Optimism is in short supply, but lines on “Alive” crack the darkness a bit. Frontman Jonathan Davis claims that he feels dead “Deep Inside,” full of hate and pain he wants to rid himself of “before it’s too late.”
Unfortunately, the balance of the album finds Davis embracing and venting that rage. Every one of Mirror’s 13 tracks reflects feelings of hatred or despair. Davis screams the f-word, romanticizes self-mutilation and tells the source of his pain, “I want to slash and beat you” (“Right Now”). Similar violence appears on “Let’s Do This Now” (“Mercy I cannot allow/Through your face my fist will plow/Watching as your blood pours down”). Davis is out of his mind with anger on “Break Some Off,” “Here It Comes Again,” “Did My Time” and “Counting on Me.” Guest rapper Nas contributes to the antagonistic “Play Me” (“F— everybody … ’cause everybody is an enemy”), which also uses graphic anatomical slang to promote pornography.
Harsh language. Venomous rage. Nods to cutting and porn. One band member told Billboard, “I think everybody’s parents will hate it, so we did a good job.” Skilled at dividing families (more than 12 million sordid CDs sold since 1994), these guys get lots of mileage from the warning label. Don’t let Korn stir up morbid hysterics in your teen.
