I don't believe Meteora could be considered more experimental than OML. It totally is a deliberate attempt to sound like Hybrid Theory and even the band has admitted it many times. There are even songs on Meteora that are direct analogues to songs on HT. OML, on the other hand, might not be something mind-blowing in today's pop music landscape, but it is very different for the band itself. I don't find anything interesting about the two Meteora songs you've mentioned - HTF is as generic as an early Linkin Park track can get and it's kind of ridiculous how the band hyped it so much for starting on the off-beat. NL might have an interesting instrument, but it still follows the most standard structure, the Japanese flute plays the same melody a gazillion times and it doesn't really seem more different than using, say, key chains, car alarms or party sounds. Everybody has different opinions on what experimentation is, of course, but the only track on Meteora I actually believe to explore different territories for the band at that time is Breaking The Habit. Everything else is a copy of HT. One More Light might not be something no one has ever heard before, but at least it's something entirely new for the band. It might not turn out to be Linkin Park's best record so far, but it will most certainly feature more experimentation for them than albums like Meteora and LT and it will obviously be the band's riskiest record to date.
All I'm saying is these new songs lack identity. Like anybody could've made them. That to me spells lack of artistic merit.
I'm not sure if I agree with that. Those songs at least have some clear identity in regard to LP discography. Could any pop artists have make those? Maybe. But any good guitar player could also pick up an acoustic and make your typical firecamp-style song. Any jazz player could make your typical jazz song. Any metal band could make your typical metal song.
This is true. I think what bothers people is that in the past, while LP never made music that could honestly be called wildly innovative, they had their own style that future bands got influenced by. Whereas now it might seem to some people that it's the other way round and they are being influenced by today's chart toppers. Of course the issue with that argument is that LP were influenced by bands like Rage against the machine and public enemy, with their first few albums. I guess it just boils down to some people preferring the earlier influences they drew upon compared to the current ones.
I agree with you on that, even though I still think some of the songs aren't written well imo. Although the same can't be said for ATS, I'll still consider that album among the top in my rank list for LP. On point.
Thank you. And let's be real here, one of the few but major factors that set HT and Meteora apart from the many other nu-metal albums at the time is the rap rock fusion. Besides this trait, they weren't the most unique nor groundbreaking band. And to be completely honest, this is very experimental for the band in the way they wrote the songs. Are we forgetting about that, too?
People also tend to forget that this will be a one time pop album. They wont continue in that direction with LP8.
With all these changes I don't even know what LP sound like, it's not like they've been making every album like HT (besides Meteora which is still dear to me because there are some songs I play very often but it's nothing new really) and they said it themselves they want to experiment. OML is obviously their biggest change regarding sound and writing but it doesn't mean we should completely write it off.
For all we know, LP will make a prog-rock album next, with 25 minute songs that feature David Gilmour on guitar, and extended sax solos And THEN people would complain that they aren't doing shorter songs.
Maynard James Keenan will do backing vocals Division Belly will be the title, that's confirmed information. It will be also a title track telling a story of a man who ate too much Mm.. Cookies.
And every once in a while Mike will say "Ugh" and "Yeah" so that you'll think that the verse is coming, but instead intro continues.
I'll agree that almost none of these songs have anything that makes them stand out considerably from what's popular out there now. However "pop music is easy, rock and rap are not" is probably the stupidest way to "justify" that opinion.