A swarm of sounds

Korn guitarist James Shaffer, known as Munky, teamed up with composer Chris Hunt to create their self-titled debut album Venera, which was released through Ipecac Recordings on Oct. 13. 

The nine song album is a stunning combination of atmosphere and industrial rock music. The project as a whole has a chilling vibe, which is felt throughout the album’s visuals, posted to YouTube by Ipecac Recordings. 

One thing that stands out in this album is the collaborations. “Ochre,” which was made in collaboration with rock band HEALTH, has a dark, grimey beat with softer vocals that combine to create a great sound.

A sound that Venera captures again on “Hologram,” a collaboration with VOWWS, but this time more upbeat and with more distinct vocals throughout the track. “Hologram” is a highlight on this debut project, as the cinematic rock mixes well with the angelic vocals of VOWWS’ Arezo “Rizz” Khanjani.

However, these songs differ in feel from most of the other songs on the album. The tracks that feature vocals feel much more conventional and formulaic, while others feel sporadic and nonconforming. 

The first track on the album, “Alignment,” begins with many different sounds happening at once, creating a rumbling feel before getting into the bulk of the song. “Erosion” continues this vibe, this time with even more of a horror feel, especially in the latter half of the song, when the instrumental goes from slow to fast paced in the matter of seconds.

The highlight of this sound comes in the form of “Swarm” and “Disintegration,” another collaboration, this time with Deantoni Parks. “Disintegration” features the most electronic feel of the entire album and in the best way possible.

The sound captured in these songs is extremely different from the likes of “Ochre,” “Hologram” and “Triangle.” Both sounds are good, just much different from each other.

It’s clear that Venera is still trying to find their sound. The cinematic horror sound is very good, as are the less nuanced tracks which feature vocals. It’ll be interesting to see if Venera can capture both sounds in one track in the future, which would create a new feel.

For a debut album, Venera is extremely good. Fans of horror film scores and industrial rock will likely love this first project. Fans of Munky’s previous work with Korn may be in for a surprise, as this drastically differs from the nu metal band’s typical sound.

Overall, the album comes in at just over 30 minutes of objectively good music. There is no doubt that Venera is an incredibly strong first installment.