Mark the Graves along with TLTGYA is probably the only two songs by Linkin Park I absolutely despise.
I don't see aynthing great about the song. I think its the worst ballad LP ever put on a record. The biggest problem is that its way too long.
I'd argue its length is its greatest strength. It lets the song breathe, and not be restricted to a standard 3 minute pop format. It gets to build, which pays off in a pretty big way I think. To each their own though.
Yes I have and I am not a fan of the classic heavy metal in the first place DT is one of my favorite bands (even though their last record was a disappointment)
Yeah. The Astonishing is an overblown mess. That record is entirely too long, and not even in the typical Dream Theater way. Another double album in the vein of Six Degress of Inner Turbulence would have been great. But nooooooo. We get a 34 track musical. /totallyofftopic
DRAWBAR Drawbar is the tenth track on The Hunting Party, featuring the final guest collaboration on the record. The interlude welcomes guitarist Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine, for an instrumental jam session that defied expectations. The interlude begins with a light piano intro, before the soft plucking of guitar strings echoes into the fold. The riff quickly grows ominous and the piano joins again, this time dark and somber in nature as each key broods in the background. Bourdon’s drums come in piercing, providing a clashing riff to the dark instrumental. The piano begins to swell with intensity as Bourdon’s work manifests into a heavier rhythm, all the while Morello’s guitar strums in the middle ground, producing a chiming echo. The instrumental uprising collapses into a sea of airy and stretched synths as a single piano key is repeated several times to punctuate the moment. Drawbar finishes with an emotional piano epilogue that signals an end to the dark and dreary soundscape. Drawbar met instant criticism upon release, as the presumed main focus and spotlight was meant to be Tom Morello. Renown for his heavy alternative-metal guitar work in Rage Against The Machine, and after Daron Malakian’s malicious contribution to Rebellion, the fanbase was salivating at the prospects of a Morello-Linkin Park jam session. What released instead was a dark, brooding interlude guitar taking a backseat to the piano and drums in the spotlight. Morello’s contribution was not aggressive, heavy, or anything like Rage Against The Machine. His guitar presence was merely Drawbar’s backbone, tying together the dark piano and clashing drums. His inclusion remains hotly argued among fans, though most tend to agree that Drawbar succeeds as an interlude in creating an ominous tension that serves as a moment of rest before The Hunting Party’s final curtain call. The desire for a more somber, melodic interlude is seen directly in studio in the “LPTV: DRAWBAR (feat. TOM MORELLO) | Linkin Park” episode. Showing insight on the creation of Drawbar, the episode begins with Morello discussing his openness towards anything and everything. There’s brief footage of a jam between Delson, Bourdon and Morello with the guest guitarist clearly strumming some Rage Against The Machine inspired riffs. However, Delson suggests they return to the more somber seed from earlier in the day. The rest is history. Drawbar was never played live as Linkin Park relied on more energetic mashups for interludes between the live set. Perhaps they couldn’t replicate Morello’s sound without him being present or perhaps they just couldn’t find time to fit the interlude in. Regardless, Drawbar remains yet another song form the record that waits to be debuted live.
LP's instrumental pieces are generally fantastic and "Drawbar" is no exception. One of my favourite things about it is the piano at the start, how it's recorded and mixed in such a way there's a real space surrounding it when you listen to it.
Drawbar is my favourite LP instrumental of all-time. Inb4 "collaboration was disappointing" Well yes, the instrumental sure is great, adds a little depth to the Hunting Party and is great transition between Mark the Graves and Final Masquerade, but most of the fans were so excited when Tom Morello was featured in the song, and thus the almost unexistent presence of the guitarist from Rage Against the Machine sure left some fans in disappointment.