Take a Look in the Mirror is the sixth studio album by nu metal band Korn. Released on November 21, 2003 through Epic Records, it is the last Korn studio album to feature their full original lineup, as their original guitarist Brian Welch (Head) left the band in February 2005 until his return in 2013 (with the release of their 2013 album The Paradigm Shift). Original drummer David Silveria also left Korn before the end of 2006 after the release of their next album See You on the Other Side. It was also the last studio album by Korn under the Epic and Immortal labels.
The album continued Korn‘s lowering in sales, debuting at number 19 and peaked at number 9 with first-week record sales of about 179,000, due to the release date of the album being pushed up to a Friday, with fewer sales than if it was released on the standard Tuesday.
The track “Did My Time” was previously released as a CD single for the film Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and the track “Right Now” was accompanied by a provocative cartoon video animated by Spike and Mike.
The ending track “When Will This End” is followed by a long silence before a live cover of Metallica‘s “One” starts playing. The album was also released in a “clean” version which utilized backmasking as well as growling in place of profanity.
Take a Look in the Mirror has sold over 1.2 million copies in the US and over 2 million copies outside of the US according to Nielsen SoundScan as of January 4, 2013 and was certified platinum on December 16, 2003.
It has been claimed that the album was rushed, due to the lower than expected sales of Untouchables which had left the band in debt. Jonathan Davis has subsequently admitted in interviews that the album was written at somewhat of a rushed pace, due to the lower than expected sales of Untouchables, and having to write with the time restraint of being on that summer’s Ozzfest tour.
Tracklist:
- Right Now
- Break Some Off
- Counting on Me
- Here It Comes Again
- Deep Inside
- Did My Time
- Everything I’ve Known
- Play Me (featuring Nas)
- Alive
- Let’s Do This Now
- I’m Done
- Y’All Want a Single
- When Will This End (“When Will This End” ends at 3:39; the hidden track is a live cover of Metallica’s “One” (performed on MTV Icon: Metallica) starts at 9:52.)
Korn
Jonathan Davis: vocals, bagpipes, production
Head (credited as Sir Headly): guitars
Munky (credited as James the Gorilla): guitars
Fieldy (credited as Dog): bass
David Silveria (credited as Wally Balljacker): drums
Production and other credits
Frank Filipetti: production, engineering, mixing
Nas: vocals on Play Me
Jim Monti Bud: production, engineering
Tim Harkins: engineering
Cailan McCarthy: artist coordination
Doug Erb: art direction
Brandy Flower: art direction
Gayle Boulware: art consultant
Darren Frank: assistant
Jesse Gorman: assistant
Peter Katsis: A&R
Kaz Utsunomiya: A&R
Rob Hill: editing
Fred Maher: editing
Louie Teran: digital editing
Stephen Marcussen: mastering
Polarbear: programming on I’m Done
Mitch Ikeda: photography
Marina Chavez: photography
