Spanning two discs and boasting 28 tracks culled from all nine of the provocative post-grunge/alternative metal outfit's albums,
Epic/Legacy
's
Essential Korn
presents a solid overview of the rap metal pioneers' first two decades. Digitally remastered and stocked with favorites like
"Freak on a Leash,"
"Shoots and Ladders,"
"Here to Stay,"
"Make Me Mad,"
and
"Got the Life,"
the latter of which appears in both its studio and live incarnations,
Essential
throws out the net and hauls in the biggest catch it can, tossing in a pair of non LP tracks like
"Jingle Balls"
from 1999's
All Mixed Up
EP, and the blistering
"Proud"
from the
I Know What You Did Last Summer
soundtrack (1997) amidst the myriad album cuts. While 2004's single-disc
Greatest Hits, Vol. 1
may cover the basics,
offers up a master class. ~ James Christopher Monger