What genres should LP experiment with next album?

How about they just be themselves? If they want to make progressive songs, let them do it. If they want to have a few radio anthems, let them do it. All of us might agree or disagree on something they should do on the next album, but what it comes down to is what they want to do. All of this is invalid.

 

I hope ATS didn't have the best guitar playing Brad can offer

 

Better than powerchords in every song for sure, and so far, it's the best I have heard.

 

I would like to see Linkin Park take a more progressive turn, it's no secret that Brad and Dave are extremely talented, they just don't like showing off. What I would like to see with them in terms of progressive would be almost like Dream Theater but with an electronic twist. That would be really cool IMO.

 

I think Brad's best work was showcased in Minutes To Midnight. Proved that he can do backing guitars as well as solos. That album had some of their most rocking songs!

 

They can do whatever they want, I'd just really like it if the next album had ONE uber-heavy, guitar-driven song. The last time they did something that really fits that mold was No More Sorrow...which was nearly 6 years ago at this point. It's something they've done very well in the past, and I honestly miss it. If Brad would actually pick up his fucking guitar during the writing process for a change...

 

This overly-electronic Linkin Park is starting to get a little old anyway.. and isn't Linkin Park always trying to do something different? If we get another record drowned in synth washes i'm going to be completely disappointed. "Valentine's Day" and "The Messenger" sounded awesome because they were simple and in fact raw. The little imperfections such as voice cracking gave the songs a realistic feel. Songs like Burning In The Skies, while good, were way too smooth and perfect.

 

Linkin Park's last 3 albums were all unexpected in some kind of way (of course A Thousand Suns being the craziest, but still the best even now). I'd love for them to work in more folk, electronic, punk rock tracks. Maybe even an album with every track containing strings as good as SOTD, BTH or NRL, but I'll also say this, LP has been bringing us all at least one big surprise in each album and they have all been very good so as long as they keep bringing something new to the table, I have no problem with it.

 

For sure is a big statement. If you ask me, none of the guitar parts in ATS were as catchy, memorable, classic, and punchy than riffs in POA, APFMH, OSC or Qwerty. Sure ATS had more diverse guitars parts, but a lot of them weren't really outstanding (imo).

Anyway, listening to LT yesterday, I realized I would prefer if the next album was somewhat less mellow. I mean...more focused on rythm and if Chester was less smooth with his voice next time. It could be in a raspy way, in a funky way, in a soul way...I don't mind, but I'm a little tired of how Chester sounded in songs like LITE (go! goooooo!), IBG (I'll be goooooone), or Powerless (and youuuuuuu held it all) . It lacked something (not especially agression). For example, Grey Daze songs or LTGYA which weren't especially heavy all had raw vocals parts which showed passion. I can't feel that passion in the LT songs. (neither in some ATS songs)

 

I want LP to top LT or even ATS... something more diverse and creative , atmospheric strings & vocals & complex instrumentation... i wonder why they stopped working with David campbell during ATS and LT?

 

I've been thinking that Linkin Park's next album might have more of a "jam band" sound. Think of it maybe as Linkin Park's take on The Black Keys? I don't have a crystal ball, but I totally called the folk influence on Living Things. just saying!

As for what I would WANT them to do...hm. I'd like them to make an album in a similar style to Massive Attack. Trippy, ambient, dark, weird. Something with a more subdued sound. The one common thread throughout all Linkin Park music is how big and dramatic it is. BIG Chester vocals, BIG guitars, BIG synths, like a Michael Bay movie. I wanna hear the dark, creepy side.

 

I don't think power chords are altogether that bad, and actually IN MY REMAINS is one of my favorite songs in LT, sure, easy as hell guitar-wise, but I think the other elements like vocals made it better for me, there is something about that kind of melody that really appeals to me, but it's just my taste. I guess I'm just easy to please (no pun intended )

I agree with goldenbear, I think Minutes to Midnight shows a bit of the best of Brad's guitar work, at least it's more diverse, acoustic, clean, distorted, power chords, solos, it made Brad use a wider range of his skills.

Some are saying "Linkin Park doesn't like to show off" and it's true most of the time, but I think it's time they should, because they are talented as fuck, so it's time they do show all of their big guns in a new album, regardless of the style.

And, I've thought this before but, I've seen Phoenix has been doing backing vocals for a long time now, it surprised me that it was Brad who actually got to "guest" first on an album. I've been wanted to hear Phoenix have a line or two, he's quite decent at it.

