Nick Raskulinecz

ALBUM REVIEW: DEFTONES – PRIVATE MUSIC

I’m sure I’m not only one that has been a Deftones fan for over 30 years. What’s even crazier is seeing all these young kids now getting into the band all these years into their career. The resurgence of Deftones has been quite interesting to watch. While their past couple albums have seemed pretty lackluster and clearly not very inspired, their new album Private Music is the band we all know and love firing on all cylinders again. Everyone in the band really seems into the new album and feeling that fire again.

Private Music is the album we’ve been waiting to be the follow up to Koi No Yokan. Deftones when they are focused like this are unstoppable. The ethereal and ambient sounds mixed with the heavy and more spacey, delicate riffs, along with the always pulsating and driving rhythmic nature are at peak performance on this album. From the moment “My Mind Is A Mountain” begins you can feel the energy simmering to a boil and from there it’s an absolute trip. the ride you go on through this record is uplifting, optimistic and directly channelled. Songs like “Ecdysis,” “Infinite Source,” “Souvenir,” make up one hell of a part of the trip! These 3 songs back to back to back is otherworldly. Listening you’ll hear what I mean. “Milk Of The Madonna” should have been the first single released but, that’s a topic for a whole other time. This track has this really cool Saturday NightWrist vibe to it, giving a nice little nod to that album. Side note, Saturday Night Wrist, while it was a divided time for the band, it’s their most underrated album. There’s plenty of other throwback elements like on “Cut Hands” and “Metal Dream.” The one track though that really has me is the final song “Departing The Body.” When you listen to this song it really sinks its teeth in and gently breaks the skin and the emotion pour out is beautiful. Working with Nick Raskulinecz again really helped make this album truly complete.

Private Music is one of those albums that makes you want to put it on repeat. Deftones have been able to connect with people for years and this album is another example of how truly artistic and meaningful their music is. Chino sounds crisp, rejuvenated and roaring. Stephen Carpenter’s playing on this album is back to what we know he can do. Abe Cunningham is still one of the best drummers in all of rock not to mention, he still brings in fresh tasty beats. Frank Delgado has really come into his own over the year with his soundscapes and here it’s truly on display. Fred Sablan brings in a very full tone and uses the space to his advantage. All the best elements of Deftones are here for you to listen to! 

Overall Rating: 9/10

Deftones- Private Music:

NEW RELEASE: DEFTONES- MY MIND IS A MOUNTAIN

After a very long wait (as per usual with Deftones), we finally have arrived at new music! “My Mind Is A Mountain” is the first single and first track from the 10th studio album from Deftones. Private Music, will be released on August 22, 2025 and it’s definitely one that I’m highly anticipating. “My Mind Is A Mountain” contains all the elements that make Deftones who they are. This song in particular has the feel of what should have been the logical next step after Koi No Yokan. The band reunited with producer Nick Raskulinecz who previously worked with the band on Diamond Eyes and Koi No Yokan. The bands recent US tour showed a revitalized band and then truly firing on all cylinders once again! Here’s to a great new chapter for Deftones!

Deftones- My Mind Is A Mountain:

Album Review: Korn- The Nothing

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13 albums in and 25 years since the beginning, is it still possible to be relevant? Well, In Korn’s case, yes, yes it is. For many years and albums, Korn has tried new things and the results were very hit or miss. Then, Brian “Head” Welch returned to the fold and things starting getting back on the right track. The bands previous album, The Serenity Of Suffering was surely a step in the right direction in terms of sound and getting back to what they do best. Now, on their new album The Nothing, Korn has really stepped up and made their best album since Untouchables. This new one has bits of Untouchables, Issues and their debut all wrapped into one. The end result is something that the band can look back on and be very proud of what they created.

