I've been so caught up in the new Linkin Park I feel as if looking down on Meteora just didn't seem fair to me. I looked at it like it was some kind of a disgrace, but really, after listening to it for seven years off and on, I needed to give it a full playthrough. That second chance. I found myself enjoying every second of it. Yeah it wasn't progressive, yeah the lyrics didn't cover topics about the world or moving out into the real world but they covered the topics that come up alot in my life right now. Here is my review on Meteora; 01. Foreword - A short little introduction that leads in to the next track. 02. Don't Stay - This song explodes into your earphones with heavy guitar riffs and insane scratching. Chester is heavily present in this song. My only complaint is that the bridge was a little weak. 8/10 03. Somewhere I Belong - The reversed acoustic guitar opens this track and layers slowly add on to build up an atmosphere. Mike delivers very well here, and the chorus is loud and in your face. The lyrics could've been better, but this song is great! I'm glad they didn't scream over this one. 9/10 04. Lying From You - Electronic sounds and heavy guitars open this track. Very dope verses and the chorus is great. Once again the bridge is a little weak in comparison to the rest of the song. 8/10 05. Hit The Floor - Another electronic / heavy guitar riffs song. I didn't enjoy it too much, but the bridge crept up and kind of bit me. 6.25/10 06. Easier To Run - A nice ballad, and Mike's short rap parts are very shy, yet emotional. The drumming is great in this song. 8.25/10 07. Faint - This one is really short and just breezes by. Another electronic opener which builds up to heavy guitar riffs. That formula is getting a little old now, it's been done four to five times already. Great energetic song though. 7.5/10 08. Figure.09 - Mike's rapping was pretty average here, the chorus didn't sound too great because it was layered up way too much, but the bridge was sick. The back and forth rapping and screaming was really good. 7.75/10 09. Breaking The Habit - A nice electronic opening without the use of heavy guitar riffs. Chester is present throughout the whole song, but his performance is simply beautiful. The instrumentation of the album is at it's best in this track. 9.5/10 10. From The Inside - My favorite track off of the album. Very nice atmosphere, great singing by Chester, great rapping by Mike, although the bridge is a little too loud for this song. 9.75/10 11. Nobody's Listening Japanese flutes and a sample from "High Voltage" open up this track. This one is the most abstract instrumentally. Great track. 8.5/10 12. Session - A really good instrumental track. Full of atmospheric sounds and emotions. 8/10 13. Numb - Too poppy for me, I would preferred something of the sort, but more mellow. It's a decent closer to the album. 7.5/10 So overall after bashing this album to the ground and beating it senseless, I decided to give it a honest listen, and I enjoyed it. My only complaints are that some songs follow the same formula as the previous, but even that isn't too bad. I hate to admit it guys, but I, uh.... I enj-juh-juh-I enjoyed this album. Alot. 8.25/10
I felt numb was the best song out of the whole album followed by Faint and Breaking the Habit. The only other song that stands out for me would be Lying From You. All of the others are good in their own respective fashion but don't stand out in terms of being unique. I also do not consider Session as one of the "others" since it's the most unique out of them all.
Nick, it's hilarious how often you change your mind about things I guess you're finally Breaking the Habit.
Linkin Park is a complex band. But Meteora has been my least favorite album since 2007. Now it might not be!
I'm staying because I'm somewhere I belong. It's easier to run with my idea of using puns like I did with Fort Minor, but you have to execute them flawlessly.
Interesting review dude. But I think you spent far to much time describing the tracks than giving your opnion about them. we all know what Meteora sounds like. No offense!
Foreword: The following post may have you crawling with hate. All you Meteora supporters: If you come one step closer to me, I will quite literally give you so many papercuts you'll wish you were numb. Because honestly, nobody's listening to your praise of one of the most forgotten albums of the LP discography. The horrendous lyrics on this album seriously make me wanna faint. And even if I were to leave out all the rest, it's still basically a carousel of rehash. A rehash of the same technique they used to make Hybrid Theory a success. I tried listening to this album again a few weeks ago and in all my suffering I thought, "Thank God this album is so short." As I was waiting for the end of this horrific album, I thought, "OH GOD STOP THIS RIDICULOUSLY BAD MUSIC. I FAITHFULLY REQUEST NO MORE SORROW FROM LISTENING TO IT." It made me happy that I had broken my actual CD and ripped the album and left it in pieces. And one more thing before I go: I know this post is going to be the catalyst for a flame war with you (as everyone seems to think I'm by myself in my dissenting opinion), but for crying out loud. I don't see how you could like any of this album, from the cookie-cutter singles to everything in between. Don't kill the messenger. It's a horrible album.
Hey, Minus, no flaming here because this is still my least favorite out of their catalog, but I am enjoying it more after giving it an honest listen without thinking or comparing it to their other work. This album may pretend to be Hybrid Theory, but they did try alot of new methods in their music such as different sounds and atmospheres.
For me, I just look at the pros. As you've said yourself Minus, "Take out the vocals and Meteora is actually a decent album." It's mind boggling how in each and every song the band can drop some of the catchiest guitar riffs/synths I've ever heard. And the way Mike raps over them is astounding. And he has some good verses lyrically as well. But yes, the lyrics suck at times. Chester's more than Mikes. The only song where it's truly bothersome is SIB and Numb because they're very emphasized. But, as Nick has finally discovered, you don't have to listen to what a song is saying all the time. Granted, if their is good lyrics, that just makes the song that much better.
That's what you ended with. I see no pun in that. And me and Nick both know you do disliked Meteora before that post. Which, btw, I respect.