Post Your Reviews Of ATS In Here -SPOILER THREAD: STAY OUT IF YOU ARE WITHHOLDING!-

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by Jeff, Sep 7, 2010.

  1. #21
    Xerø 21

    Xerø 21 I was Ree's 100th follower on Twitter.

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    Time for a track by track review.

    The Requiem - 5/5: I love this. It's so haunting and creepy, which I enjoy in music. Great intro, though it's a bit misleading. A lot of the music in this album sounds happy and hopeful. Still, great stuff.

    The Radiance - 3/5: I really don't understand why LP make this it's own track. I like how it sounds, but it doesn't really stand on it's own.

    Burning In The Skies - 4/5: I mentioned this before, Mike's parts in this song remind me a lot of Owl City. The electronic beat with the low gentle vocals sounds just like Adam Young to me. A lot of people won't like that comparison, but Owl City is a guilty pleasure of mine and this definitely sounds like it. There is guitar in this track before the soloish part, it's just very quiet and clean. Overall, good song, though I have a feeling that if I were to rate this song again in a year, it might get a 3.5/5 instead.

    Empty Spaces - I really don't understand why this is even on the album, let alone it's own track. It doesn't really set much of a mood in my opinion, it just sounds like a non-sequitor.

    When They Come For Me - 5/5: Wow. Just wow. The first verse of this song is probably the best Mike has ever rapped. And it is straight up BALLS-Y to call out people like he did. The Jay-Z and Hybrid Theory references are just clever. I love the chorus melody, and Chester vocals when the track slows down just sound great. One of the highlights of the album.

    Robot Boy - 4/5: I don't know what to think of this song. I want to really love it, and sometimes I think I do, but I don't know. This actually sounds like Justin Timberlake to me at some parts. It has a bit of an R&Bish sound at the beginning. I appreciate that there is pretty much no conventional song structure here, and I love the synth instrumental break. However, Chester's shouts in the second half of the song kind of confuse me, they almost don't fit, unless he's supposed to be mimicking the young "robot boy" maybe having a tantrum? This track is the one that I'm going to have to listen to a lot more before I make up my mind completely about.

    Jornada Del Muerto - 3.5/5: I'm 99% sure this song is in Japanese. Which is ironic, but makes sense too. Jornada Del Muerto is one of the nicknames given to the place where the atomic bombs were tested in the U.S., and we used those bombs to destroy two of Japans largest cities. I wish I could make out what Mike was singing, cause I've studied Japanese for 3 years and could probably translate it relatively easily. I like the synth sound that comes in also. Overall, a good interlude.

    Waiting For The End - 5/5: This track blew my mind when I first heard it. Chester's melodies and harmonies remind me a LOT of Paul McCartney. He really shows off his ability; when he first starts singing his vocals are really gentle and soft, and of course the end he belts out a huge, passionate wail that gave me chills. I love the way the song builds, it almost feels like the song is missing something, and then the huge ending hits and it all comes together. Great choice for a single, and one of my new favorite Linkin Park songs.

    Blackout - 5/5: This song is definitely one of the weirdest, if not THE weirdest on the album. Chester is rapping (and yes that is rapping) over a happy chip-tune sounding beat. It is bizarre and extremely intense. Then Mike glitches Chester's vocals and the whole thing goes nuts. But the absolute best part of this song is the second part, when Mike's singing comes in. I don't think Mike's singing has ever sounded better. His vocals are not as quiet as In Between, but aren't being pushed as hard as No Roads Left or The Catalyst, and the beats fits his tone of voice perfectly. Then when Chester rejoins the song with his powerful vocals, they just harmonize beautifully.

    Wretches And Kings - 3.5/5: I liked this song a lot more before I heard the rest of the album. It's a ton of fun to listen to, and the beat is fucking heavy, but there isn't a lot of substance in it. Chester sounds great on the chorus.

    Wisdom, Justice, and Love - 5/5: Another chilling interlude. I love how dark this sounds.

    Iridescent - 4.5/5: The beginning of this song sounds like an alternative indie band! This is a milestone song for Linkin Park in my opinion. The message and sound of this song is truly full of hope as opposed to anger and angst. This serves, better than What I've Done in my opinion, as the song where LP really lets go of what they used to be. It's really beautiful and nice to see LP spreading a really positive message. The whole band singing reminds me of Kings and Queens by 30STM or Wake Up by Arcade Fire. Really epic sounding stuff, and while it isn't something you've never heard before, it still sounds amazing. Will probably become a 5/5 for me in time.

    Fallout - 3/5: Decent little interlude, not on the level of The Requiem or WJ&L though.

    The Catalyst - 4/5: I really wanted to give this track a 3.5, but I know that's just because I've been listening to it for a while and it was the lead single. Cool song, probably the most energy on the album, not the best on the album.

    The Messenger - 5/5: I am not a fan of acoustic songs. However, this is awesome. Chester's vocals are fantastic. For such soft, stripped down instrumentation, Chester pushes his voice a lot harder than one would expect, but it just makes it all the more hard-hitting. Like Iridescent, it's good to see LP writing a song about positive emotions, and it just happens to also kick you in the face with it's vocal power.

