EPIC ALBUM! Really, I don't know what to say, because this album blows all your senses... So powerful vocals, lyrics, music... Everything is so Linkin Park! I don't have any complains except Until it Breaks, raping is awesome, remind me on HT, but I expected more Chester's roar voice, and Victimized could be a bit longer ... simply EPIC!
I really love it. It completely exceeded my expectations. Here I was thinking how Linkin Park could make an album as good as a Thousand Suns, and what do you know, they have done it. Lost In The Echo: Really harkens back to In The End. Love Mike's rap and Chester's vocals. In My Remains: I know that some of you here don't like this song very much, that's fine by me, but I just adore it. The lyrics are just very poetic and surround you in hopelessness, like an anthem for the end of the world. Also, Mike's outro, which is just...wow. Burn It Down: A good pop song, but that's all I think about it. Lies Greed Misery: I find it better than Burn It Down. Mike's rap and Chester's agressive chorus really make this song. Really feels like someone standing up to a certain person who has been maniputating him/her. I'll Be Gone: A good song, sort of harpens back to Dead By Sunrise. Owen Pallet's string work is incredible. Castle Of Glass: Wow...just wow. I was completely blown away by this song. I mean, when I heard the snippet from the Living Things Story video, I thought it would be a good song, but it exceeded my expectations (is it me or am I using this expression too often? Well, that's what you get by listening to Living Things). It's just so somber and deep, Mike's vocals really make this song haunting. Victimized: The big hype song, which is...kind of underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, I still like it, but I expected much more from reading the review descriptions. Roads Untraveled: Another beautiful song by Linkin Park. I really connected with this song's lyrics, made me think of what I should actually do with my life in the near future. Skin To Bone: I think this song is...ok. The beats are certainly awesome and the vocals are decent, but the lyrics are a little "meh" for me. Until It Breaks: This is song is just so...weird, but in a good way. Linkin Park really delves into experimentation again with this song. Mike's rap and Chester's chorus are good, but what does it for me is Brad's outro. Dear god, was that beautiful! Brad has a great singing voice, and I think he should definetly sing more often. Tinfoil: A great instrumental/intro to Powerless. Reminds me of a mix between Wake and Session. Powerless: The album finisher, possibly the best they have ever made. Chester really brings his A game with his vocals, making this song highly emotional, accompanied by a strong instrumental. This is the only Linkin Park song that has made me teary-eyed. It's very rare for me to feel that way while listening to a song.
OMG this album is a real meltin pot of music. I love the band since 2000 and HT. After 12 years LP are different and so I am... I didn't like very much Meteora as a whole (but BTH is maybe the best ever along with Burning in the skies and Crawling). MTM was a big change but not a successful one so I knew that if the next album was going to be still innovative like MTM it's going to be a smasher and when ATS came out it became my favorite album. It's anything but neo-metal but guess what.. after 12 years I don't give a sh*t about neo-metal. I think that A 1000 Suns is better than Living Things because it sounds like one song. It's full of the same emotion from the first to the last song and I love it. Yet the songs are fresh and each one has a variety of sounds within... just like the song of Queen if you like but in their own musical style. Living Things is way more experimental than ATS but it lacks a glue that hold the songs together. So I may pick a single song as my favorite but not the album as a whole. Tinfoil/Powerless is just a perfect song I'll Be Gone is another one that caught my attention In conclusion if ATS was the better MTM than I'm looking forward for the better LT to come in 2014
I guess I'm just not into punk then. I like nu metal (old LP) and alternative metal (Chevelle) and alternative punk (Blink 182), but I guess not this type of punk/metal.
