Cut to the Gloomy Core

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KORN

“Untouchables”

Epic/Immortal

Kick-starting the nu-metal movement a decade ago with its self-titled debut while tearing into the tortured souls of America’s youth with anguished themes and raging rhythms wasn’t enough for Korn. The Bakersfield-bred, L.A.-based quintet went on to explore disparate styles and soundscapes with each subsequent release, from the bawdy, humorous “Life Is Peachy” to its hook-heavy follow-up, “Follow the Leader,” to the grim, gritty “Issues.”

Three years later, Korn’s fifth album proves again that the group isn’t out to ride the bandwagon--unless it’s in a demolition derby. Revved-up hip-hoppish grooves, monstrous riffs and vocals that range freakishly from demonic to childlike have become its signature and inspired a slew of copycats, but this time out Korn grinds its sound down to its gloomy core.

Singer Jonathan Davis may be best known for his possessed shrieks and beat-box vocal inflections, but on “Untouchables,” he keeps them to a minimum and instead churns out more straightforward, if equally agonized, croons and wails. Catchy choruses collide with furious beats on tunes such as the audacious opener, “Here to Stay,” while the noisy assaults “Embrace” and “Wake Up Hate” have a Metallica-meets-Ministry menace. But it’s slow, goth-like cuts such as “Thoughtless” and “Alone I Break” that demonstrate the band’s maturity and ability to transcend neo-metal shtick.

As a whole, “Untouchables” takes a more languid approach more akin to the mechanical eroticism of Nine Inch Nails, the bleak harmonies of Alice in Chains and even the melodious musings of Staind than to the rowdy attacks of today’s rapping headbangers. Indeed, now that the simple punch of retro-punk and buoyant zing of folksy pop seem to be loosening modern metal’s hold on rock radio, Korn’s subtle shift in velocity feels fresh.

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the band’s sinister bent and ability to convey frustration in an aggressive yet melancholy way.

Whatever kind of backlash may be ahead for heavy music, “Untouchables” demonstrates Korn’s trust that somber, severe perspectives on life coupled with relentless, infectious sounds will continue to touch adolescent rock fans.

*

Lina Lecaro

***

OAKENFOLD

“Bunkka”

Maverick

While Paul Oakenfold is one of the most popular DJs in the world, he is also accomplished in the studio. As much as for his club gigs, the Englishman made his mark in the U.K. in the late ‘80s by handling production for the Happy Mondays. So although “Bunkka” (in stores Tuesday) is his first “artist album” (i.e., a recording of original material), Oakenfold brings strong studio credentials to the table, and this exceptionally tight electronic record reflects those skills.

Utilizing a number of guest performers, including Nelly Furtado (who appears with Tricky on the rhythmic, sultry “The Harder They Come”), Perry Farrell (the break-beat “Time of Your Life”) and Hunter S. Thompson, the album offers a distinctive musical map through the many subgenres of the dance world.

Oakenfold’s greatest asset as a producer is how adept he is at every genre and tempo. From the fast-paced techno opener, “Ready, Set, Go,” to the hypnotic “Hold Your Hand” (with Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini) to dramatic, gothic “Zoo York,” every track is crisp.

In fact, “Bunkka” might be a little too polished. More spontaneity or a few imperfections could provide insight into Oakenfold as an artist, something his longtime followers surely were hoping for from this collection.

Still, as a studio work, “Bunkka” lives up to the high expectations. Oakenfold plays the Mayan Theatre in L.A. on Monday.

*

Steve Baltin

** 1/2

WYCLEF JEAN

“Masquerade”

Columbia

On Wyclef Jean’s first two solo albums, “Wyclef Jean Presents the Carnival” and “The Ecleftic,” the co-founder of rap trio the Fugees was like a glad-handing hip-hop diplomat, spreading his genres around to please everyone who might listen. Those albums were eclectic with a capital E, but the overblown world music arrangements often felt clumsily tacked on to Wyclef Jean’s streetwise raps.

‘Clef has left the carnival behind on “Masquerade,” whose title refers not to party time but to bogus hip-hop posers.

The album’s lithe, understated hip-hop is a spiritual heir to the Fugees’ 1996 breakthrough album, “The Score.” On the first track, “Peace God,” Wyclef raps about doing it “ ‘Crouching Tiger’-style,” but it’s just a subtle dash of Asian flavor--a trilling flute gliding over a stutter-kick beat. “PJ’s,” with its ominous piano figure, takes its cue from the Wu-Tang Clan’s urban gothic.

“Masquerade” works best on tracks such as these, when Wyclef telescopes his hip-hop into tightly arranged proportions. It stumbles whenever he gets lazy and resorts to the familiar. “What a Night,” a remake of the Four Seasons’ 1976 hit “Oh What a Night,” and a wan version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” are facile radio-hit bids best suited for wannabe players.

