Niki N. Phaser

2003′s Take a Look in the Mirror has a special relevance for Korn fans, since it was the final album recorded by the original line-up, including Head (Brian Welch), who left the band to follow his religious beliefs, but has since released a solo album. The album is best known for spawning the Did My Time single, which had Angelina Jolie doing a special appearance in the video. Another great track from this album is Counting on Me, a heavy song which could be a good introduction to what Korn has to offer. The bass is massive, the guitars are big and you feel them falling on you, but the track is also a perfect display of Jonathan Davis’ complex vocals, which range from his signature schizo ramblings-type in the verse to death-metal shouting in the bridge and to dramatic dense screams for the chorus. Lyrically, the song is about dependence, but the kind where the one on whom someone is depending is the victim (“You’re the one who’s always screaming at me, I’m the one that keeps your life so care free”). This is not a give/take situation, it’s a take/take one, as we hear in the chorus: “Counting on me, Always hoping I’ll be, There for all of your problems, In turn you’re never there for me”. Of course, the song is most likely about Davis bitchin’ about some succubus that is giving him a headache, but just for the sake of rock’n'roll mythology, wouldn’t it be funny to presume that the song is about parenthood ? Lines like “Why can’t you ever back down? Why can’t you just shut your face?” or “You hate everything you see” fit really nicely to the image of a spoiled brat always kicking and screaming and demanding things and never saying thank you. Think about it…

Counting on Me LIVE AT ROCK AM RING

Finnish love metal pioneers, HIM are often mistaken for some poppy band, but in fact the core of their music is guitar-driven heavy metal. On that, they (actually Ville Valo, the songwriter) add some melodic synths or romantic lyrics. Still, to be completely truthful, two out of their six albums are more love than metal: Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001) and Dark Light (2005), the latter being famous for making HIM the first Finnish act to go gold in the US. The title track of this album, which at one point was speculated to be released as a single, marks the highest pop point in their career. It is the one song where Valo’s vocals seem to be genuine happy and the catchy piano tune of the chorus certainly adds to that feeling of benign nostalgia. We have to remember that this song was written when he was having a difficult time being the “miserable poet”, i.e. the days of his highly-publicized engagement to a Finnish TV star. But, back to the sound, the guitars are loud, but not heavy and the multi-layered direction they adopted for the record really hits home. All sorts of synth sighs form a subtle sonic spectre, that reminds us of the black-sabbathy-horror aspect of HIM. Still, it is that hypnotic Twin Peaks spookyness, that Ville Valo often cites as an influence, not something 666-esque.

The light is definitely in the music, so the dark is underlined through the lyrics, which speak of “the poison tears of a life denied” and “To learn how to die, In peace with her God”. They are inspired by a Norwegian book of the same title, authored by Mette Newth. It is the story of a 13 year old girl dying of leprosy in a miserable hospital. Hence, the female character in the song, whose fears are blinded by the dark light, and hence the gentle lullaby melody. Dark Light wasn’t played live, maybe because it’s so un-rock for a love metal band, but it surely represents a special and unique moment in HIM’s history and for that alone, should get your attention.

LISTEN TO VILLE VALO’S HAPPY MOMENT HERE

At the time of its release, Playing the Angel (2005) was a bit of a comeback for Depeche Mode, considering that it had been four years since Exciter. Nonetheless the album confirmed once and for all their status as a lasting band and as a legend-to-be. Precious, the first single had a lot to do with this, but the singles that followed were rather odd choices.

The real stand-out track of the album was The Darkest Star, which, as the title states, is an unique combination of light and darkness. It is, for sure, the most hypnotic song ever written by Martin Gore. It has everything that Depeche Mode “copyrighted” in music: uncomfortable perverse vocals by Dave Gahan, weird electro-effects filling every space, ambiguous lyrics about needing (or using ?) someone. Maybe the timing, almost seven minutes, severed all chances for The Darkest Star to be released as a single, but it remains a treasure within a treasure.