Hi everyone, I've been following the site since A Thousand Suns started to reveal itself and lately been reading the disapointing Puzzle run. So, to change the subject, I want to give my feeling about what I'm waiting from LP in the next album, by giving a small review about the past albums. So far (feel free to post the "you don't say" meme), Linkin Park has released 4 albums. Hybrid Theory : The cool one The day I have seen the clip of In The End was a revelation to me, that piano sound and Mike's Rap leading to an awesome chorus from Chester, I was WOW'd, I was an Offspring fan back then and this sound was so cool ! My best friend gave me a CD-R of Hybrid Theory, and until today, so almost 10 years after, the sound of this album is still perfect, powerful, it is simply EPIC. Joe Hahn has a big role inside it, Mike's rapping is fast, the metal sound is great, Chester's voice in Pushing me away is beautiful. In the End has been my favourite LP song until ATS came out. Meteora : The perfect one 2003, Kaaza days, I was looking with my 56k modem for an mp3 of Somewhere I belong before the album gets released. When I finally found it, it was like hearing an In the End evolved. Meteora brings a mature "Hybrid theory" style, we clearly hear how LP is getting better and even if it's a neo metal album, it's is totally different from Hybrid. Numb, Lying from you, the two surprising Breaking the Habit and Nobody's Listening, 100% of success in my heart, every song is great and 2003 was for me my first LP concert and probably the last year where Chester screamed for real (Listen to a 2003 live of From the inside and a 2008 one, Chester "screams" in the first and "sings high" in the last). Minutes to midnight : The change Here we go, LP brings a new album and decides to change his style, wear U2-like clothes and make Joe Hahn "disappear" First single, What I've Done : the sound is "lighter" but the chants are beautiful, I was pleased by that song and wanted to hear more of the album. Bringing back MTM from the shop, I was affraid to loose the metal sound, and Given Up was at the right track to make me feel great, it's more rock than metal but the 18 second scream is a pure masterpiece. And then ... the disaster : every other song of the album is good, some are weird, No more sorrows, Mike's singing, not rapping anymore, Joe Hahn's little sounds are hard to find, it's was like going to Mcdonald's and eating a salad, it's good, it's different, but it's not a Big Mac Today we are in 2012 and I figured out that there is almost 50% of MTM's songs that I never listen to, I only stick with What I've Done and a few others but it's their only album where I say to myself "oh, this song, I forgot it existed" while every Hybrid and Meteora song is carved in my memory. That album made me really worried about the future of Linkin Park, what will they do ? Where will they go ? A Thousand Suns came out and answered all my questions. A Thousand Suns : Deep Epic Music and Art Oh my god, wow, just ... big f*ckin WOW ! All the songs are so DEEP, it is really hard to describe, because I feel like every song is full of thousands of layers of sounds that brings the melody and the music to another level. Waiting for the End is by far my favourite LP song since I know them and after hearing Iridescent, Burning in the skies and Robot boy, you simply CANNOT listen to MTM's ballads anymore, when I thought that "Little things give you away" was a beautiful song, that Leave out all the rest was a great melody, when I try to listen to it again I feel like something's missing, the sound isn't deep, it's too "simple", it has no soul anymore. To say the truth, the difference between ATS and MTM is like having a new hot girlfriend and suddenly you walk in the street and meet your ex-gf and find out she was ugly and you wonder how you could have loved that. Now, we are going to have a new album, with a sound that will be a surprise to us, from what I've heard from Burn it down, it sounds good, like New Divide mixed with What I've done, but I have the feeling LP can't beat ATS's "epicness". How can somebody make a better album than ATS ? The challenge is so high, if they manage to surprise us, God simply doesn't exist, but God is LINKIN PARK haha ! I really hope that LP will bring back their metal sound because ATS deserves to be a unique piece, a unique album, and LP should not try to make the same kind of record. There will be only one ATS-like album, nothing can reach its level, I am convinced. I hope I translated well my feelings about what LP has done, and what LP will do. Peace and LINKIN PARK forever
The only thing I need to say - I think The little things give you away is their best song so far. My favorite one will always be In the End, but Tltgya is so incredibly deep, it has so much soul and passion, tragedy and emotion, it just overwhelms me everytime I listen to it. Yeah. That's all I wanted to say because I felt bad for the song when you said it wouldn't have soul.
