Korn : Live on the Other Side (2006)

Great Film overall

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This DVD was given to me as a gift, and I received it with mixed feelings. Having been a Korn fan for the better part of 13 years, part of me was excited to see one of my oldest favs in action again. But then there's the part of me that remembers how many times I've written them off (re: Issues, Untouchables) and so I was somewhat reluctant. Plus, this is the first DVD performance I've seen from Korn without founding guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, who parted ways with the band recently due to his "finding Jesus". I must say that such news crushed me as a fan, Head was one of my inspirations to start playing guitar, and at one point I swore off Korn altogether. But this set won me back, mostly. The setlist is equally balanced between all their releases, for the most part. They rip through the standards, and sprinkle a few new songs throughout. They've always been a crowd oriented live act, and even after all these years they still dig in like they always have. The extras are worth checking out, especially the mid flight concert the band does on a private jet. All in all, I'd say it's worth viewing, for Korn fans old and new alike.

Musically, I've finally seen other cutting edge varieties to unfold recently. I met with Mark Yaskoweak, of MAG-10 Guitars to learn more about this new combo bass/guitar in one. There's a vast future for this concept, and this man is blazing along the cutting edge with his styles and sound. This would be perfect for a player like Fieldy, or others within the rock/metal genre. This feature should be seen as it's a great capturing of this sound. The music of today has evolved itself into a recyclable pool of style, that is unfortunate. The projects that have ever really been a true innovation, have always pushed the envelope and have a tendency to face rejection more than acceptance within the immediate displays publicly. It would be great to see a trend of trend setting, though that remains an ideal thought, bands like KORN have done a great job of keeping that hope alive.