    Overall average: 4.25/5. Really good album, refreshing in a way that MTM was not.
     
  2. #22
    SecondCityKids

    SecondCityKids Hey John, What's Your Name Again? LPA Super Member

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    1)The Requiem- Intro. Very eerie. Leaves a creepy feeling in your bones. Makes you feel like something is on its way and it’s not going to be good. 9/10

    2)The Radiance- Another intro. Does the same thing as above and leaves you waiting for the next track 9/10

    3)Burning In the Skies. Soft, melodic. Mike sings the verses and sounds nice. Chester sings the chorus and makes you like it. It kind of leaves you wondering “wait. That intro was for this. But other than that, not a half bad track 8/10

    4)Empty Spaces. Appropriately titled. 18 seconds of chirping and gun fire. Interlude 2/10

    5)When They Come For Me. Tribal beat. Not too bad. Mike raps and even refers to the line Forfeit the game. The ahs are terrible. It immediately left me saying what the fuck are they thinking? Has a nice little guitar part that goes into Chester singing which again isn’t bad but then goes back into the tribal beat and ahs that already have started to annoy me 0/10

    6)Robot Boy. Nice piano intro. Electronic beat fades in slowly. Then an almost choir part comes in with all the guys assuming. Nice touch. Mike and Chester share the opening verse. A soft song. Has a cool synch bridge with Chester harmonizing which sounds great and epic 8/10

    7)Jornda Del Muerto. Different language. Pretty sure it’s not Spanish either. Synth driven. Nice at the end of a pretty good song like Robot Boy. Ends. Interlude 10/10

    8)Waiting For The End. Cool intro. Grabs attention. Mike raps in a reggae style in the intro. Not bad. It grows. Cuts off. Chester sings melodically. Beat kick backs in Chester still sings. Mike harmonizes a little bit as Chester continues to sing softly. Mike back into the reggae vocals. You can feel it building. Love the ending. Triumph feeling towards the end 8/10

    9)Blackout. Synth intro. Beat starts. Piano starts. Chester starts like… uhhh… rapping? Starts screaming like a madman. Like that. Again back into the rapping style vocals from Chester. Screaming again. “Fuck it are you listening”. I don’t like the beat really. Goes off course and gets very electronic. Starts playing with pitch with the “BLACKOUT BLOOD IN YOUR EYES!” Mike starts singing. Sounds a little like 30 Seconds To Mars to me. Which is of course sexy. Like the ending beat better than the normal song beat. Fades away with Chester’s voice becoming robotic. 7/10

    10)Wretches and Kings. Small speech in the beginning. THUNDEROUS BEAT. This is more like it. Mike raps in Fort Minor fashion. Heyheyheys. Chester singings in a very unique way here. Love that chorus. Back to rapping. Chorus again. Another interesting electronic breakdown. They are good with those. A chant almost like ending with the conclusion with the speech in the beginning 8/10

    11)Wisdom, Justice, and Love. Speech by MLK. Sounds like an airplane going over head. Changes into a creepy robotic voice. Distorts. VERY CREEPY. Interlude 10/10

    12)Iridescent. Piano intro. Mike starts singing. He gets your attention too. So melodic. His voice has improved A LOT. Chester starts singing. Bass drum follows him. He meets up with Mike. They start singing together. Beat reminds me of 30 Seconds To Mars again. Mike is leading the 2nd verse. Chester starts singing again. They meet again. Holy SHIT GUITAR! EVERYONE sings. Choir sound. That was beautiful. They all start singing Let it go. Chester goes off on his own singing. I really like this one. 10/10

    13)Fallout. Electronic voice starts singing. Goes back to the bridges I have burned from Burning In The Skies. Mike starts singing that line. Interlude 5/10

    14)The Catalyst. I just like this song. We have all heard this one by now so no need to go in depth
    9/10
    15)The Messenger. Acoustic guitar. Chester singing. OUT OF PLACE. He shows off his vocals a little though. Not that bad. Sounds like something Chester wrote on his own.
    7/10
     
  3. #23
    Abel

    Abel Chester Bennington saved my life.

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    After feeling so tempted that I could not take it anymore, I listened to the leak. I just finished the whole album. ATS = TEH JIZZ. The songs are just...WOW. It really got me. LP has become verrrrryyyy different. And I love it. More mature, absolutely epic sound, and just...WOW. It's so hard for me to choose my favorite song.