The over arching theme of The Nothing is obviously the loss of Jonathan Davis’s wife and how he’s dealt with it. Never one to shy away from his pain, this album has some of the most vulnerable performances from JD in a very very long time. Opening the album is “The End Begins” which features bag pipes, rumbling percussion, and fuzzy bass along with JD putting himself deeply into this and uncontrollably sobbing as he asks “Why did you leave?” From that point, the album then begins to take shape as “Cold” hits with an impact that harks back to the way Issues started. “You’ll Never Find Me” is part 2 of the 1, 2 punch of how the album starts. The riffs and rhythms that accompany these two songs are some of the best of Korn’s career. One of my favorite songs on the album “Idiosyncrasy” is one hell of a song. The Pantera-esque riff along with melodic chorus makes this song one of the true standouts on the album. This album has a bit of everything for Korn fans. It hits the heavy, melodic, and experimental aspects that have made up the bands career. Such songs like “The Darkness Is Revealing,” “Finally Free,” The Ringmaster,” Gravity Of Discomfort,” and “H@rd3r” are great examples of that and showcase the different vocal approaches of Jonathan Davis as well as the band at a very creative turn that hark back to the origins of the band while adding a more modern approach. In true Korn fashion, these few songs have a life of their own but stay true to desperation and realism that the album carries. “Can You Hear Me” has a very cool Queen Of The Damned vibe along with a bit of a Follow The Leader melodic tinge. “This Loss” is one of my other favorite songs on the album. The band really honed in on the melodic aspects they’ve become known for. The interludes that appear also give the album a bit of a schizophrenic aspect but, help to tie in the thoughts being conveyed.

The Nothing stands up quite high in the bands catalog. There are some really classic Korn elements on these songs, along with memorable hooks and catchy choruses. The dueling guitars that became signature to Korn are extremely prevalent on this album and Munky and Head really shine. Fieldy’s bass hits the way it used to along with his percussive style bass that balances the guitars and drums. Ray Luzier finally sounds like he fits on a Korn record. His groove on this record is reminiscent of what David did on the older albums but, it’s done in a way that doesn’t sound rehashed and it stays true to the beast of a drummer that Ray is. Jonathan Davis’s vocals and melodies on this album are some of the best since Issues and Untouchables. Obviously the pain and grief of loss is ever noticeable but, they catharsis through the performances really makes the whole thing shine.

I’m sure many people have given up on Korn over the years. I know there was a point that I just didn’t care but, on the last album and on this one, Korn has recaptured what they do best without it coming across as forced. Working with Nick Raskulinecz has been a blessing for the band. He’s one of the few producers out there today that really understands the essence of what bands are and how to capture that magic again. The Nothing is an album that will draw older fans back into the fold while giving those skeptical ones something to sink their teeth into. Are there moments that are hit and miss, sure, but that doesn’t take away from how genuine and pure this album is.

 

Overall Rating: A

 

Korn- The Nothing:

 

Review By: Brian Lacy

New Release: Korn- Cold

 

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A second single from Korn‘s new album “The Nothing” has arrived, with “Cold”. This song has the band going back to their “heavier” side. It’s a song that has a sort of Life Is Peachy meets The Serenity Of Suffering feel. Based on the two songs released so far, this new Korn album feels like it’s going to be the one that people and fans will be talking about for a long time to come.  “The Nothing” will be out in stores on September 13th.
Korn- Cold:

 

 

Korn- You’ll Never Find Me:

 

New Release: Korn- You’ll Never Find Me

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On September 13, Korn will be releasing their new album, The Nothing. The band again worked with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Mastodon, Deftones, Foo Fighters, etc). The first single “You’ll Never Find Me” is out now. This song has a similar vibe of the last album (The Serenity Of Suffering) and somewhat of a Life Is Peachy element. One has to think that will all the turmoil of Jonathan Davis’s wife passing, he’s got a lot of “feelings” to get through on this new album.
Korn- You’ll Never Find Me:

 

Album Review: Alice In Chains- Rainer Fog

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One of the albums I’ve looked forward to most coming out this year was the new Alice In Chains album. Since the band released the single “The One You Know,” I’ve been all sorts of giddy about this album. As the band put out two more singles, “So Far Under” and “Never Fade,” my excitement only grew stronger. So, when Rainer Fog was finally released, it instantly hit a note with me. Not just because Alice In Chains is in my top two favorite bands of all time but, because this album is truly astonishing. Now three albums into their Mark II version of the band, Alice In Chains shows no signs of letting their fans down or losing their knack for making great music.

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Anticipated Albums: Alice In Chains- Rainer Fog

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On August 24, Alice In Chains will release their long awaited new album Rainer Fog. The 10 song set was produced once again by Nick Raskulinecz (Deftones, Foo Fighters, Rush, etc) and mixed by Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens Of The Stone Age, etc). Rainer Fog is the first Alice album to be recorded in Seattle in more than 20 years as well as additional work done in Los Angeles and Nashville.  In anticipation of their upcoming new album, Alice In Chains has released another song called “So Far Under” and it’s just as good as “The One You Know” which makes me one happy guy.

You can pre-order the album HERE.

