"Session" - Song by Song, Let's Talk Linkin Park

Discussion in 'Linkin Park Chat' started by hawk, Jul 2, 2014.

  1. Christøffer

    Christøffer The Cure for Mr. Hahn's Itch LPA Contributor

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    I love Drawbar. It was such a surprise, even when you don't bring the fact that Morello featured in. I also like how it changes key and turns into a nice little piano interlude to Final Masquerade.

    I'd agree with Tony's comment about there being "a real space" surrounding it. It feels so big despite the less-layered instrumentation.
     
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  2. Alexrednex

    Alexrednex Well-Known Member

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    I love Drawbar, I just feel like if the band had turned this into a full fledged song(much like how Fallout turns into The Catelyst) it would had been better than most of THP.
    It's atmospheric as fuck, and while I would have loved a RATM type of riff or solo over some of the other tracks, this song fits much better into the LP universe.
    Honestly one of the best songs on the album.
     
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2016
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  3. Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    Really enjoyed this track. One of the best instrumentals LP has done. It's quite epic and mellow at the same time and it's a really nice track. Also like they didn't just put this at Track 11 like most of their instrumentals. As Alexrednex said, one of the best songs on the album.
     
  4. Tocaraca

    Tocaraca A part of me screams away silently

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    Drawbar is my favourite LP interlude. However, it leads up to an epic moment, then there is no epic moment. I still like it though. It just feels like there's a build up to a climax, which never happens, so it seems a bit empty.
    The atmosphere is nice.
     
  5. Modern Guitar God

    Modern Guitar God Nets 2021 LPA Super VIP

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    It's a good instrumental. Maybe not as captivating as "Session" but still really beautiful. The drums are fucking amazing in "Drawbar" though. Perfectly brooding and foreboding. Don't have much to say about the Morello feature. He does what the song needs.
     
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  6. Qwerty19

    Qwerty19 Well-Known Member

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    Nice track with a cool vibe.

    I will say however, that Bourdon sometimes overuses those marching drums patterns.
     
  7. Filip

    Filip god break down the door LPA Contributor

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    I fucking love "Drawbar".
     
  8. ZERØ

    ZERØ LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Not diggin it. Sounds like a warming up jamming or a filler interlude to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
     
  9. Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    I agree with the general consensus - Drawbar is easily one of my favourite instrumentals ever. Messing around with playlists, I've decided Drawbar straight into A Line In The Sand is far more satisfying and climactic than the inclusion of Final Masquerade.
     
  10. minuteforce

    minuteforce Danny's not here, Mrs. Torrance. LPA Team

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    I do like how LP and Tom Morello jammed out and that is what they came up with, so that fans of both were thoroughly disappointed. :p

    Clearly, they knew what they were doing
     
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  11. BTorio

    BTorio Well-Known Member

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    I like it enough, but I do wish it was fleshed out more. It's interesting sounds but it would have been cooler to have it be longer and let everyone really show off. Mike could probably make the piano more complex and interesting, as Rob and Dave play with rhythm. At the same time, I think it's good it stayed short, for the sake of the album. I like the fact that it goes into the melody of FM a lot, but I wish the transition into that song was a little more smooth. Like when the drums come in for FM, it feels like a different track. It would have been cool to hear something like the intro they have at the beginning of the music video.
     
  12. Atticus

    Atticus Bullets lance the bravest lungs

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    FINAL MASQUERADE
    [​IMG]
    “The light on the horizon was brighter yesterday, with shadows floating over, the scars begin to fade”

    Part 80’s power ballad, part modern-alternative anthem, Final Masquerade is the eleventh, penultimate track on The Hunting Party. It was the record’s fourth and final promotional track, premiering through MTV on June 8th, 2014. The track went on to become the third and final single for The Hunting Party, where it charted #1 in India’s Saavn Weekly Top Songs, #5 in Hungary’s Single Top 40, #2 in UK Rock, and #15 in US Hot 100 Singles.


    Transitioning humbly from Drawbar’s solemn epilogue, Final Masquerade begins with loud, earthly drums before a cosmic, 80’s-power-ballad inspired synth floats into the soundscape. A chilling echoed synth drowns out the scene as Bennington comes forth. Although raw and unplugged, his performance is beautifully melodic, serving a stark contrast from the rest of The Hunting Party. The verse carries a significant, head-bobbing groove thanks to his vocal melody and Bourdon’s accompanied drum line.

    An octave guitar burst leads Final Masquerade into the soaring, cosmic chorus that begs to be sung-along where Bennington sings over a majestic background of twinkling electric pings and transcending strings. Delson strikes again for possibly his most melodic contribution on the record as the shining guitar riff perfectly harmonizes with Bennington’s passionate vocals. The post-chorus riff that ensues pulls Final Masquerade into an alternative anthem, treading on Minutes To Midnight territory.

    The second mid-tempo verse brims with tension as Bennington begins to reveal more alongside the earthly drum blasts. There’s an underlying palm-muted guitar riff far below the mix, just waiting for its moment to strike. Bourdon beckons the second chorus with a bursting drum roll, signaling the guitar to evolve into a riff to end all anthems. Bennington wails over the wall of noise until the bridge for another Delson guitar solo.

    The solo begins by elaborating on the chorus in an energetic rhythm similar to the bridge found in Until It’s Gone, before falling back to earth for one last melodic riff, instantly becoming one of the most peaceful moments on The Hunting Party. Bennington calls back the anthem for a final refrain, this time wailing vocals harmonize in the background, reaching higher and higher in time with the track, until finally silencing into a distant thundercloud.

