They've also been doing this for 20 years, and have done 180s on their sound with virtually almost every album (with the exception of Meteora). They've dabbled in EDM and other 'uncommon for LP' genres through remix albums, EPs etc...honestly there's not really much more 'ground' to be broken. Apart from making some totally artsy fartsy avant garde album with zero song structure, that drones on for like two hours...the band has basically done a lot. And as you correctly said, the band has always followed a song structure. It could be argued that they did that on ATS too. I just don't know what more people want here.
Not bad. Quite poppy, but still good. Chesters vocals here are absolutely on point. You have to admit it's extremely catchy. I already caught myself singing along the second time I listened to it.
This observation is 100% on point. I remember trying to make a similar argument on this forum around the time Living Things came out. Instrumentation matters. Production matters. These things can make a good song great or a great song less. BUT, particularly when it comes to Linkin Park, people get really caught up in the ~sound~ of a song and get distracted from the *songwriting.* I compare it to cars. The difference between What I've Done and Heavy is, in a lot of ways, the difference between a green Mercedes and a red Mercedes (I realize this is a bit of oversimplification, but I still think it works). Your favorite color might be red. You might love red everything: red shoes, red socks, red...foods, whatever. But if you were to suggest that somehow, the red Mercedes was inherently better than the green Mercedes, you'd sound silly. It's the same car with a different paint-job. And sure, you can subjectively prefer the red one because it's your favorite color, and that's great, but it's a superficial difference. What I've Done is a generic pop song about vague angst featuring alt-rock guitars and organic drums. Heavy is a generic pop song about vague angst featuring PBR&B synths, snaps, vocal sample, and more electronic drums. Same song, different paint-job. Likewise, the difference between Blackout and Battle Symphony is like a black Honda and a blueish black Escalade with pearlescent paint and built-in wi-fi. Yeah, the colors might be similar (synth-based music), but the underlying structure is totally different. tl;dr: People get way too caught up in what instruments the band are using and ignore the quality of the songwriting. A different car.
I've been revisiting some of LP's "poppy" catalog, and for me, "Primo" is the prime example of a "pop sounding" song that sounds fresh, experimental, and more importantly, sounds like Linkin Park, No need for loud guitars or acoustic drums to make a sound great when the songwriting is good.
Your second point actually makes a lot of sense. Upon listening to it a few times now, I really like the song. Though I still do wish they could've maybe released a more unique song from the album as their second single. Good things come to those who wait though!
The lyrics don't do the catchy instrumental justice. The flow of the lyrics and the lyrical content feel out of place with the song. By no means could I write better lyrics but that's just my opinion. Hoping the album is a lot better
I'm very conflicted about this one. On one hand I hate it with a passion, on the other it's extremely catchy and I've been listening to it all day. I just don't get how the same people that created ATS were able to come up with this and not see how shallow an unambitious it was. You can say that it's like LT without the guitars, but that means a dumbed down LT, and that stuff wasn't very complex in the first place... Unfortunately with ATS the guys set the bar so high that a straightforward pop record seems like a fucking war crime.
Lol what does that even mean? Do you expect him to scream his lungs out in every song? The best vocalists have extreme variation in their vocals from song to song. Look at Mike Patton, he can go fucking crazy with his voice for some songs and also keep it calm for others. His philosophy is that you don't necessarily have to be front and centre of the song as a vocalist, your voice is essential another instrument that's a part of the song.
This is what I love about Linkin Park. Even after all these years they still manage to divide the fanbase and shock us. I really am glad I met this band As for the song, I love it. Chester's voice is great, decent lyrics and it's catchy as fuck. Can't wait for the rest of the album!
Just hope they release Acapella Versions of the songs. I honestly cant stand the instrumentalisation.