Agreed. The rapping is one of my least favorite elements in LP's music as of late. There have been a few gems (WTCFM, mostly), but most of the time it just falls flat.
WTCFM and UIB are in my top 5 LP tracks, probably. BUT I'll gladly give up a chance to have more tracks like those, if that means I don't have to listen to mediocre shit like All For Nothing. It's 2016. Nu metal is fucking lame. It has been lame for ten fucking years. Give it up, people.
I think there's been enough time for KttK. A week or so per song is fine as long as there's a user ready to write a description for the next song. A lot of fans agree with that, but I'm one of the fans that's not all that interested by his singing at the same time, especially next to Chester. Not that it's bad, but he's a lot more creative when it comes to rapping, I think. Mike's at his best as a producer and instrumentalist anyways, he should just play the keys
Maybe this is a very unpopular opinion here, but i think a LP with no Mike rapping (atleast on one song ) is no real LP. I mean thats their formula uno somehow
It's like if they asked David Gilmour to stop playing guitar solos during Pink Floyd's peak. Maybe it's obnoxious to some folks at times but it's a part of the music.
I feel like that's a very restrictive attitude to have. "Oh, we HAVE to include this because it's part of our sound" seems like the mentality they want to get away from. They shouldn't feel required to include something solely for the purpose of fulfilling some kind of quota. Likewise, they shouldn't feel forced to exclude something if they feel that the song requires it. If they write a song for LP7 that just won't be complete without Mike rapping a verse or two, then go ahead. Include it. If it feel natural, it'll go over well. However, shoehorning a verse into a song solely for the purpose of "Oh, it's part of our music" feels almost disingenuine. That kind of feels like what happened with Keys. I have no clue how that part relates to the rest of the track other than it's "fast" rapping over a fast, upbeat instrumental. Lyrically, it doesn't seem to connect, and it feels very forced. Just my 2 cents.
That's not what I really meant but I guess my post is easy to misunderstand (my fault). I'm one of those who's always wanted LP to do whatever they want, regardless of what's worked in the past - that means getting rid of rap parts if they really do nothing. What I was trying to say was that I agree that we don't need the rap parts if they aren't called for in the song, but I won't be complaining since it's what LP's done since day one.
That's essentially my stance as well. It IS a staple of Linkin Park, but in no way should Mike feel obligated to put rap verses in songs if it feels forced or unnecessary. Mike is first and foremost a rapper, that's what he's always enjoyed doing since a kid. A lot of his biggest influences in music are from Hip-Hop artists, I'm pretty certain Mike will want something Hip-Hop related on here. But like Chester's screaming which is also a staple in their sound, if the direction of this album doesn't seem right for these, then shoehorning them in just because it's what people expect wouldn't feel right when they openly stated they want this to be their "best" album yet. The good thing is the band mostly creates what they want to make rather than catering to others.
I agree with the both of you. If it doesn't need to be there, then by all means, don't put the rapping in, but to remove it completely seems weird to me. Not like they couldn't but it would be like if LP decided to drop a complete instrumental album like the Beastie Boys did in 2007. It would be kind of......disappointing for some. I think before we decide if Mike should be rapping, we need to hear this record first. It's a brand new recording process where lyrics are focused on first, and rapping is a pretty good center for lyricism. That means he likely wasn't obligated to write more street style battle verses and could've penned more interesting conceptual verses. Is it a reach Mike probably won't have at least one verse of battle rapping if he has more than one rap verse on the album? Probably tbh. It's his style but if the track is like Until It Breaks, where it is primarily a hip hop track, then he will be ok. I'm just curious to see what he can deliver with a new process.