    So here's my review (and I apologize if I post 10/10 on almost every song, ATS just became my favorite album of my life xD)

    1. The Requiem - Very chilling and very epic opening to ATS. Michaella (sorry, Mike, I had to xD) sounded really awesome and it got me pumped. 10/10

    2. The Radiance - What I just said about The Requiem, minus Michaella :)P) alhtouhg I'm a little bothered that it's a seperate track, so 9.5/10

    3. Burning in the Skies - No lie, I sang along. Great karaoke material. All jokes aside, really great song. Almost perfect for me. 9/10

    4. Empty Spaces - OMGWTFBBQLOLZ best song EVER...nah, but it's another chilling interlude. That's a huge plus for me. 10/10

    5. When They Come For Me - Hot damn. Mike's rapping really got me going into the song and Chester's Hey-Judesqe part is going to be stuck in my head for the rest of the week. Plus that African/Punjabi beat LP has going back there made me :3 but Brad had easily the best part of the song x] and on another sidenote, Mike's raps really emphasize my opinion of the whiny immature old-school LP fans I find lurking around here. GO SHINODA GO! 10/10

    6. Robot Boy - WHAAAAAATTTTT?!?!? THIS SUCKS, IT'S NOT LIEK MAH LP!!! :[ <--- usual hater comment. Sadly I'm gonna see this on every YT video with RB in it, because this song is actually really good. Its slow and trance-like state really kept me hypnotized with the album, and the solo in the middle was great and solid. 9/10

    7. Jornada del Muerto - I was expecting Spanish :p but then I heard Japanese lyrics and I was like :D nice interlude, met my expectations. 9/10

    8. Waiting for the End - Oh boy, this is gonna be abused by me on my iPod. This is simply one of the most amazing moments for Chester, as his voice and lyrics really are felt and I felt them hit my heart (I have depression, so these lyrics really empower me). Mike gave me something to put on my dreadlocks, my Jamaican turban, and just headbang XD Because WFTE was so amazing, I would give it a 10/10, but now that I found out it's the new single, 11/10

    9. Blackout - Very trippy. Enough said. You'd have to be crazy not to rave or go all over the place when the beat hits and Chester's out-of-nowhere screams goes straight into the background and into your face. And then that ending...whoa. 10/10

    10. Wretches and Kings - Well, everyone I know already knows what it sounds like, so I'll just cut to the chaase. Great beat, awesome siren effects, excellent singing from Mike and Chester...although it's not really my cup of tea. Still, 9.5/10

    11. Wisdom, Justice and Love - Without a doubt, THE best interlude ever in my opinion. MLK's voice is of course booming in my ears, and the music in the background just...well, imagine millions of people in tears just watching a huge titantron in Times Square as the world is about to end. That's how powerful it is to me. 20/10

    12. Iridescent - I cried. End of story. 20/10

    13. Fallout - Now this is really interesting. Replaying lyrics from "Burning in the Skies" and at the same time it sounds like something from Fallout: New Vegas (hopefully? XD) 9.5/10

    14. The Catalyst - Oh yeah, did I mention Fallout just gave an already epic song an epic lead-in too? Cause that's what happened to The Catalyst for me! WOO. 20/10

    15. The Messenger - I am definitely gonna learn this on guitar and piano. Chester really gave it his all on here, and needless to say I loved that. Which is why The Messenger for me succeeds into ending the album on a soft, but great note. 10/10

    Overall: 10/10 just cause this exceeded EVERYTHING I expected from Linkin Park. And that's a great thing. I could go higher, but then I'd be too biased. Like I wasn't already biased enough :p
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2014
  4. #24
    xpandnz

    xpandnz Member

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    The Messenger is just plain awful. He sings too hard for an acoustic track its painful to listen too. I am a singer song writer and I know oversung when I hear it. This is it right here folks. All the other stuff he has done on the album is fantastic but this is pure shit.

    I will make sure I have a ATS playlist with all the songs save for this one.
     
  5. #25
    Rohit LP

    Rohit LP The Silent Red

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    here is wat i think of the album....

    The Requiem
    The Radiance
    Burning in the Skies
    Empty Spaces

    never thot these four could together sound so beautiful...listen from the first to empty spaces...its just too good....
    burning in the skies...apparently...fits perfectly after the speech...
    9/10..all four combined...

    When They Come for Me
    wierd song..i kinda like it also..but kinda hesitate to listen..but once i start.i listen the whole thing..the endin 34 sec..kinda messup...
    8/10...
    the songs gets onto you...

    Robot Boy
    Jornada Del Muerto
    Waiting for the End

    these three songs are again well strung together..i can now see why robot boy got the highest rating by band themselves...i like waiting for the end...its my fav i guess....awesome....
    (journey of the dead man)...fits perfectly...in between them...best part of album..
    9.2/10..

    Blackout
    Wretches and Kings
    Wisdom, Justice, And Love

    this is a wierd section of songs...i kinda roflmao in blackout...its a wierd song...i think joe messd up here....until the end part..calm down..really rocks the song....
    wretches and kings...not my fav..not much into this type of songs....mike is good..chorus isnt..
    neither a fan of distortion of speech in WJL....
    5/10...(not my type)...

