GATS is not even close to A7X stuff. Brad is awesome at guitar but lol he can't play like a7x dudes. LP is a different type of talent, whereas a7x are freakishly talented when it comes to guitar techniques and shredding. I kind of cringed at the "and it completely blows us away" part of the headline when GATS was released.
What the hell? This was literally my first comment on the thread and I was replying in general to something Spitz said. Not everyone who has a differing opinion is butt hurt. [video=youtube;KiG9V_qfuaE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiG9V_qfuaE[/video]
How can you cringe at something that someone just felt? Friends here listened to the song and believe me, they were kind of blown away because they expected something like New Divide. They still like it and that is kind of what the band in my opinion tried to achieve. These people won't most likely not listen to the other bands people mentioned here but they are interested in LPs output. And I guess it is useless to talk about innovation, at least not with defining a certain context. If people are trying to ignore the kind of "innovation" we have in this song than I could also state that there was no innovation in music for the last 8-10 years... because we already have seen everything one way or another ...
I think, it's all related with expectations. The fewest have expected something like GATS, like Flozuki have said already. In LP context, it's a pretty innovative song - it has time to "develop", pretty long intro, a little solo at the end etc. But to me, it's not their hardest song, it's just a "different" kind of hardness, if i can say that. Personally, i found "No More Sorrow" harder and it's not necessarily the screams, but the guitar "crushes" more to me, but maybe it's the different production, since it is more rough in GATS and not so "bombast".
C'mon dude. So GATS hypotheticaly sounding similar to a record LP never released or even finished makes it not innovative for LP? Now that's a weird argument. I've explained why GATS has a lot of new or rare elements in regard to LP music in general, and you have completelly ignored those parts of my post. Moreover, your comparison to other nu-metal bands ommits important aspects of the problem, as those other nu-metal bands generally were heavier to begin with, and moved into that sound straight away after their nu-metal days, which sure was less surprising. LP made GATS after 7 years of generally mid-tempo stuff and electronic experimentation. How would you have expected them to release that kind of song after LT? How was that move not surprising? Moreover, moving on, since when has the creativity of LP stuff been judged in regard to music in general ? When I dared to say ATS wasn't even close to how experimental music can be in the grand scheme of things, I would always get "But it's experimental in regard to LP discography" -type answers. Always. I don't see why it would be different for GATS. It is something unexpected for LP, especially in 2014. It's not in regard to rock music history, but why would it matter anyway? The importance of that so-called lack of creativity just depends from your perspective anyway. See. My monthly playlist has a lot of stuff like Pantha Du Prince, The Roots, Fever Ray, Wild Beasts, and so on. For once, GATS is probably the only metal influenced song in the entire thing. I can promise you that when it comes in randomly after 4 hip hop songs, 5 electronic ones, and 3 folk ones, it sounds fresh as fuck. Totally changes the vibe and energy of the playlist.
It's not innovative because it's just LP doing what they would've been doing if they weren't so driven to avoid being pigeonholed. I haven't addressed the reasons you think this song is so creative because almost everything you've listed has been by the band before. They've done minute-plus long intros, they've had good drumming, they had high-tempo songs. The problem being that once you put all of these ingredients together, you don't get a fresh product. You get the already-been-chewed gum of bro-metal. It's not as visceral, hard-hitting or as technically impressive as the average A7X song and I don't like that band at all. When people say ATS is great for Linkin Park, it's because it doesn't reach the lofty standards of its influences. It's not as ground-breaking as OK Computer, the Dark Side of the Moon and It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. But I don't see any other popular band melding all these disparate parts together the way it came about. Controlling Crowds by Archive comes close, but you don't see kids wearing Archive shirts everywhere. You do see A7X shirts. You do see Five Finger Death Punch shirts. Black Veil Brides. Bullet for My Valentine. Bring Me the Horizon. These bands are very popular. They just won't get airtime on the same station as Awolnation and Imagine Dragons. The only reason Linkin Park doing bro-metal in 2014 is surprising is because it's incredibly stupid. They've spent half of their career doing the opposite of what was expected of them only to cave into popular demand and be heavy again? They say they want to change the perception of rock on the radio, but radio doesn't want to touch this. It's like a rapper trying to climb the charts by aping Mobb Deep. You're moving backwards. If you want that crossover appeal, you have to adapt to current trends. Kendrick Lamar and Macklemore didn't get on the charts because of their lyricism, they got there because they chose beats that could easily be slid into that pop landscape.