ALL FOR NOTHING "And no I’m not your soldier I’m not taking any orders I’m a five star general infantry controller" A clamorous, speedy guitar burst springs All For Nothing into action before slowing down for a soaring guitar riff alongside pounding drum work. Shinoda begins his lyrical rampage and metaphorically drops the mic in a swagger-bolstered, intimidating hip-hop verse similar to A Thousand Suns’ When They Come For Me or Living Things’ Lies Greed Misery. A discordant guitar riff strengthens his rhymes before All For Nothing explodes into a punk-influenced chorus starring The Hunting Party’s first guest musician, Page Hamilton of Helmet. Hamilton’s performance echoes similar tones to Shinoda’s own vocals, chiming high for a crystal clear delivery. Bennington’s more rugged backing vocals present a call and response delivery that harkens back to Hybrid Theory’s vocal chemistry before seizing the post-chorus for himself. The second verse immediately jumps back into the hip-hop domain as Shinoda aggressively asserts control. Walls of electronic noise briefly enter the fray just as Shinoda reaches his climax before the chorus erupts again. Following the soaring chorus is yet another guitar solo. This time, the tempo and aggression found in Keys To The Kingdom is slowed to give room for a slower, groovier solo. The final chorus is heavily edited, removing most of Hamilton’s vocals before ending on Bennington’s rebellious shouts. Another eerie interlude takes place in the final seconds of All For Nothing. Channeling their inner Muse, Linkin Park creates a brief dreamy, psychedelic soundscape. The twenty-second intermission is interrupted by a conversation between Shinoda and Delson. Presumably finalizing The Hunting Party’s track order, Delson recommends putting “the heavy shit there”. Listening to the lyrics, All For Nothing emphasizes the same fundamentals seen in Keys To The Kingdom. Shinoda could be interpreted as rapping about the music industry trying to force him and the band into a specific vision, to which he aggressively fights back against. The chorus reinforces this message in which the omnipresent figure Bennington shouts about (“You say!”) could very well be the music industry asking the band to bend a certain way, a way that will ensure success. However, the lyrics could also easily be read as a response to a political campaign. The leader is speaking to his/her people and issuing demands or commands that they do not wish to comply with. Linkin Park released an LPTV episode titled “True Chainz” in reference to All For Nothing’s original demo name. The video focuses on Hamilton’s involvement and influence on the track. Shinoda and Delson present an early scatted version of All For Nothing to Hamilton who approves the idea of collaboration. Relatively unknown until this video, Hamilton actually plays a wicked rhythm guitar pseudo-solo hidden deep in the final mix post-bridge. LPA’s Viscera album included a reimagined All For Nothing thanks to renowned artist zwieR.Z. Known for several classic Linkin Park remixes, zwieR.Z. brings a stunning amount of energy and tension to the table in his remix. The track incorporates the guitar riff from Hollywood Undead’s “Undead” which was identical to Ozzy Osbourne’s legendary “Crazy Train”. The constantly ascending and descending riff accompanied Shinoda’s aggressive rhymes alongside a blasting drumbeat. The riff is then stripped away for the once energetic chorus that now oozes with emotion. The guitar solo is removed entirely, replaced by an ambient atmosphere that builds into the final chorus. All For Nothing was never played live. Linkin Park had the absolutely perfect opportunity to premiere the song on the setlist of their final show of 2015 for Music For Relief, as Hamilton was slated to make a guest appearance. Unfortunately, the Helmet vocalist only joined the band onstage for “Bleed It Out” and “Faint”. It could be argued that the live collaboration came at the last second and therefore gave the band no time to rehearse, however the two-month void between their European tour and the final run of the year raises suspicion for mere laziness. As The Hunting Party touring cycle has come to a close, it remains to be seen whether All For Nothing will ever be played live.
Oh boy! Well unpopular opinion time. All For Nothing is my favorite track on the album. The moment that riff kicked in with Mike starting the "yeah," I was oh shit! This gonna be awesome! To me it's basically 2014's version of Lying From You, my favorite track on Meteora. Love the chorus, love Mike's flow and the aggressive energy is much more catchier to me than KTTK. Also the second verse is one of my favorite rap verses on the record and the rhymes, flow and delivery murder KTTK's rap verse imo. Just a fun banger track that really continues the momentum of KTTK.
This would pretty easily be my least favorite song on the album if not for the guitar solo, which actually feels well written and like it genuinely BELONGS in the track, which is more than I can say for most solos from Brad. Mike's second verse is cool, but the first verse feels like a standard "I'm so badass and rose above everything" verse from Mike with no interesting flow or delivery. The chorus is awful, and having Page Hamilton's voice, who is pretty significant for having a raw, intense voice, be filtered and "Linkin Park"-ified on an album like this is a decision that boggles my mind. The "YOU SAY" chants get annoying as well, and Chester's part of the chorus makes me want to skip the song every time. It's just not good IMO. Rob shines, but that could be said about literally every song on this album. It feels like a lesser version of the "good" nu-metal songs from Meteora (so basically Lying From You). That was way more negative than I expected...
I'm with you. I actually enjoy All for Nothing more than any of the other tracks on The Hunting Party and right after that is Keys to the Kingdom. I just love the energy and flow on the track. It's a little formulaic but I personally think it works well and it jives well with me. I think the chorus is catchy for one and I like Mike's delivery of the verses. The song is fairly relentless in its energy and that's one of the things I like best about it. Love the solo too. Not maximum tremolo picking up and down the fretboard *cough*KTTK*cough*. And I'll keep my unpopular opinion!
I really would've liked to hear the band do this song live, just so I could hear Shinoda belt out that chorus
Oh definitely! I understand some might not like the formulaic, standard rap-rock song, but damn! It is executed well here. The chorus is extremely catchy and even Chester's "YOU SAY!" chants are cool to me. Also, I agree on the solo. It feels much more, I guess without the lack of a better word right now, smooth? It just fits the song perfect. I am a sucker for their generic rap rock songs anyway Unpopular opinions are great!
It may be formulaic but it's high-intensity so I think it's forgivable. Formulaic writing isn't always bad if done right. The solo sounds good because Brad's purposefully playing a scale as opposed to just tremolo-picking any notes that fit.