    Iridescent
    Fallout
    The Catalyst
    The Messenger

    iridescent is awesome..the music is similar to..'sindbad the sailor'(rock on-an awesome bollywood movie)...among my fav..
    fallout..well..cud hav been better..but fits in between cataylst and iridescent....'the messenger' reminds me of 'Fix you-coldplay'(this has nothin to do with music or vocals...just it does)...
    catalyst...wow..we all kno...just sounds much better along the flow...could well hav sounded better before iridescent in TFE...
    the messenger...different..pleasant music with chester really stretching his vocals to limits..like it..
    8.7/10

    overall...its a gr8 album..specially advised..not to single out songs/..go for TFE..its mind blowing....album rating 9/10..

    lyrics aren't as deep as M2M or meteora...

    loved the album..spcial thanks to rob..hes done gr8 on this one..mike's more active...
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2010
  6. #26
    Jordan

    Jordan Secret Robot

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    Good:
    When They Come For Me
    Burning In The Skies

    In The Middle:
    Waiting For The End
    The Catalyst

    Bad:
    The Messenger
    Blackout
    Iridescent
    Robot Boy
    Wretches and Kings

    :/ maybe it'll be better on second listen. Some of these songs are just way too lame. Started out strong (was starting to really believe this album would live up to the hype), and then at about Robot Boy it all went to shit. Really don't need all those vocal harmonies. Vocals are also usually way too high in the mix and whole album is way too overproduced, for me anyway. The overproduction kind of works for the first few tracks, but when you get into the more ballad-y and poppy songs it just about ruins them.
     
  7. #27
    hawk

    hawk because the internet LPA Super VIP

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    HALF OF MY REVIEW:

    01. The Requiem [2:01]
    This song really opens the album with a very freaky atmosphere. What could be a little piano mixed with alien sounds really gives a freaky sounding opening track. It slowly builds up and suddenly some "ohhs" comes into the picture with effects making them very freaky sounding. Then comes a very soft female voice with a robot effect who sings the same lyrics that can be found in The Catalyst. This is a very good opening track, very freaky sounding and really creates a great atmosphere.
    9/10. Pretty powerful opening track.

    02. The Radiance [0:58]
    A fast paces beat which is covered in an alien like sounds and a speech from J. Robert Oppenheimer which really continues the atmosphere from The Requiem. His speech ends and the song comes to a calm, a heart beat sound ends the song slowly.
    8/10. Not much more than a speech.

    03. Burning In The Skies [4:13]
    The heart beat sound continues into the start of this song, then a piano comes in. Its a very emotional piano for a few seconds before electric drums and effects comes into the song. Mike starts singing softly to the piano in a very emotional sound and will for sure give listeners that sad-like feeling. The chorus kicks in with Chester but the song doesn't pick up, it holds onto the emotional feeling. Come the second chorus the song picks up a little bit but it remains with the emotional feeling thats the rest of the song has built up. The bridge is very good with guitar coming into the picture, a solo I believe. The chorus comes back similar to the first chorus and then transmitting into a heavier chorus. Mike closes the song very emotionally.
    10/10. Very emotional, and great singing by both Chester and Mike.

    04. Empty Spaces [0:18]
    A very short interlude track, sort of ends the emotional atmosphere of Burning In The Skies. The crickets are very real sounding and will give listeners the feel that they are outside in the dark. The sounds of the bombs and soldiers seem to cut in too quickly, one second they aren't there and the next they are. Doesn't really help the track.
    7/10. Very short, the quickness of the soldiers and bombs coming in ruins the feel.

    05. When They Come For Me [4:56]
    Really gets you pumped to the rest of the album right from the start. A kick ass drum beat drops in a few seconds and really builds up along with the effected guitar. The song calms down a bit before building up once again before Mike starts rapping to the song. The rapping is pretty good, but not Mikes best. The chorus is "aah"-ed by what seems to be a choir, and then Mike comes right back into the picture with more rapping, after the next chorus Chester starts singing "When they come for me i will be gone", and soon Mike joins in, the song builds up once again. Mike raps a line from the verses when he was rapping here and there. The song quiets down a bit and the same sounds heard in Empty Spaces can be heard, then Chester starts screaming and it honestly reminds me of Egyptian music from the movies. The song comes to and end, a machine/robot sound can be heard.
    9/10. Not Mike's best rapping, but a really great music.

    06. Robot Boy [4:29]
    A happy grand piano opens the song, followed by a fading in drum beat and some "ooh"s from possibly the whole band. The beat bursts out a little heavier, Mike and Chester both begin singing which sounds beautiful. The song cuts down to the beat and the singing from Mike and Chester, it brings back the emotional sounds that Burning In The Skies created, but less powerful this time. The song bursts out into a epic sounding bridge, Chester screams some lyrics out behind the music. The singing from Mike and Chester comes back, and the screams from Chester continue on for an epic sounding song. The song cuts back down to the singing and a lighter sounding beat, the song slowly cuts down to a single repeating sound.

    The rest of the review is coming later.
     