LIVING THINGS - Album Review I decided to review the album from my least favorite track to the best. So here we go... 12. TINFOIL I see this track as more of an interlude then a straight up instrumental. It creates a nice atmosphere and gets you ready for the last song. Doesntcount/10 11. BURN IT DOWN The weakest song off the album, but not bad. I really like Chester's vocals on this one and I feel the verses are strong. The chorus explodes with energy but falls a little flat. I imagine this song is about someone stuck in a viscous cycle of pain and regret. 6/10 10. LIES GREED MISERY Very good song. Mikes verses are pretty strong, although not the best on the album. I love the rawness of Chester's vocals. I imagine he's screaming at an ex who betrayed him and is now crawling back asking for forgiveness, and as you can see he absolutely loves the power he's been given. 7/10 9. IN MY REMAINS This song is a better version of burn it down. The vocals are just as good and the lyrics are great. The chorus really drives the song forward. Military drums come in near the end and mike sings, creating a great moment in the song, pushing it above BID. 8/10 8. UNTIL IT BREAKS This is Frankenstein's monster in music form. Mike's rapping on this track is mind numbingly good. He switches styles on a dime. Love his last verse. Chester's singing is a little lackluster though. Brads part is surprisingly good. I'm not gonna ask for more from him but this was a really cool one off thing. 8/10 7. SKIN TO BONE This song is so crazy! The beats and vocals by Mike and Chester are phenomenal. You definitely need to hear this one through a good sound system. I imagine this song is coming from a god like being, almost like its a whisper flowing through time, reminding use of our mortality. 9/10 6. VICTIMIZED I was really worried about this song, I thought it was gonna be Given Up but heavier. Boy was I wrong! Chester's screaming is fantastic! This song is so bad ass! I absolutely love mikes rapping on this one. He uses the same words from Waiting for the end, But twists them in such an epic way. Absolutely love it! "They're acting like they want a riot, it's a riot I'll give 'em" "As the siren climbs higher on this violent rhythm" Love it 9/10 5. I'LL BE GONE A very strong track. The lyrics of the first verse paint a picture that sets the mood perfectly. Chester's vocals on this one are top notch. Everything about this song oozes energy and emotion. 9/10 4. CASTLE OF GLASS I don't remember what review it was but "steam engine chug" is the perfect way to describe this one. This is the first track we get to see how much Mike's vocals have improved. Very uptempo, makes you move. The lyrics and harmonies are fantastic. 9/10 3. LOST IN THE ECHOE This song has to be a single! The song is filled with linkin park goodness. It's stuffed and overflowing with amazing lyrics and vocals. The beats and instruments are perfect. Chester's screaming is his best yet. Mikes got this cocky in your face swagger that I can't get enough of! Wow this song is good! 10/10 2. POWERLESS This song is beautiful and ironically very powerful. The emotions are turned up to ten. Chester once again proves to me that he is the best singer, EVER period. This man is my idol. His raw vocals and almost child like innocence creates such powerful emotion on almost everything he does. It kills me that he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. 10/10 1. ROADS UNTRAVELED Mike Shinoda has found his voice! Wow! Step aside Mumford and Sons, Mike is in the house! (Anyone else think Mumford and Sons too?) The song starts off with very beautiful chimes, then the piano comes in and mike begins to sing. Very folk inspired. The chorus is nothing but Oh's and Ah's but is just as powerful as anything they've done. Chester comes in at the end and creates one of the most beautiful moments on the album. 10/10 LIVING THINGS 9.5/10 This album *is* Linkin Park. This is there essence. They created something truly special, and they did it in the shortest amount of time yet. I've loved this band since the first time I heard Crawling almost 11 years ago. But it took me until A Thousand Suns to realize just how amazing they are. Now with LIVING THINGS I feel like they have finally found their stride. This band is the reason I'm so in love with music and I can't wait to hear what they have in store for us next.
You sir, just worded the exact feelings I have for this album and I agree with your opinions on virtually ever song. I thank you for that.
Blink wouldn't be alt punk as much as pop punk. You like pop. Nothing wrong with that, but Blink-182 isn't exactly the most punk band in the world.
