"Untitled" - FTW?

So you know who the world hasn't heard much from lately? Korn. I mean, last anyone really checked, all that was new was that Jon Davis recovered from some kind of debilitating blood disorder. Then they dropped off the face of the earth. That was why I was so surprised to find out on Tuesday that they just released a new album. I have been relatively pleased with Korn's latest efforts. Not thrilled, but at the same time I didn't resent having spent money on them. Anyway, I had just gotten paid and figured given that I've pirated what probably amounts several hundred if not a thousand or so dollars worth of music this summer, maybe I'll throw the RIAA a bone and actually buy it, sound unheard (get it? like sight unseen, but for MUSIC).
What is interesting to note is that, while Korn made it to 2005 without any lineup changes, since then they have lost a guitarist and much more recently their drummer. I hadn't heard about David Silveria leaving until after I bought the album, but it's true. Korn is essentially a three piece right now consisting of Jon, Fieldy, and Munky. Percussion on their latest album (cleverly titled Untitled) is handled by Jon Davis himself, a techno-ish trio called The Matrix, and perhaps most surprisingly, Brooks Wackerman from the one and only Bad Religion. So with all of these dynamic shifts, what pray tell has happened to Korn's sound?
Let me preface this by saying that old Korn fans, much like with every album they have released since Follow The Leader will do nothing but bitch about Korn changing their sound and how this album isn't nearly as good as the self titled one or Life is Peachy. Well, it's also not 1994. Flannel is no longer all the rage, Layne Stanley is 6 pushing up daisies, and Nu-Metal is now a subject of mockery rather than something to be excited about. Of COURSE they sound different. If you want an album that sounds like their self titled album, then listen to the self titled album. I hear that one sounds the most like it.
If the album is approached with an open mind, however, the results are very surprising and quite pleasant to listen to. The influence of electronica and the like is incredibly evident from the get go with the intro and the first real track "Starting Over". The sludge guitars and incessant slapping and popping on the bass are not gone, but they are definitely sharing the songs with other elements rather than overpowering them. Honestly, it's nice to see that Fieldy CAN do something other than pop and slap. There are still some characteristically heavy songs (almost reminiscent of Follow The Leader, just less 1990's) such as "Bitch We Got A Problem", and "Hold On", but the album is also full of little goodies that are almost a throwback to Depeche Mode's glory days (if they had a very very different singer anyway) such as "Kiss" and "Hushabye". The variety is really the saving grace of this album, as the truth of the matter is (for me anyway), Korn was starting to stagnate simply because the music felt like feeble attempts to recapture their fickle 90's fanbase. The second they let go of those trepidations though, they put out an album that I can really get behind and has held my attention fairly thoroughly for the past 2 days (which is quite a feat given how quickly I acquire new music).
It does give me pause to think about the future of the band though, as this album will probably alienate more fans than it brings in (since let's face it, metal fans and Korn fans in particular are incredibly picky and tend to be quite closed minded) and the rate at which members are departing after so much stability is somewhat alarming. However, it will be interesting to see whether or not Korn rises from the ashes stronger than before and can stand a chance at keeping metal relevant, or if they'll simply go the way of the dodo like so many of their contemporaries. I'd say this album gets a solid 8/10.