  8. #28
    Wizardofozil

    Wizardofozil Well-Known Member

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    1. iridesent
    2. blackout
    3. burning in the skies
    4. waiting for the end
    5. the messenger
    6. wrectches and kings
    7. the catalyst
    8. when they come for me
    9. Robot Boy
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 8, 2010
  9. #29
    Zach

    Zach Well-Known Member

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    1. The Requiem - Really good intro. Totally draws the listener in, or at least it did for me. The voice (whether Mike's or a girls) is perfection for the track and just adds to the chills factor for me. 10/10

    2. The Radiance - I don't get why this is a separate track at all but it's good. 9/10

    3. Burning in the Skies - This is a weird song, the clips really didn't turn me to wanna hear the song or not, it was just whatever. However, when I heard the whole thing I think it's somewhat perfect. The chorus alone is worth a golden star. 10/10

    4. Empty Spaces - 18 seconds of awesomeness. 10/10

    5. When They Come For Me - Easily one of the top tracks for me personally, clever as hell lyrics and a sick beat to match. I'd say this is studio gold. 10/10

    6. Robot Boy - Definitely not at all what I expected. I wanted something electronic or rock-y for this track. I have to say I'm let down in that sense but the song itself is kind of dark and has great lyrics. 8/10

    7. Jornada Del Muerto - Yet again, I wasn't exactly expecting this but for me it works very well. 8/10

    8. Waiting For the End - Everyone is talking about this song, I was expecting something epic. My friend who is usually hard to please even loves this song... and I can honestly say I wasn't let down what-so-ever. For a 2nd single? I'm not sold yet, but I do love the track very much so. 10/10

    9. Blackout - Indeed, very trippy. I was expecting a rock anthem, instead I got an electronic rock anthem. Is it deserving of such a sick ass name? No, but it is a sick ass song. 9/10

    10. Wretches and Kings - EPIC. That. Is. All. 100/10

    11. Wisdom, Justice and Love - Best interlude, possibly for me ever. Strong and extremely eerie. I never thought I would be freaked by MLK but Linkin Park, yet again, proved me wrong. 10/10

    12. Iridescent - Beautiful song, right now everyone needs/deserves a little positivity right now so yeah... great song! 9/10

    13. Fallout - Probably the 2nd most useless interlude but I do like it. I can see myself skipping it but I do like it. 7.5/10

    14. The Catalyst - Yeah, I was one of the few that loved this from the beginning and that has yet to change. I love it, unique, special, and phenomenal. My only complaint? I wanted more verses/lyrics! 10/10

    15. The Messenger - Sorry... but I think Chester sings this beautifully. I don't give a rats ass if he strains his voice but the raspiness and raspy sound is just perfection! I just wish it was a tad longer and had a bigger build up. 9.5/10

    Overall: I'd easily give this album a 9/10 or A. I think it's diverse, unique, and different from everything out right now. Talinda tweeted me on Twitter and told me the album was a journey and it really is, an epic journey. If you don't like it on the first listen, don't simply give up on it. Go back to it in a day or two, don't just give this CD one listen... that would be so stupid.
     
  10. #30
    $pvcxGhxztCasey

    $pvcxGhxztCasey meanwhile... LPA Addicted VIP

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    I'm not even halfway through the album and I already have big problems with it. Mainly, too many interludes that could just be one song (Requiem/Radiance), tacked onto the end of the previous song (Burning in the Skies -> Empty Spaces), and Mike's rapping. I'm for real, he needs to just distance himself from vocal duties, it ruins everything for me.

    I'm on Robot Boy now... I like it. That's all I really have to say about this song. It's average, I like the lyrics though. As soon as I say that, though, Chester starts moaning and yelling in the background like a lunatic. I do not approve of this. And, seriously, Jornada Del Muerto is just a continuation of Robot Boy, goddammit. Why is it a separate track?!?

    Waiting for the End kind of blows my mind, and it's only a minute and half in. I'm still kind of embarrassed by Mike's rapping, but once again Chester comes in to save it. I like Mike's reggae influenced vocals. This song is pretty damn chill, I'm liking it. It's too bad rock radio would never play this, it'd get a lot of people interested I think. HOLY SHIT at around 2:40 and on. Awesome breakdown to end the song. Stand out track so far.

    Blackout sounds like a bad 80s song so far. Why is Chester rapping? What the fuck. Okay, the screams are cheesy. And we're back to quasi-rapping. Ugh... I definitely don't like this song. I like how the song switches into something completely different around 2:15. But, there's Mike, and he's singing. Oh, it's one of those reverse roles LP songs, where Chester raps and Mike sings. Not even them both harmonizing together can save this song, which isn't surprising.

    Wretches & Kings... I'm going to listen to the "Bodies Upon the Gears" speech by Mario Savio, and then fast forward. I can't contain my hate for the rest of this song. Wisdom, Justice & Love... is this De-Autotune the News?! That's evil. I like it. Lots of speeches on this album, that's for sure. They picked good ones, though.

    And the static starts to kick in. Iridescent suffers because of this. I get the general jist of it, it's a ballad-y type song. Lots of those on here, too. I'm not too tiffed that I FF'd through the song, sounds like I didn't miss much. Fallout is pretty pointless, should have just been an intro into the Catalyst. Which I'm also going to skip, because I HATE this song. So cheesy.