This review is an exact impression of how the songs are in this album. I will give similar songs to each song and how much i think each song gets out of 10 from an unbiased point of view Lost In The Echo - 10 This song will be by far the best song in the album from an objective point of view. It has everything an "old" and "new" linkin park fan would want. Its speed is perfect the melodiy is as catchy as a song can get. The transition into drums and guitars from the electro sound at the beginning is perfect and LinkinPark trademark. The mike raps are at its peak. Chester's voice is absoulte perfection and the chorus is GENIUS and VERY catchy. At the end chester screams with some electro sound with some joe scratches and scratching chester's scream then mike delivers one of the most direct to the point verses and one of the most geniune he has ever made but its a short one but has as much content as a 16-32 liner could have since as i mentioned before "it is the most direct to the point verses i ever heard" which is similar to the last verse sung by chester on breaking the habit and the last verse on hit the floor. In My Remains - 10/10 (up'd after repeated listenings) This song is a mix of a gr8 ol lp and m2m-esque sound. To be honest the first 12-13 seconds are like an exact copy of burn it down but with a scratch and somewhat bits of dubstep to it but then guitars and drums come into the song in the same way as LP always do and then the heavy soun fades away giving chester room to sing a gr8 verse with a very lovely voice like the one on leave out all the rest. then the chorus comes in which chesters sings to starting with the songs title and then impressively singing on of the best choruses on the album before mike starts repeating "like an army falling one by one by one" and then chester joins on the bridge which when i say it doesnt sound that much but when u hear the song i promise you, you will be BLOWN AWAY!! absolutely a single no flinching similar songs are evanesence - bring me to life + crawling Burn It Down - 8 i will give a review for this song so that people know that iam not sayin bs about the other songs. This song starts of with a very catchy electro sound before a very good transition into electro+ guitar and drums. The sound fades to leave room for chester to sing a verse which is ok lyrically, the second verse and 3rd verse (sung by shinoda) are much better. The verse is catchy and is perfect for chants but lyric-wise is not LP peak. Shinoda's lyrics are perfect and direct to the point of the song. The last minute of the song is perfect with shinoda combining with chester. similar songs numb + tbh this song is unique and numb is the only song somewhat close to it structure-wise. In my remains is a bit like it but much MUCH BETTER! Lies Greed Misery - 9 I gave this song a 9 and i know many people disagree with me but my belief is that this song will not be easily forgotten and is a slow grower on people. This song starts with a catchy electro song before it transits into mike rapping. This is definetly one of mike's best raps i ever heard because it is genius and attacks the person who thinks he/she is in control and delivers the punch lines that can be written down as best rap punches ever. Chester yells his LIES GREED MISERY punch lines in a gr8 way and his sound is uniquely fit to the songs theme. The chorus is one to be remembered and is perfect to chant in live shows. The "you did it to yourself" line sang repeatedly by chester before screaming it with the chorus is absolutely heavy and one of the moments of the album. This song as a whole is great to listen to while driving and is very catchy and i wont be surprised if the company decides it as a single eventhough there are better songs imo in the album. similar songs include faint + wretches and kings. I'll Be Gone - 10 This one is an absolute rock classic like lost in the echo. It has everything and will always be remembered by fans like "in the end" even though its structure is nothing like it. This song starts with a very catchy melody before the LPesque transition into guitar + drums with melody in the background. As a side note this is without doubt the best song for brad on the album and one of his best performances ever tbh. Chesters vocals are one of the best and the lyrics are very catchy and the structure in which he sings is perfect and his transition from verse into chorus is beyond amazing and the chorus is one of the most catchiest on the album. "I'll be gone" was used many times on songs before even by linkin park themselves but this is by far the best use for the song and the song at the end starts fading with brad guitars and chester singing the chorus before he bursts "Ill BE GONE!!! " and the melody starts fading and the song, unfortunately ends but i play it again One of linkin park's best songs ever with lost in the echo. similar songs are lost in the echo and maybe in pieces and pushing me away Castle of Glass - 7 I honestly dont get the much hype about this song being a heartbreaker. The tempo is very fast eventhough the melody is catchy and mikes singing is good and the so are the lyrics eventhough they are not very clear. The chorus dissapointed me A LOT and eventhough the line "iam only a crack in this castle of glass" was genius to make it was used very VERY badly and i think Linkin Park with all their creativity could come up with better lyrics for the chorus and the whole song because i really believe the song title could have been marked as a landmark song for all music listeners of different genres like candle in the wind but unfortunately Linkin Park imho failed to impress with this song. The tempo was high for the songs direction and i thought if they took the tempo down this song would have sounded much better and the chorus would have been open to change lyric-wise. I blame rick and mike (the producers) for making this song fail from my point of view because this song could have been a single and a HUGE one if it was produced better than done. Many people will disagree with me but the reason i gave it a 7 is because they song was destroyed by the ok lyrics and the high tempo. similar songs, and this might sound weird, but i could swear its structure and tempo were exactly like mumford and sons' "Little Lion Man" eventhough the instruments used are completly different. every1 watch out LINKIN PARK have STOLEN song structure LMAO just joking or not Victimized - 9 The closest thing this song can be described as, is very heavy punk rock. This songs tempo is highest linkin park has ever done. The song starts with some scratch noise before fast drums