The music is immediately noticeable as a point of comparison between Life Is Peachy and Korn. This time around, the result was harsher, more clinical and dissonant, but still saturated in reverb, a departure from the warm, fuzzy analogue sound of their first album.
Even though guitarists Brian Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer had already established themselves as a new kind of six-string tag-team – an anti Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman if you will—eschewing solos and instead crafting their music with series of squeals and lead heavy drop-tuned riffing, the star of the show was still vocalist Johathan Davis; who screamed and whispered through the most tortured and perverted psychedelic imaginable. As opposed to portraying himself as some sort of chest-beating Superman, Davis depicted a very messed up and shattered guy, which set him apart from many of the metal frontmen of his period.
As a new metal subgenre was taking shape, Life Is Peachy wasn’t quite ‘nu metal,’ but it was well on its way to becoming one. The songs, of course, were the most essential part of the show. There are certain similarities between this film and its predecessor in terms of consistency and quality control, and that holds true for Life Is Peachy as well. As fantastic as Korn would ever get in terms of mosh pit filler, songs like “Good God” and “Mr Rogers” were staples, as were “No Place To Hide” and “Chi” and the closing “Kill You.” On the other side, “Ass Itch,” “Wicked,” “and the insipid “Lowrider” dragged the album down.
Overall, not nearly as good as their debut but the boys still managed some mosh smashers with “Good God” and “Mr Rogers”. If you do not have the album, I would suggest picking it up, as it is an essential Korn release in the development of their career.