    The Messenger... Ohhhh, acoustic guitar? You have my attention, Linkin Park. I think we all knew Chester had some impressive range, and this song proves it. His voice breaking and quivering, showing a lot of emotion. It's building to something big, or at least it feels that way... but we fade out. And it's over.

    Which kind of describes my entire opinion on this album, on the first listen. It FEELS epic, it SOUNDS epic (sometimes), you're left expecting and wanting this huge crescendo to the album.. but I'm left wanting more. I guess that's good, in a way. It feels like there's a lot of filler. Too many instrumental songs that aren't placed properly, should be joined to previous or the next song, ideas are thrown all over the place. But, at least they're trying something new. I think this is one of the harder LP albums to get into, I can tell it'll take a few listens to fully digest. I don't hate it, but I don't love it.

    Except for Waiting for the End. Goddamn, what a song.
     
  11. #31
    NickelNine

    NickelNine It's the gin talking >>>>> LPA VIP

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    Drunken First Listen Review for my virgin teenie earz

    I decided to try and take a more mature approach on the review.


    The intro/interlude to start it off is creative, dope, and refreshing. The fact that it's 2 tracks ruins the effect.

    Burning In The Skies: 3.75/5

    Musically, it's a different start to an LP album. They're not going hard as fuck. They flip it. They went calm and slow and let the track build into a powerful song. I'll pass on Mike's vocals and lyrics but Chester owns the song. His vocals are beautiful. Overall, it feels like the songs on the second half of Minutes to Midnight. Only a lot better. Empty Spaces should have been attached to the end of this track.

    When They Come For Me: 4/5
    The stand out track on the album. LP has never sounded like this. Mike's passable on here with his wordplay name-drops. The beat is sick but the song is mind-blowing around the 3 minute mark. The fucker builds, then does the fake out fade out into what seems like another interlude, but just when you get comfortable the beat kicks and you can't help but get amped up.

    Robot Boy: 1.75/5
    Still not growing on me. My favorite part of the track is when they let the music do the talking. Worst song on the album. Maybe worst on the last 2 albums combined. Seriously. I think it's that bad. I don't know what it's doing on here. Jornada Del Muerto is a much better track.

    Waiting For The End: 4/5
    (Wow. Bad timing/word choice on my part. Sorry Casey. I honestly never read your post)
    Destined to be a single. Mike's vocals are cheesy/embarrassing but Chester kills it for the most part. The way the hook slides in the first time, trying to hide itself, such a turn on. When it returns you can't help but fall in love. It's a gorgeous standout in the album. The bridge is classic "new" LP. If it wasn't built for the radio this song could have easily been extended into something more beautiful.

    Blackout: 4/5
    Man, does this song grow on you or what? It's turning into a standout and a personal favorite. The half and half format is a nice experiment. They sure as hell pulled it off.

    Wretches and Kings: 3.5/5
    The beat is hard as fuck. This track barely beats out 'Nobody's Listening' as far as I'm concerned. Both don't really have a place on their albums. Throwing a speech on the track doesn't mean it belongs. That sample could have been used anywhere. The same went then as it does now, it feels out of place, forced, and unfinished. The way this album works, make it an interlude with this beat. Treat is as a dope instrumental track.

    Wisdom, Justice, and Love: 5/5

    This gets its own heading because it's a standout on the album. It's more powerful than most of the album. I think it should have been the second to last track, followed by an incredible song. The song that does follow doesn't quite do it for me but I feel it would be an appropriate end to the album.

    Iri-fucking-descent: 4/5
    This song defines the Minutes to Midnight/A Thousand Suns era for Linkin Park. I can't wait to hear it live, minus the obvious corny crowd involvement. Due to the comparisons I will say I think 'Shadow of the Day' is a better song but 'Iridescent' is more real. I don't like what the did from the 4 minute mark on but it finishes perfectly.

    Fallout -> The Catalyst 4/5

    I'm glad I passed on the single and didn't overplay it. The Catalyst fits this album perfectly. The band picked the correct song in my opinion. It doesn't sound like the rest of the album but it somehow finds its place and stands out as one of the best songs. Just ignore the words and listen to the music. It's an emotional ride. Unreal.

    The Messenger: 3.5/5
    Great song. Chester could make me cry. I just don't know if it has a place on this album. So I'm docking it.


    Overall 3.75/5
    Good listen. There isn't a track that I have to go back and play over and over again. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's the genius behind the album. I don't get just one song stuck in my head. The whole album does. I'm forced to go back, queue it up, and let it ride one more time.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2010
  12. #32
    Jordan

    Jordan Secret Robot

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    More impressions on second listen:

    Wretches and Kings ending - Needs to lead into something at the end; not to look like a hybrid theory obsessed linkin park fanboy, but something like the Place For My Head to Forgotten transition.
    Iridescent - Sounds like Shadow of The Day, which is a horrible thing
    The Message - Sounds like a shitty 80s hard rock power ballad acoutic cover.

