Welch's first solo effort is Save Me From Myself. It's a cathartic CD, chronicling the both the low points and his transformation. The trademark Korn guitar sound is there, and although many of the songs are slow in tempo they don't lack in intensity.
There is a lot of musical diversity, and you'll hear everything from melodic mainstream rock to traditional metal to very dissonant and unsettling harmonies. The songs are painstakingly constructed with a lot of layers and instruments and are very slickly produced.
Welch has never been a singer, but he does a respectable job. His melodic singing is decent, and he uses a variety of vocal styles from crooning to singing to barking to screaming. His message of transformation and redemption is a powerful one, but the lyrics sometimes don't have as much impact as they should.
Whether you support or disagree with Welch's choices and path, Save Me From Myself is a decisive musical statement that clearly relates the past few years of his life.
(released September 9, 2008 on Driven Music Group)