Incredibly stupid? Cave into popular demand? Really? You've made points about about "fuck the radio" and all that stuff, to comes in now and say "Stupid, outdated sound, you gotta adapt to current trends if you want the appeal". And that with adding "LP is not doing that. Instead, they're caving to popular demand"? You'll certainly go ahead and say that I don't get your opinions, but sorry, some of your arguing sounds so contradicting. Popular demand for LP is some WID shit. It's some New Divide shit. It's some BID shit. It's not "being heavy", at least not anymore. You just said it, popular radios don't care anymore about heavy rock stuff. LP doing heavy stuff again is LP trying not to be pigeon-holed again. What would have people expected from LP in 2014? Yep, the answer is obvious: heavily electronic stuff. Maybe some alternative poppy thing....as it once was the direction this record was going to be heading to. And I don't like it at all that you're implying LP choose this road because of popular demand. Guys have made it clear that they have went this road because everything but "popular demand". You choose to follow a band that has deep punk and metal roots, they've never hidden that. You gotta deal with the fact that they might give those genres more attention from time to time. You gotta deal with the fact that they love making that kind of music as much as they love making ATS-like music. If you're not happy with this, maybe LP isn't really the best band to listen to for you.
I'm saying "fuck the radio", but the band isn't. They're too preoccupied with this concept of being carnivorous in comparison to the current crop of indie rock. Their mission statement has been rock music in the mainstream is too timid and "herbivorous" and they want to change that. Mike was daring radio stations to play GATS when it was released. Unfortunately, they chose poor tour-mates to push this message and chose an outdated sound to attempt that with. I'm fine with them wanting to sound like Refused or Thrice, especially since I've been digging into more post-hardcore in the past year. The problem is they missed the mark and ended up sounding more like bro-metal. Go to any message board other than this and bring up Linkin Park. The only good things you'll hear is that their first two albums were good but they fell off with MTM. The people who like their electronically-driven material are a minority and are pretty much just on LPA. GATS appeals only to the contingent of fans disappointed by their alternative/electronic sound, who I strongly believe make up the lion's share of their fanbase given record sales. Y'know, actual money put down for their work. When I talk about popular demand, I mean their core fanbase. Be honest, what do you think the band has heard more? "A Thousand Suns was your magnum opus, please write more music as creative as this," or "Hybrid Theory and Meteora was the shit, please be rock again!" I'm past thinking you just don't get me. I now think you're being disingenuous as fuck.
Sorry, lol. That is so wrong but I guess Derek might be happy to know that LPA is consisting of several million users (yeah I know, all of them hate electronics they just bought it because they were expecting HT-material) At this point it doesn´t really make sense to discuss any further when you just keep on creating myths and parallel dimensions others obviously have never heard or seen.
You, on the other hand, lack reading comprehension. What specific part of your sphincter did you pull this gem from? Because I didn't say anything like this.
Even then, my point is still valid that they're not doing this to satisfy their HT/M fanbase but to satisfy themselves. Mike straight said it: he wasn't happy with the poppy alternative stuff he had written. The guys have punk and metal roots. They like it. They are making music they like. What's the big deal, really? And since you're always coming with the "outdated" argument, I'll ask you a question: what's best? Making musis which is oversatured, or making outdated music? I'll give you my answer: none are betters. You can make music that is currently appealing and be great at it, and you'll make great records.You can make music that is not currently popular, and still be great at it, and you'll make great records. Judging a sound in regards to how it is innovative to the musical scene is very dangerous, and that because you can adopt that negative attitude of "sounds so generic" towards a whole lot of music. The Roots "Things fall apart" is a great record, right? Lyrical genius, hip hop landmark record. From a certain perspective, I could just say "It sounds like a typical 90 hip hop record. It isn't anything special." And I'll ask you a last and final question: what is exactly your problem with bro-metal? Why do you completely ignore the fact that the genre is able to propose something that probably none of the music you listen to can propose? I'm not just talking about agression, but also about the form in which it is delivered. Yeah, Death Grips is cool, but what if I want an heavy riff? Yeah, Deftones, is cool, but what if I want more agressive vocals? Yeah, Sigh is cool, but what if I want less layers, less subtility, and a more raw and direct sound? Yes, Refused is cool, but what if I want "bikers" vibe guitar solo? Pantera can deliver that. I doubt many of the artists you listen to can. Why not just leave it at "different music for different moods", instead of ranking music and moods? Yes, the genre has been done over and over again. But which one hasn't honestly? Edit: and thanks for the disingenuous compliment! I'll just altogether stop and let you spitting those pessimistish/cynical comments as much as you want.