Rainer Fog Track Listing:

01) The One You Know
02) Rainer Fog
03) Red Giant
04) Fly
05) Drone
06) Deaf Ears Blind Eyes
07) Maybe
08) So Far Under
09) Never Fade
10) All I Am

 

Alice In Chains- So Far Under:

 

Alice In Chains- The One You Know:

Anticipated Albums: 10 Years- (How To Live) As Ghosts

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In a couple weeks the band 10 Years will release their new album (How To Live) As Ghosts. This new album is shaping up to be quite a tremendous album for the band. Rather than self producing as they did on their previous two releases, they chose to work with Tennessee native and the very in demand Nick Raskulinecz. From the two songs released so far, “Novacaine” and “Burnout” you can tell there is a fire burning inside these guys again. The new album comes out October 27th!

 

10 Years- Novacaine:

 

10 Years- Burnout:

 

 

Album Review: Korn- The Serenity of Suffering

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20 plus years as a band and now on your 12th album, where do you go from here? Well, Korn knew exactly what they wanted to do, and they succeeded. The Serenity of Suffering, Korn’s new album is a throwback of sorts to their heavy groove days, but on this album they added a more hooks, to really keep your attention. This album has the feel of Issues and Untouchables, but with a bit more hope. That’s right “hope,” a theme that was always  a bit buried in their albums. The 11 songs on this album all fit and flow together, making this one of their most cohesive albums since Issues.

Starting off the album is “Insane,” a very classic sounding song with a great riff and a catchy chorus. This song is a great opener and introduction to the rest of the album. “Rotting In Vain,” is classic Korn at it’s finest, complete with Jonathan Davis bringing back his scat vocals. “Black Is The Soul,” is my favorite song on the album. This is a very Issues era sounding song, with lots of melody, and a bit of a different vocal approach from Jonathan. “The Hating” is a very moody song with a crunchy riff and a heavy breakdown. “A Different World” features Corey Taylor on guest vocals. This song is not bad, but it’s a little underwhelming. I personally expected more from this song. “Take Me” could have been on Untouchables. In fact the main riff seems to be directly ripped off from that album. “Everything Falls Apart” is another classic sounding song. “Die Yet Another Night” is a bit of a mediocre song. The riff is solid, but the song a whole isn’t quite up to par with the rest of the album. “Next In Line” is a great song on this album. It’s full of hooks and catchy, with solid verses and choruses. This is a big throwback song. Closing out the album is “Please Come For Me” a very Untouchables sounding song. The ending riff of this song is a great summation of this album.

The Serenity of Suffering is the album many Korn fans have been waiting for. The production by Nick Raskulinecz is top notch. It’s the best Korn has sounded since Issues. Nick was really able to capture the “Korn” sound. Drummer Ray Luzier finally sounds like he fits in the band. He’s a great drummer, but no other producer has been able to really get him to sound right, other than Nick. Fieldy’s bass actually comes through in a way that thumps like the first couple albums. Munky and Head haven’t sounded this good in a long time. And finally Jonathan Davis sounds great. He tries out new vocal techniques and it really pays off, especially on “Black Is The Soul.” All in all this is a really good album. I personally would like to see them incorporate more of these new songs into their set list, so the fans can really get the full effect.

Overall Rating= B+

Korn- The Serenity of Suffering:

Album Review: Foo Fighters- Sonic Highways

 

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When a band reaches a certain point in their career it’s hard to keep things fresh and inspired. For the bands eighth album the gents in the Foo Fighters tried something different. While the idea is a great one, the final product falls a bit flat. The idea of recording a song in a different city is a great idea. Lyrically it just falls flat. The songs feel rushed and incomplete. It’s as though the thoughts were unfinished. The show on HBO is quite interesting and full of a rich musical history. In my opinion the show is way better than the album. The albums eight songs are very hit and miss. The best song I heard on the album is a song called “Outside” which features the great Joe Walsh. This is the best song on the album hands down. This album is very disjointed and not an “album.”  It’s a collection of single songs, that have no cohesiveness. Also the use of Butch Vig as a producer I think was the wrong choice. His input and methods just don’t work for what the band was trying to do, Nick Raskulinecz would have been the perfect choice. The first song “Something From Nothing” is a good track but nothing special. The whole record is nothing special. In fact I’d probably put this album towards the bottom of the list of ranking their albums. I truly thought that after how good Wasting Light was they would continue on a path similar to how that album turned out. Nice try on this one Foos.

On the scale of 1-10: I give this a 4

By: Brian Lacy