise thing he does with his voice. He's a unique singer, that one is. Lots of vocal tricks… that's what he does. Later on, it seems it's hurting his voice, but what he made in his prime was gold. Or at least silver.

Instrumentally, Korn never has had anything going for them. They have one of the worst bassists in the music industry, two less-than-decent guitarists, and an always-improving drummer. But virtuosity's not their focus. Their focus is creating an atmosphere for each song for the listener to get into.

And they succeed. They never were a diverse band. Ever. So many of their songs DO sound the same, but most are also memorable in their own way. The second half of the album is weaker than the first, though the record as a whole flow well. Probably because a lot of the songs sound the same, but hey, if that leads to nothing sounding out of place, I'm all for it.

And, of course, the signature song of this album is the closing "Daddy," which details Davis's molestation/rape as a child. Obviously, it's not going to be the easiest thing to listen to while Davis screams his head off and winds up bawling at the end of the track. Tough stuff. Creepy intro, menacing vocals from Davis, and graphic, GRAPHIC imagery make this the best song on the album.

Korn's self-titled album is not a classic because of a lack of diversity. And there's the whole "as instrumentalists, we suck" issue. However, it's still a great record. It's tough to listen to, unique in several ways, and the best record Korn has done. Or ever will do. Despite what they might say about the next one.