and guitar are played in a punk rock manner before fading suddenly into some1 talking with an african accent, i cant understand anything being said because its not clear and it sounded like it is being said through a microphone then it stops at once and a verse is sang which is not very up-tempo like the song beginning with very good lyrics and great melody with low sounding fast drum beat before chesters bursts and screams the livin shit out of VICTIMIZED and then a weird transition is made into mike rapping one of his best rap verses on the album and then an LPesque transition into chester screaming the livin shit out of the FUCKIN SPEAKERS til the song ends. On a side note this song was cut way too short and could have been made much longer (its only 1:51). maybe they think chester wont be able to handle all that screaming for longer on live shows ok everyone kill me now if you want It was hard to find a song like this one but maybe given up is a bit similar in its up-tempo and some of the throat-fuck screams are like on given up and blackout. Roads Untravelled - 8 (up'd after repeated listenings) This song was to be a landmark like catle of glass but it was ruined a bit by wanting to conclude this song fast. The lyrics that are on this song are magnificent and the song starts and is like my december in structure. after the each verse finishes comes a heavy transition into drums and guitars which is brilliant playing but it is only sung over by the following word " WHOHOHOAHOAHOAHOA" !!! The song could have been made this way to be used in a game or movie or trailer but nobody knows. This song if it used a good or great chorus could have made it to my top 20 LP songs but it doesnt and thats why i gave it an 8 eventhough some people mighjt not be bothered by the 2 minutes of wohaoaho and give it a 9 or 10. similar songs are somewhat the beginning of my december and this song has a western theme in it and i can picture a western epic clash between cowboys occuring while the song is played. Skin to Bone - 9 Starts off with a very weird but catchy melody and enters with a verse which is lyrically genius and sets off the song with the theme of "skin to bone" and "ash to ashes, dust to dust". The melody of the song is brilliant and the melody and sound builds up as the song progresse in a very consistent way and the vocals are amazing and mike does some beautiful singing in this one and his voice is a perfect match to this song. The song as a whole is very beautiful and the theme, singing, melody and lyrics all complete each other in the most beautiful of ways. I can really picture this song being put for folk dancing groups and the band has done this song justice more than can be imagined. some people will say this song is weird and not like linkin park, but so is half the songs they make. Thats what makes them LInkin Park, its because they dont have one certain genre but they make art at its best whatever the genre. This is a beautiful piece of art and thats why i gave it a 9. i couldnt find any similar songs or even anything close to it so this will keep you wondering how does it sound Until It Breaks - 8 Linkin parks weirdest song transition-wise. The song at first 3 seconds feels like a classic rock song will start before transition weirdly into mike starts rapping raps like most of his tracks on Fort Minor's The Rising Tied. Then some turntable play by joe is demostrated in the track before it transitions in a very impressive and creative moment and chester starts singing very brilliant lines and then mike continues rapping before transitioning in a very messed up way to brad singing like he's in a choir and his voice was so weak and not in anyway confident. In my opinion this ruins the song a bit eventhough many people are excited he is singing. He could have done it in a mixtape or an underground track but they allowed it in the album which hints at more experimentation eventhough they promised no more experimentation. This song was gr8 at first before being ruined by a weird transition and the stubborness to keep experimenting on this album even though they said they are done. This was another song that had potential but was laid back a bit due to bad production. Tinfoil/Powerless - 6 (lowered after repeated listenings) Some people describe powerless as the best album close everdone by LP. TBH this is completely wrong, its just wrong and overexcitement from them. Noway is this song the best closing song in an LP album. In my opinion i think this is one of the weakest songs of the album. Tinfoil was promising with the way it built up during its first half and i thought i was going to hear a track like the overwhelming wake but instead the song stopped building up and stayed flat and then faded away which made me very dissapointed. This song was ok lyrics-wise and the melody was okay and not that imprssive and it continued building up and then falling suddenly and building up and so on which was ok but due to its weak premise and melody i couldnt rate this song more than a 6. I cant find a song resembling this but comparing this to other linkin park closers i would rate it lower than puching me away, numb, the little things give you away and even the messenger which was more catchy than this song and chesters vocals were much better on the messenger eventhough they were good on powerless too. Overall i give this album an impressive 9/10 I thought that we had a tie between this album and meteora but now that i have carefully listened to the album it has some negatives that werent apparent and it took a lot of listenings to make a full assessment of each song and the album as a whole. This album is by far better than A thousand suns and is a tad better than minutes to midnight, a tad worse than meteora and hybrid theory but as a Linkin Park fan since the early beginnings i can say Linkin Park are starting to go back to their rock roots while maintaining some of the modern electro sounds in an EPIC SMASH of sounds while keeping their TRUE and GENUINE IDENTITY. Iam 100% sure all linkin park fans, old and new will at least be okay with this new album as a whole and noone will keep saying shit about the "new" LP sucking ass because this album shuts up all critic mouthes. Hope you liked my review and if you have any comments or questions please feel free to tell me LINKIN PARK FANS....... ROCK ON
No no. If you're into like hardcore punk (black flag, the circle jerks) or thrash metal (slayer. Anthrax) they have a very kind of disorganized, intense sound. Short songs with a big impact. And mind you these are limited examples. It's late and I'm getting into lists.
