It's not hard to just use OpenScrobbler to pull them in. Or you could get a third party scrobbling tool silly! Also: on Two Faced again. I think I've landed in the pro-Two Faced camp. I'd still put it near the bottom in a ranking for this album, but I think it's solid. A lot of comparisons have been made to their early nu metal stuff, for better or worse (depending on whether you are Minus ). I think the comparisons to Meteora are valid, but I find the key difference that sets it apart is the chorus, both in the melody and lyrics. The lyrics, while still generally angsty, aren't quite as atrocious as Meteora at its lowest points. It's a catchy little vague refrain and I like that. Simplicity. But the biggest thing is the vocal melody seems differentiating to me. The verses and bridge scream Meteora, but when I hit the chorus I think "This is a different take on this." So many of the songs on Meteora follow the same style of a prominent anchor note with close steps around and back to it. Numb, Figure.09, Faint, Somewhere I Belong are all good examples of this, with one or two other notes in the vocal melody that are all just steps up and down the scale, revolving around that one center note. The chorus melody of Two Faced has that opening leap from a C# down to a G# and I think that's what draws me into that chorus melody more.
I am quite curious if Two Faced will end up reminding more of Xero/Hybrid Theory, or Meteora. While both eras share the same stylistic approach, there are clear nuances between them, in term of melodies, electronics, samples, and even guitar work, riff-wise. HT was much more rooted in the 90's music, while Meteora had an early 2000's glossy production (and a cinematic dimension that HT didn't quite have). Makes sense timing-wise of course, but I think it is easy to hear it as well. The sample work on HITC was clearly leaning more towards the Meteora side of things, but from what I have read here, it could be that Two Faced is actually closer to older stuff. I'd be really excited for that!
What's good, for me anyway, is I barely remember anything from the listening party. I remember bits and pieces of the songs I have not heard yet, but that's it. Avoiding anything until official release for the first time.
Two Faced is 100% more of the Xero/HT era so much so that the intro to Two Faced almost sounds like some of those Xero-era demos we all know and love.
I honestly believe that the little snippet of Fuse at the end of Overflow where it feels like the tape is being stopped/skipped to then play Two Faced instead is a clue that it's a demo from the Xero/HT era that they reworked lol. It sounds too eerily similar to that era in every single way, including Mike's lyrics.
Genuinely think this too, I'm convinced Two Faced is a really old song they decided to revive, nothing else they've made after Hybrid Theory sounds so much like HT as this song, it has the grit of Xero and HT and isn't glossy like HITC and Meteora.
That'd be so cool if that's the case, like a proper time-machine moment and a nod to their start. Would match the thematic of the album super well.
Did anyone else catch a quick clip of an old Xero demo in one of the songs? I don't remember what the song was but my ears def caught it!
Just finished my first listen 30 seconds ago - it's easy to forget how diverse LP albums can be. I've been listening to nothing but rock and metal, and this is a fantastic reminder to diversify. - Good Things Go ends right when the feels kick in properly. Maybe by design. - Stained and Cut the Bridge are not doing it for me. - TEM was the right single. - I say this as someone who's favourite LP album is ATS - it's so nice to hear some old skool big bad Brad riffs Won't listen again until I can put the vinyl on and sit down properly on Friday. I swear I heard Stick n Move somewhere. Have to re listen.
It's also a lot grittier sonically than the pristine, crystal-clear production of Meteora. The guitar tones are grungier and Emily's vocals even sound more Wakefield than Chester. It's an intentionally messy track.
I gotta say that this is probably the best mixed LP album in while. Songs like Cut the Bridge and Casualty wouldn't sound half as good if it weren't for the rough around the edges/natural mix. It somehow makes the songs more tangible for the lack of a better word. Whereas some of the production from LT is so glitzy that it's connect with the songs emotionally.
I think it was Fuse you were hearing. I thought it was Stick N Move after hearing it once and not expecting it. But the second time I recognized it as Fuse. Different chord progression, but all the fuzz of that Xero era guitar work makes it a little harder to distinguish.
Man, Good Things Go really reminds me of Drivers License by Olivia Rodrigo. If you don't know what I'm talking about, consider yourself lucky.
A lot of positivity for this entire album is going through my mind. Just to single one aspect out, the Mike content on FZ is exactly what I wanted out of it. What’s new is fun and what’s classic is refined with appealing candor, in my opinion. Even HITC, maybe the weakest lines?, I like the shadow boxing there quite a bit. League of Legends aside.
Walmart trying to stem the bleeding from leaks by selling early https://www.reddit.com/r/LinkinPark/comments/1gpxegu/i_have_it_walmart_danbury_ct/
I thought walmart didn't sell explicit music? You mean one of the best songs of the 2020s that you wish your favorite artist could write a song as good as?
The guitar at the start of Two Faced reminds me so much of this at around the 2:30 mark. The riff is so similar, just a bit slower