    Lyrically, Final Masquerade pungently returns to more intimate Linkin Park ballad themes of letting go and moving on from a bad relationship. “Tearing me apart with the words you wouldn’t stay” discusses an inner turmoil within Bennington as he lashes out as “we both keep on waiting for something we won’t find”. No matter how good he may have been manipulated into thinking the relationship was ideal, he realizes “we said it was forever, but then it slipped away” and comes to terms with the fact that this is the end “standing at the end of the final masquerade”. Considering a masquerade is a false show or pretense, Bennington finally understands the relationship is false and poor for his state of mind.


    Interestingly, on February 19th, 2015, Linkin Park released an acoustic rendition of Final Masquerade. Replacing the pristine classic rock composition with layers of acoustic guitar, and with Shinoda at the microphone helm for the first third of the track, Final Masquerade became an infinitely more intimate ballad. The bridge chooses to emphasize a somber piano rather than guitar for a chilling effect, and the vocal interplay between Bennington and Shinoda has never sounded more sincere. Strings are carefully placed at just the right moments to amplify the unplugged passion, leading to a shockingly superb acoustic reanimation that arguably triumphs above its forefather.

    As The Hunting Party’s third single, Final Masquerade was accompanied with a music video. Directed by Mark Pellington, the video released on July 29th, 2014 on MTV. Just breaching 5 minutes in length, the music video actually features an extended intro built with the distant cosmic synths. The video returns to a storytelling fashion that has been largely missing in Linkin Park’s recent ventures.


    Focusing on crying, abandoned babies, screaming angels, howling wolves, and strangely silhouetted, suicidal figures, the Final Masquerade music video is elaborately ambitious and equally abstract. There’s a constant apocalyptic undertone as “the end is near” is plastered throughout on walls and floors. Yet much like the track itself, the final chorus brings balance to the chaos, as peace appears to return to the clearly dystopian world presented. The video even includes a brief extended outro that focuses on Bourdon’s earthly drums.


    Final Masquerade premiered live for the opening night of the Carnivores Tour promoting The Hunting Party on August 6th, 2014 in West Palm Beach, Florida. The track has found great acclaim by fans and critics alike, rendering the crowds silent in the verses before leaving them breathless in the chorus destined for sing-a-long action. Linkin Park’s ability to replicate the studio performance is once again uncanny, as Bennington’s passionate words are sung consistently on-point alongside the pristine instrumentation. The song was also performed acoustically for a handful of LPU summits, though with only Bennington on vocals, minor harmonization from Shinoda, and Delson providing the only instrumental work, creating a significantly different experience than what is found on the acoustic studio recording.

     
  13. Sasuke

    Sasuke Modern Prog enjoyer LPA Super Member

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    Beautiful.
     
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  14. BTorio

    BTorio Well-Known Member

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    Final Masquerade is definitely one of the highlights of the album and of LP's discography imo. It fits right in with their greatest ballads like SOTD, Powerless and WID, but it feels just a little bit more mature and melodically rich I think. The mixing is awesome, and the drums sound amazing throughout the track. I do wish that maybe there was a little bit more going on with the guitars/bass, as the wall of guitars after the first chorus isn't the most entertaining thing that could fill that space I don't think. I do love the solo though, simple as it is. And the ending is a great moment. I know THP isn't really about ballads, but this song really adds to the album I think and is also completely radio friendly. The existence of this song makes me wonder why UIG is even there lol.

    The acoustic rendition is pretty dope. I wish the strings sounded more real and they went for more of a acoustic "session" feel, than an acoustic but still big and atmospheric feel.
     
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  15. Wasabi GOD

    Wasabi GOD Praise Brad Delson, our Lord and Savior. LPA Addict

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    At first to Drawbar, because i forget to post about it: I think its kinda cool and have a nice moving from a more calm song into a more serious one, with dope drums and a nice vibe. The piano is cool too.

    Final Masquerade is a great song imo with grea feelings. It shows the strenght of the band, by writting good ballade songs. Its one of my favorite ones for sure. Live its also cool.

    The acoustic version is pretty strong too imo. I love the way Mike sounds on it and how his and Chesters voice fit perfectly together. I hopoe this isnt the last acoustic track, we got from the band, they are great doing stuff like this.
     
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  16. Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Well-Known Member

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    I remember first hearing Final Masquerade and I got HUGE MTM vibes (My fav album). A great ballad that really is quite beautiful and Chester arguably gives his best performance on the album. Really awesome song that is definitely on of my favorite alternative songs they've ever done.
     
  17. ZERØ

    ZERØ LPA Super Member LPA Super Member

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    Final Masquerade is amazing, not groundbreaking or experimental, but everything works in this song - drums, lyrics, solo, production. Easily my favorite on the album, and in my top 10 LP songs.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2016
  18. Qwerty19

    Qwerty19 Well-Known Member

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    I really love the verses - Chester's voice tone, the drums, and most of all, the synth work.

    The chorus melody is not my favorite though.
     
  19. One More Rob

    One More Rob Well-Known Member

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    I like the song. But its hard for me to listen to, cause it, like BITS, reminds me of some not so great times in my eyes so I get really emotional every time that song comes on so I am more prone to skipping it.
     
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  20. Modern Guitar God

    Modern Guitar God Nets 2021 LPA Super VIP

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    One of favorite songs by LP. This song is an example of them emphasizing songwriting + performance over songwriting + production - if that makes sense. Almost all of the band's albums were built on digital production besides THP and MTM. I think their music tends to be stronger when they emphasize performance.

    I don't have an issue with anything on "Final Masquerade", honestly. If I had to, I guess I'd say that it sounds a bit like an 80s throwback but I think that's part of the charm. It reveals a lot of Chester's vocal influences from his childhood. The guitar texture in here is more interesting than most of LP's songs. Brad flirts with ambient and shoegaze tones when he's not going for the palm-muted, high-gain distortion sections in the song. He doesn't really do that in any of LP's other songs.
     
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