They didn't do it well. That's as basic as I can put it. I'd love to hear fresh, piercing post-hardcore riffs. I'd love to hear meaningful lyrics. I'd love to hear raw emotion. GATS didn't deliver on any of this. Maybe we'll shit our pants after we hear the album because GATS is a low point on it, but this is just a really typical metal song one would expect from a 2000's rock band. It's straight-up a disappointment. I'd much rather Linkin Park have done something new or at the very least, something that wouldn't been obvious to anybody. Maybe fuse the folktronica vibe and lyrics of COG with some Fugazi-esque instrumentation? Flip an At the Drive-In sample for a hip-hop track? Toss in a dub breakdown during what would've been a straightforward metal song? Forget to write a second verse, put a good solo in its place and go straight to the bridge instead of another chorus? Take your influences and go fucking bonkers. Things Fall Apart was actually made in the 90s. That's why it sounds like a 90s hip-hop record. Back then, it was contemporary. A better example would've been Joey Bada$$'s 1999, which sounds like typical 90s boom-bap shit despite being recorded in 2012. Joey has bars, but he didn't do anything out of the ordinary other than being 16 at the time. There's a sea of underground rappers who just stay on Primo-esque beats their whole careers. It isn't interesting when they do it because they're just following a well-worn path. All they're doing is playing the longest ever game of follow-the-leader, so they're not worth my time. Nope, because I can find other bands that do whatever they can do, but competently. "Beware" and "I Want it I Need It (Death Heated)". "My Own Summer" and "Hexagram". Their first album, Scorn Defeat. Then find a different band, because that's like wanting black metal vocals in a T.I. song. Queens of the Stone Age. Fucking easily. Oh look, a band that can actually be considered carnivorous. Just because there's nothing new under the sun doesn't mean you get a free pass for sucking. Yeah, I saw he did. What he bolded and what he got out of it are two completely different ideas and I'm not gonna let that kind of jackassery slide on by. Who does he think he is saying I'm making up shit when he can't even read?
Well, you just have to combine sales figures of LPs "electronic" records with your statements. That is the result. At least I have a source, just check Nielsen & Co. Don't know what your sources are. Despite this I can at least agree with your QOTSA comment. Nevertheless, there is no need to be this rude when people don't agree with you or is this common behavior for you? I thought we all are here for the same reason. Love for music and an awesome community?
This But seriously, if you (Spitz) think the lyrics for GATS are meaningless, you're not looking deep enough into the lyrics. Also, it seems that you're comparing GATS to other bands have done metal/hard rock music for years. This is something new for Linkin Park, and it is refreshing as fuck. From the first second to the last, every member delivers their best (though I would prefer that Mike was rapping). GATS was definitely something a lot of us did not expect.
Just as a general note - please be respectful of one another's opinions. Everyone has one - and opinions aren't "wrong," even if you strongly disagree with them. If there's any more antagonizing, we'll be obligated to give out infractions. It's just a band and a song, people. Relax!
I can see where Spitz is coming from. I don't know why people are jumping on him/her. I like GATS, but then again, I'm not looking at it from the perspective of "can I get this same sound, done better, from a different band?" I like LP and I enjoy that they tried some new things on GATS. I'm especially pleased with the guitar solo. I hope that this isn't the pique of the album, though, because LP have definitely done and released more interesting material than GATS. That's about it for me.