 

I agree on MTM being their more interesting record guitar-wise! (especially if we include all songs made during that era: Qwerty, WWDK, ATL, PTB, Not Alone,...). It simply included their widest range of guitar style to date (from nasty riffs to more melodic one, from plain distortion to palm-muted to acoustic).

Also, Massive Attack influences would be great. But I can't imagine LP making such trippy music like this...but who know

 

A Lady Antebellum esque country album would be cool, or maybe a full on LP rap/hiphop album.

 

I still say it'd be cool to have a more stripped down record. Listening to Linkin Park acapellas and ambient remixes of their music, I find them a lot more emotionally engaging than some of the songs that are so layered with hundreds of sounds. For example, I wasn't able to appreciate In My Remains until I heard someone else do an acapella of it. I listened to the Linkin Park version after and it felt like it had all the emotion stripped away from it in sake of having a BIG sound. LP need to learn that less can be more and I would love for them to take notes off of Depeche Mode on that one.

Although they've been experimenting, you know what the one thing missing from the past 3 LP records was? Consistency. LP needs to have a more streamlined album imo. I don't want to listen to an LP record and go "okay this is the fun song, okay this is the cookie cutter rock song, okay this is the hip hop song, okay..." The thing I think LP gets stuck in during their creative process is they think, "Well let's make a punk song but make it not punk by adding this and this and this" Imagine if they did that for a whole record. Make a punk album, but do it in a new way. Make a bluesy rock album, but do it in a new way. Make an industrial album, but do it in a new way. They can incorporate other genres into an album while still have it streamlined and consistent, and this would make their musical efforts both more effective and they'd have a greater impact.

 

+2

I agree with this.. LP lost their consistency after Meteora era were the band try to experiment go outside the nu-metal box.. LP must return to the mentality were they work as a team, record as a band.. not just Mike and his computers... I hope Album 6 will be the BIG TWIST after all the experimentation they've done from the past.. I salute them for their hardwork and dedication in making music & other charity efforts..

 

If you think about it, the change in "sound" of most popular bands always happens in a similar way. LP, U2, Coldplay, Green Day, Radiohead, Blur.. they all had/have a pattern. It happens in "phases". Taking some of the above mentioned bands as examples -

1st Phase - The original, unique sound, which makes the band famous and appreciated.
Linkin Park : "Hybrid Theory",
Coldplay - "Parachutes" and "A Rush Of Blood..."
Green Day : "Dookie"
U2 : "The Unforgettable Fire" and "The Joshua Tree"

2nd Phase - Quality begins to fall as the band tries to repeat the formula to achieve success.
Linkin Park - "Meteora"
Coldplay - "X&Y"
Green Day - "Insomniac"
U2 - "Rattle and Hum"

3rd Phase - The band decides to change itself radically, rediscovering itself. It "matures" in terms of music and writes its best songs yet.
Linkin Park - "Minutes To Midnight"
Coldplay - "Viva La Vida"
Green Day - "Nimrod"
U2 - "Achtung Baby"

4th Phase - Pleased by the positive response to the new sound and their new-found "freedom", they turn up the "experimental" notch very high and end up making some really diferrent music, sacrificing some of its popularity but gaining a lot of credibility.
Linkin Park - ATS and some parts of LT
Coldplay - "Mylo Xyloto"
Green Day - "Warning"
U2 - "Zooropa" and "Pop"

5th Phase - Revolution #2. The "simplification", "back to the basics" phase, where the band members realise they have gone too far from their original idea and/or have become too complex. The band becomes "simpler" overnight, getting rid of the complexity and favouring a raw, simple sound .
Linkin Park - Parts of LT and ???
Green Day - "American Idiot" onwards (Its debatable whether they became "simpler" or not here, but they certainly returned somewhat to their original pop punk sound)
U2 - "All That You Can't Leave Behind"

I believe LP is currently mid-way in the 5th phase. Therefore, Album No. 6 will probably have a similar sound as LT, with more emphasis on the simpler, "mainstream"-y sounds.

According to me, it'll probably be the 7th album in which we'll see the next big change..

 

Lol. Those LP/Coldplay comparaisons makes my head hurt. Not that I hate Coldplay, but they're such totally different bands sound-wise. Well, same with Green Day and U2. Don't know why I can't feel the coldplay comparaison.

Agree with this part.