The Path of Totality cover art

  Studio Album · No. 10

The Path of Totality Songwriting Credits by KoRn

2011 Roadrunner Records 11 tracks 38 min

Produced by Skrillex, Noisia, Excision, Downlink, 12th Planet, Feed Me  ·  Engineered by Jim Monti (mixing), Ted Jensen (mastering)

Roadrunner Records DubstepNu Metal
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 11 of 11 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 11 / 11 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 11 tracks with documented writers, by whether KoRn carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
11 trackswritten by KoRn 0 tracksoutside writers
KoRn's roles on this album

Share of the 11 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer0%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

11
Tracks
1
Lyricists
8
Producers
270,000
US Copies Sold
2011
Released
Data Insight

The Path of Totality was Korn's radical genre experiment: every track was produced by a different EDM artist, Skrillex, Noisia, Excision, 12th Planet, Downlink, Kill the Noise, Feed Me, Datsik, and Flinch, combining dubstep production with nu metal vocals and occasional guitar. Jim Monti handled mixing and Ted Jensen mastered at Sterling Sound. The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 with 55,000 first-week copies and sold 270,000 US copies as of 2013. No singles reached the Billboard Hot 100, with "Get Up!" peaking at number 10 on Mainstream Rock Songs and "Narcissistic Cannibal" at number six.

The Path of Totality is the tenth studio album by Korn, released in December 2011 on Roadrunner Records, the most commercially divisive album in the band's catalog, produced entirely in collaboration with dubstep producers including Skrillex, Excision, and 12th Planet, and representing the most extreme departure from the band's heavy metal origins. Davis wrote all lyrics; the album's 11 tracks apply dubstep bass drops, electronic synthesis, and contemporary EDM production to Davis's vocals and the band's rhythm section, removing traditional guitar almost entirely. 'Get Up!' (produced by Skrillex) and 'Narcissistic Cannibal' were the principal singles; the album debuted at number seven on the Billboard 200 but received the worst critical and fan response of the Korn catalog. The Path of Totality is significant as a document of the 2012 dubstep mainstream moment and as the most commercially risky experiment in the band's discography, demonstrating both the willingness to abandon genre safety and the commercial cost of doing so. The Path of Totality's commercial and critical legacy is primarily as a document of the 2012 dubstep moment and of the commercial costs of genre experimentation in a rock career built on audience loyalty to a specific sonic identity, and its short-term commercial failure drove the Paradigm Shift reunion that would partially restore the band's standing with their core audience.

Track Listing & Credits 11 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
Chaos Lives in Everything
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierSkrillex Skrillex Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierSkrillex
2
Kill Mercy Within
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia Noisia Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia
3
My Wall
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierExcision Excision Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierExcision
4
Narcissistic Cannibal
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierSkrillexKill the Noise SkrillexKill the Noise Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierSkrillexKill the Noise
5
Illuminati
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierExcisionDownlink ExcisionDownlink Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierExcisionDownlink
6
Burn the Obedient
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia Noisia Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia
7
Sanctuary
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierDownlink Downlink Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierDownlink
8
Let's Go
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia Noisia Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierNoisia
9
Get Up!
Jonathan Davis James ShafferSkrillex Skrillex Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierSkrillex
10
Way Too Far
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay Luzier12th PlanetFlinch 12th PlanetFlinch Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay Luzier12th PlanetFlinch
11
Bleeding Out
Jonathan Davis Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierFeed Me Feed Me Jonathan DavisJames ShafferReginald ArvizuRay LuzierFeed Me

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 12 contributors

More from KoRn

Frequently Asked Questions The Path of Totality

Who produced The Path of Totality by Korn?
The Path of Totality was produced by nine separate EDM artists, one per track: Skrillex (two tracks), Noisia, Excision, 12th Planet, Downlink, Kill the Noise, Feed Me, Datsik, and Flinch. Jim Monti handled mixing across the album, and Ted Jensen mastered at Sterling Sound in New York.
Did Korn write all the songs on The Path of Totality themselves?
Korn co-wrote all songs on The Path of Totality with their respective EDM producers on each track. Jonathan Davis wrote the lyrics; the production team shaped the musical backdrop. The unusual recording process involved Davis and the band sending vocals and ideas to producers who built dubstep-influenced arrangements around them.
What genres does The Path of Totality by Korn represent?
The Path of Totality fuses dubstep electronic production with nu metal vocals and song structures. Each of the album's 11 tracks was produced by a different EDM artist, including Skrillex (who was at the peak of his commercial breakthrough in 2011), making it one of the earliest high-profile rock-dubstep crossover albums.
How many copies did The Path of Totality by Korn sell in the United States?
The Path of Totality sold 270,000 copies in the United States as of early 2013. It debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 with 55,000 first-week copies in December 2011. The album earned significant critical attention for its genre-blending approach and was named Album of the Year by Revolver magazine.
Did any singles from The Path of Totality by Korn chart on the Billboard Hot 100?
No singles from The Path of Totality charted on the Billboard Hot 100. "Get Up!" (featuring Skrillex) peaked at number 10 on Mainstream Rock Songs and "Narcissistic Cannibal" (featuring Skrillex and Kill the Noise) reached number six on Mainstream Rock and number four on the UK Rock Chart.
What is the runtime of The Path of Totality by Korn?
The Path of Totality runs 37 minutes and 45 seconds across 11 tracks in the standard edition. It was released December 2, 2011, through Roadrunner Records, and represents Korn's most commercially concise album until Requiem (2022) at 32 minutes.
Did Skrillex produce tracks on The Path of Totality by Korn?
Yes, Skrillex produced two tracks on The Path of Totality by Korn: "Get Up!" (which features him as a credited collaborator) and "Narcissistic Cannibal" (which features both Skrillex and Kill the Noise). In 2011, Skrillex was one of the most commercially dominant electronic artists in the world, making his involvement a significant creative anchor for the album.

Sources