    Might be the only one who actually likes the interludes, but they'd be a lot better if they actually helped start the songs/the songs had some quality. Overall, I'm fairly disappointed, as for some strange reason I actually believed they could write an album that was REALLY worth my time, and not just something I give a couple listens for nostalgia. I'll probably throw Hybrid Theory on later, appropriately.
     
  13. #33
    colinreid

    colinreid Well-Known Member

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    Well I am on my 4th listen of the new album and I still haven't gotten used to the new sound yet or where I stand from it. Though it is good but I guess this is something that needs time to grow on me.
     
  14. #34
    Dean

    Dean LPA Addict LPA Addict

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    The Requiem/The Radiance:
    Cool sounding opening to the album, not a lot else I can think of to say. Mike sounds like Emily Haines.

    Burning In The Skies:
    Sounds a decent amount like The Postal Service, with a bit of stuff like Bloc Party and The xx thrown in for good measure. It's been a matter of time before they recorded something that sounded like this. All-round good song, the first clip didn't really do it justice.

    Empty Spaces:
    Not sure how much this adds to the album or whether it should even have been a separate track, but they seem to have made all the interludes between songs separate tracks on this album so fair enough.

    When They Come For Me:
    Another impressive track. This sounds slightly more like Linkin Park of old, but revamped. This is something that could have gone wrong, with the more unusual percussion and chorus, as well as the subject matter of some of the lyrics, but I think they pulled it off. Also, probably Mike's best rap and their wittiest lyrics to date.

    Robot Boy/Journada del Muerto
    As it is I think the instrumental here could do with better vocals. As they are they're a bit too slick and boyband-ish for it. Journada del Muerto works as a nice epilogue for the song itself, but I'm not a big fan of the song itself so yeah.

    Waiting for the End
    Here's another song that could have failed miserably. I know that if you'd told me "there's a song on this album that sounds kind of like songs such as Leave Out All The Rest with Mike rapping over parts of it in a sort-of caribbean accent" I wouldn't have expected much from it. But they pulled it off. Chester's delivery sells the song and the way Mike raps are so silly and carefree sounding I can't not like them, and there's a solid backing from the rest of the band.

    Blackout
    I'm iffy on this. I don't really like Chester's vocals to begin with but the song from the breakdown onwards is pretty cool. Still pretty sure the music sounds kind of like something from a Mario game but that's not really a bad thing.

    Wretches and Kings
    Still don't love it. It's ok as a slight extension on the rap-rock aspects of their music and it'd be a fun song to hear sometimes, chances are it'd be good live or in a club as well,nothing that substantial really, though.

    Wisdom Justice and Love
    This kind of passed me by when I listened to it to be honest, most people seem to like it more than the other interludes though so perhaps I will when I hear it again.

    Iridescent
    Another power ballad-ish song that pretty much hinges on the delivery, from what I remember they more or less pulled it off but I don't remember this one well either.

    Fallout
    Works well as an extended intro for The Catalyst. Like most of the other interludes it has its place on there.

    The Catalyst
    Still don't love this either, but I like it as much as I ever have, and I can't put my finger on why but I enjoyed it more when I heard it in context with the rest of the album.

    The Messenger
    I've wanted them to do a song like this for forever and I for one think they delivered. Chester's performance here is full of character and heart which probably aren't things people often associate with Linkin Park, and it works well as a bookend to the rest of the album and in summing up its lyrical themes.


    So far I think it's a really solid album with some real highlights. There's a couple of songs I find undisputably good but there's time for my opinion to change on the rest, for better or for worse. Let's say 7.5 out of 10 at the moment.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2010
  15. #35
    Rohit LP

    Rohit LP The Silent Red

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    A bit more after listening to the album 5 times...

    The first 4 songs finishoff without notice...the best part..

    robot boy has seemed to get shorter...guess it doesn't feel as stretched as on first listen...i like the ending.

    never thot that i wud say this...but im liking blackout....altough..i didn't like the vocals in between...specially when chester loses it....but the ending part really catches me....

    i still dont seem to hav any liking for W&Ks and WJL...i kinda already started skipping them....

    fallout seems completely unnecessary...

    waiting for the end..my fav

    the messenger..seems like bryan adams..but chester i think has to learn a bit frm him...here
     
  16. #36
    Blackbirds

    Blackbirds QWERTY

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    The Requiem - 9/10 - Great beginning to the album, builds anticipation big time. The female "singing" (I think it might be artificial) reminds me heaps of GLaDOS from Portal.

    The Radiance - 9/10 - Flows straight in from The Requiem and keeps the build-up going. The first appearance of a quote on the album, starting to feel the vibe of the album. I do wonder why Radiance and Requiem weren't just made into a 2:59 track, given that The Radiance is an extension of the opening track (and the fact that they'll likely never be performed seperately from each other, if they are performed live).

    Burning in the Skies - 8.5/10 - Not quite the big burst into the album I had expected after the build-up of the first two tracks, but still a great, touching song. Three tracks in, and it's already evident that the band have matured so much from their beginnings.

    Empty Spaces - N/A (It's hard enough to rate the joiner tracks... but there's not a lot here to talk about, really. Army noises. Like Requiem/Radiance, could have been merged with When They Come For Me, but hey - I'm not complaining.)