In my opinion, this is the definitive Linkin Park album. I loved A Thousand Suns and it will forever remain an unforgettable experience to hear that the first time in its entirety, but Living Things is as if they wrote three good albums and put the best tracks from them into one album. It's that good. The tracks here are lyrically, sonically, instrumentally and in the songwriting context among the best they've done in their career, matched only by the finer moments of ATS. I've never been prouder to be a LP fan.
1.Lost In The Echo 10/10 2.In My Remains 7.5/10 3.Burn It Down 7.5/10 4.Lies Greed Misery 8/10 5.I'll Be Gone 7.5/10 6.Castle Of Glass 9/10 7.Victimized 8/10 8. Roads Untraveled 8/10 9. Skin To Bone 9/10 10.Until It Breaks 7/10 11.Tinfoil/Powerless 10/10
Omar, I agree with you on a lot of your ratings. LITE is definitely an undeniably great song. My personal favorite. I don't know how some people are saying it sounds unoriginal, and praise Castle of Glass instead, when almost every aspect of Castle of Glass is generic or sounds similar to another song. Which brings me to Castle of Glass, I don't understand why the vast majority of people think this song is so great. I really am completely unstimulated by the chord progression, drum beat, and melody of that track. Along with the things you mentioned. I guess if so many people like it, it will become a single, but it is probably the most generic thing I've heard from Linkin Park. Totally agree with Lies Greed Misery. I do think people will eventually look back and rate LGM higher. The only things I'd change from your ratings is switching I'll Be Gone and Roads Untraveled, and rating Victimized a little lower.
Lemme ask you guys...What's up with all the hate on Skin to Bone ? ...IMO it's very good..Or at least deserves a 8 out of 10 ...Most people gave it 5 or less.
LOST IN THE ECHO-8.5/10 IN MY REMAINS-9.5/10 BURN IT DOWN-8.5/10 LIES GREED MISERY-8/10 I'LL BE GONE-8/10 CASTLE OF GLASS-9/10 VICTIMIZED-8/10 ROADS UNTRAVELLED-9/10 SKIN TO BONE-9/10 UNTIL IT BREAKS-8/10 TINFOIL-9/10 POWERLESS-10/10 Fav. Track: Powerless, but IMR is really close Album Rating: 9.9/10 almost perfect.
LIVING THINGS = THERAPEUTIC I have to be honest with you all, I had a really intense relationship with a girl that lasted over a year. I'm a senior in college now and it's been 6 months since the break up- but the pain had not been dealt with. I can't tell you how therapeutic this album has been for me. Starting with Lost in the Echo where Chester declares "I've finally let you go" and all the way to Roads Untraveled where Shinoda sings "cause the love that you lost wasn't worth what it cost and in time you'll be glad it's gone", it has all helped me fully realize that I've idealized this girl and haven't taken into consideration how much there was wrong in the relationship. The ending to the album "And you held it all but you were careless to let it fall. You held it all and I was by your side, powerless" sums it up perfectly. If any of you have ever been involved in a destructive relationship, you'll relate. Why am I telling you all this? I'm drunk.