Issues

Listening to the latest CD by the hard-rock band Korn made me think of those automatic toilets at airports; you know, the kind that flush when you move away. Korn is drawn to the dregs, society's emotional refuse, exploring--none too deeply--such issues as suicide and child molestation. There's even a new song titled Trash. In the past, the group's music has been tinged with hip-hop. Issues is virtually all yowling, sludgy rock. In fact, it's almost undifferentiated white noise, as if the band were content to echo the roar of its crowd. This CD has a few intriguing moments of raw energy. Still, I'm waiting for the flush.