    When They Come For Me - 9/10 - Loving the electronic sounds, has a dark tribal/jungle feel. Great flow from Mike, and the chanting / yells are huge. Chester's entrance towards the end of the song adds that extra layer of Linkin Park "soul". Cool vibe switch right at the end from the jungle sound to the Middle-Easternesque chant.

    Robot Boy - 7/10 - I don't dislike Robot Boy, but it's a long, repetitive sounding build-up before the drums kick in. Still a moving song, and easy to see that it belongs on the album.

    Jornada Del Muerto - 8/10 - Another good joiner track. Mike singing in Japanese, as mentioned everywhere. Seems to translate to something around the basis of "Lift me up, let me go" (and also has a similar/same melody to the same line which appears in The Catalyst). It's amazing how well they maintain the feeling and theme on this album, despite the variance of sounds.

    Waiting for the End - 9/10 - Wicked feel. Mike breaks new ground with the ragga/reggae vocals, and Chester's parts sound reminiscent of The Beatles. You'd think it'd be a strange mix, but it works. I suspect big Rick Rubin work behind the making of this one, challenging the LP sound.

    Blackout - 9/10 - Crazy stuff. Chester's gone loopy on this track (in the best possible way). Heavy, rough vocal and scratch/mix lead-in to a quiet interlude from Mike, who builds the track back up to its climactic end.

    Wretches and Kings - 9/10 - So good. Big fat electronic grind on this track. Mike tells us how it is, and we can only nod our heads and heed his words. The "hey" chanting is slick, too. Hahn shows us he can still rip it up, at the end.

    Wisdom, Justice, and Love - 8.5/10 - Joiner track. There's something about the increasing distortion / electronic effect on the MLK speech which just sounds mega.

    Iridescent - 9/10 - Beautiful song. Great work from both singers, but for me Mike's harmonies really shine. It gives you this... optimism inside, very inspirational. The full band singing is amazing.

    Fallout - 8/10 - The final joiner track. Echoes back to Burning In The Skies, and is the perfect build-up to the next track, which we all know!

    The Catalyst - 10/10 - This truly is the greatest song on the album, which surprised me. Hearing it in the context of its place on A Thousand Suns, the song just makes sense. Every track before this sets the stage and vibe for The Catalyst to bring it home. Amazing how the track takes on a new significance after listening to the album in full. In my opinion, this should have been the end of the album. It just feels right to end here. It feels like freedom.

    The Messenger - 9/10 - ...and yet, we are greeted with another track. The Messenger is beautiful and showcases Chester at his rawest and most powerful, but it just doesn't feel like it's a part of the collection of songs that is A Thousand Suns. Perhaps the only song from the album that can be listened to out of context and still deliver the same impact. Despite the lack of belonging, the chorus may deliver the true overall message behind the album. "When life leaves us blind, love keeps us kind."

    Overall - 9/10

    I had no idea where the band were headed after Minutes To Midnight, but A Thousand Suns is truly amazing. I'll admit, I was skeptical after first hearing The Catalyst and reading early reviews of the 6 track sampler... I thought the band had thrown it all out the window and made something completely zany just because they were simply at the level where they could. Having experienced the album several times over, I see now that they were right in doing what they've done. I'll never doubt the band again. They've made an album that radio probably won't touch, but is incredible nonetheless. I'm proud of this band. One can only wonder what they'll do next.
     
  17. #37
    Rowmeo

    Rowmeo Member

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    Ive Pre ordered the deluxe version cd+DVD on play.com and I was wondering if anyone knows if I'll be getting the black album cover as the site is showing the white one for both versions?? Also are there any bonus tracks on this version, the site shows the same track list and I thought the catalyst remix was going to be on there?

    Ive listened to ATS a few times now and I've got to say I don't care much for the interludes but I do like the intro, I'm just dissapointed in the number of songs on the album. I think the album will grow on me the more I listen to it like MTM (I love this album now) I wasn't expecting ATS to be like this and maybe that's why I didn't love it on the first play I was really hoping for a few more heavy-ish songs to break up all the mellow ones on this album! Hopefully when I hear this album live in November it will completely change my mind on it.
     
  18. #38
    Jeff

    Jeff WORSHIP LPA Addicted VIP

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    If its the CD/DVD, then it will be the black cover.
     
  19. #39
    Rowmeo

    Rowmeo Member

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    Cheers Jay! Are there any bonus tracks, I'm not sure if the site has been lazy and not updated the track list or both actually come with the same songs
     
  20. #40
    Rocky

    Rocky Well-Known Member

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    My review after 3 bowls.


    This album is FREAKY! Like it's MADNESS! It's like OMG I'M IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE!!!!
    And dude, they totally succeeded in making a 47min journey. Out of that journery I was blown the fuck away on When They Come For Me, Blackout, and Iridescent.

    Linkin Park I a lova you!!!!! XDDDDDDDDDDD

    edit: THIS SHIT IS GENIUS!!!!!!
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2010

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