Yeah, it's not my personal favorite either, but TLTGYA is probably the best song they've ever written.
Opinion: In general, an opinion is a subjective belief, and is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. Opinions rarely change without new arguments being presented. However, it can be reasoned that one opinion is better supported by the facts than another by analysing the supporting arguments.[1] In casual use, the term opinion may be the result of a person's perspective, understanding, particular feelings, beliefs, and desires. It may refer to unsubstantiated information, in contrast to knowledge and fact-based beliefs. Get it yet!?
People have different opinions. I love Meteora even though it has repetitive lyrics, but I understand why many people hate it - it seems like HT part 2. I wasn't really impressed with the familiar-sounding Minutes to Midnight although now the songs there are on replay. I felt Hybrid Theory was okay. I thought A Thousand Suns was a little uneven in the sounds. So yeah, every album has flaws.
Where's the tylenol? So you said that MTM was an ugly ex gf? Really? Yes, MTM was shocking. It was supposed to be. What I liked the most about MTM was it shook the fanbase to the core. It was a sign that if you wanted to follow this band, you had to evolve your musical taste. It tested the fans that stuck with it. People who couldn't grow, insulted the ones that did. I learned to evolve and grow with the band. MTM helped with that a metric fuckton. As far as MTM goes, it was a necessary piece of LP's progression. Without it, the band wouldn't be doing what they wanted right now. Don't get me wrong, I still like Meteora, but, I see Meteora as a "necessary evil." Meteora's purpose in my mind was to solidify the band as a "top contender" in the music scene. Like it or not, it did just that. The bottom line is, that LP wouln't be the same if it wasn't for any of the albums they've put out. I love everything the band has ever done and cannot pick a favorite or least favorite album or song. I learned to accept the fact that I could put my musical taste in the hands of a band and just roll with whatever they put out. I still have no expectations with what the band does. I like it better that way. I can say that no matter what they do, I will not be disappointed.
Meteora is not at all a perfect album. Actually, Meteora is basically the most unoriginal piece of music that LP has ever created. All the songs have the same structure, rapping, screaming, loud guitars, aggressive singing. It's Hybrid Theory Part 2. You say MTM is forgettable and their worst material, yet MTM is by far my favorite album by the band. I like it because it's so far away from their old ''nu-metal'' sound. I love every track on the album and I'm sure I'll be listening to that album long after LP's career is over and done with. ATS isn't my favorite, but I like it a lot. Once again, I like it because it doesn't sound like the original LP releases. I like it because it's dark lyrically and sometimes musically, and because of all the sonic layering, etc. It's a masterpiece album, when I listen to it, I have to listen to the WHOLE album, and it takes me into this other world. Like a different planet. I love it. I think the new album will be amazing, it may take my place as favorite LP album. It sounds like it will be a mix of MTM and ATS, which I think is kick ass. People think because they said they're comfortable with their nu-metal past and because the guitars are back that it will sound like HT/Meteora. Their were guitars and big choruses on MTM!!! Burn It Down sounds like a MTM track but with ATS infused. That's awesome.
Here we go again... Hybrid Theory - The beginning of LP' career [The success and the most Unique album of all time] *CLASSIC* Meteora- The Pressure is on [Trying not to be "One-Hit Wonder" and LP proved it,its all Art and Expression] (SOUNDED TO BE) *EPIC* Minutes To Midnight- The departure of the typical Linkin Park sound [LP proved not make a TRILOGY album that people would actually expect] *RAW & ORGANIC* A Thousand Suns- The experimentation must go on and do whatever they want to do [The balance of risk and courage to make fresh sound] *DRASTIC & ELECTRONIC* And now, LP5 is coming on our way. I think this 5th album is an another journey to the band in which they found and embrace their comfort zone.. To Sum up.. HT and METEORA - Sound I [Brother albums based on Nu-Metal genre] MTM and ATS - Sound II [Brother albums based on Experimentation of sounds and exploration] LP5 and soon.. (just in case if they follow the pattern)LP6 - Incorporation of sound I and II.... That is what I observe right now, LP is actually growing and evolving to become better musicians...