ALBUM REVIEW

With its third record, the Pied Pipers of post-grunge metal whip up a firestorm of sputtering, pepper-spray raps and foreboding guitar cyclones, plugging into the high-melodrama, horrorshow feel associated with Marilyn Manson.

The difference is that Korn actually takes itself seriously.

Of all the new hard-core bands (Rage Against the Machine, Deftones, Limp Bizkit et al.), this outfit is most reminiscent of the dreaded head-banging metal breed of the ‘80s. With “Leader,” Korn gets props from another world: rap. Ice Cube appears on the fan fraternity anthem “Children of the Korn” and the Pharcyde’s Tre pops up on the high-boil, repellently sexist “Cameltosis.”

Overall, this is a record that taps a sort of free-floating, mall-rat angst that is both insular and small-minded, one that pokes at boredom with lashing-out guitars and angry words about feeling misunderstood. And despite the funk-slapped bass and the sometimes fun roar of singer Jonathan Davis, the tactics usually ring silly and false.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).