*

Marc Weingarten

***

JULIA FORDHAM

“Concrete Love”

Vanguard

The British singer-songwriter’s first new release since 1997’s “East West” is a smooth, quietly passionate collection of blue-eyed neo-soul pop that updates her sound while retaining her well-honed romantic themes of heartbreak, yearning and newfound bliss.

The presence of guest vocalists India.Arie (harmonizing on the title track) and Joe Henry underscores Fordham’s versatility. Yet it’s the Southern California resident’s own agile, four-octave voice that often rivets the listener as she slips precisely from sultry depths to soaring heights.

Balancing resilience and vulnerability, Fordham makes such numbers as the torchy “Missing Man” and the gospel-tinged “Roadside Angel” particularly affecting, while her sinuous purring gives the jazzy “Love” a cool, Sade-like sensation.

“Roadside Angel” was inspired by Minnie Riperton, to whom Fordham pays further homage by rendering the late singer’s 1975 chart-topper, “Lovin’ You,” in a hidden closing track. Fordham’s admiration for this song explains the album’s ‘70s-pop sensibility, which is carefully modernized with rhythmic electronica undercurrents by Joni Mitchell producer Larry Klein.

Expressing complex emotions with simple phrases, Fordham (who plays the Knitting Factory Hollywood on Tuesday, the day of the album’s release) is pragmatic even when things don’t work out. Indeed, one of her nicer twists is the almost-blues ballad “Foolish Thing,” which laments a lost love even while realizing the guy couldn’t handle her fabulousness anyway.

*

Natalie Nichols

** 1/2

ANASTACIA

“Freak of Nature”

Epic

This New York-raised singer is the latest in a long line of American-born artists who went overseas to make a name. The aspiring diva conquered Europe with her 2000 debut, “Not That Kind,” which went multi-platinum worldwide and earned her numerous international awards.

Anastacia now sets her sights homeward with this 13-track collection (in stores Tuesday). The record’s centerpiece is the forceful pop anthem “Paid My Dues,” which dominated MTV Europe for much of last year. Anastacia’s husky vocals distinguish “Paid My Dues” from the scores of other dance pop tunes out there and give it a gritty authenticity.

“Freak of Nature” is best when Anastacia plays the diva card and lets her considerable attitude dominate the sound. In the old-school disco number “One Day in Your Life,” she declares, “I’m stronger than before” with an authority that would make Gloria Gaynor proud.

Anastacia also matches R&B; singer Faith Evans note for note on the duet “I Thought I Told You That,” which rides a heavy, repetitive beat that crosses hip-hop and pop.

“Freak of Nature” does suffer from too-heavy production at times, and from a few misguided ballads, particularly the maudlin “I Dreamed You.” But Anastacia’s obvious charisma shines through those shortcomings.

S.B.

*

In Brief

** 1/2 Jerry Cantrell, “Degradation Trip,” Roadrunner. Alice in Chains self-destructed long before the recent drug-overdose death of singer Layne Staley, but this second solo album from guitarist Cantrell suggests the band still had musical fire left. The sound is dependably rough and moody, where grunge meets Zeppelin. His vocals are surprisingly strong, fittingly dark but unmannered. Yet the epic voice missing on the song “Solitude” isn’t Staley’s but Robert Plant’s, as the guitarist slowly weaves electric and acoustic guitars, his voice growling of dark thoughts and misty mountaintops, lamenting of endless agony and despair, like a man who lost his band too soon.

*

Steve Appleford

** 1/2 Guided by Voices, “Universal Truths and Cycles,” Matador. Last year’s slick major-label project behind him, Robert Pollard returns as extemporaneous--not to mention smirky--as ever. Pollard devotees will celebrate this self-produced effort (due Tuesday) as a return to “form.” Others might wonder: What foolishness will you suffer for the odd three minutes of pop genius? Guided by Voices performs Wednesday at the West Hollywood House of Blues.

*

Kevin Bronson

*** DJ Quik, “Under Tha Influence,” Bungalo. This Compton rapper-producer mixes frank sex talk and rugged gangster themes with delightful results. Quik again hits his groove on his sixth album, a strong batch of elegant beats and cunning lyrics from one of the genre’s most underappreciated artists. Quik has a social slant too, mourning the death in 2000 of his rapping friend Mausberg, and the toll the streets can exact on the touching “50 Ways.”

*

Soren Baker

** 1/2 Outrageous Cherry, “The Book of Spectral Projections,” Rainbow Quartz. Originally released in England on Alan McGee’s Poptones label, this Detroit foursome’s sprawling opus flails gamely amid a psychedelic haze. Echoes of everything from garagey Stone Roses to ‘60s piffle can be found here. Sorting them out is like reading by lava lamp. The band performs July 21 at the Knitting Factory Hollywood as part of International Pop Overthrow.

K.B.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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On the Web

To hear samples of music from the album by Aberdeen (Bonus Track, Page 63) as well as the Wyclef Jean, Anastacia and Julia Fordham releases, visit www.calendarlive.com/rack.