All For Nothing is my least favourite on the album. The chanting is cheesy and Mike tries way too hard to be a badass. I also feel like Page's guest contribution was the least necessary on the record - his vocals sound far too similar to Shinoda's to justify his inclusion.
My impression of this song hasn't changed very much over time, unlike a lot of THP. Mikes' verses are awesome. While the lyrics might not be the best, I like them better than KTTK and Wastelands for sure, and they're on par with most everything else from LT imo. I didn't really like the chanting at first, but I grew to appreciate how raw it felt. Page's vocals I could do without, but his guitar work adds so much to the song and makes it so much more instrumentally interesting to me. Also, I completely agree about Brad's solo. It's definitely a standout from all his others, it's very well-written and works perfectly. I think most all the solos on THP do, but this one is definitely special for being so awesomely melodic. All for Nothing isn't my favorite song on THP, but it feels like a highlight nonetheless. The only thing that would make it cooler for me is if Brad came up with the verse guitar himself, haha.
Cool guitar, cool drumming, average chorus. I guess I get what they tried to do with the shooted vocals in the chorus, but the execution was pretty poor. A band like Sum 41 was way better at that. Page also brings much more guitar-wise than vocal-wise. Honestly, Mike should have sung that part. Oh, and on the rap thing, I'd say, the flow here is great, but the lyrics... Not so much.
All For Nothing is my favourite on this album! I don't care about the lyrics, IMO all that matters is that the song sounds good, and to me it does. The rap flows well and the guitar solo is a spin-off of the tune in the chorus, but it's changed enough so it doesn't just sound like a ripoff. There's too much hate for this song.
Mike's rapping about nothing and AABB pattern kinda ruins the song for me... Most of the songs on The Hunting Party are weak lyrically imo (maybe that's the reason they want to up their game on LP7...maybe). On a positive side, I really dig the solo and the way drums sound.
Yeah that's an issue with alot of his verses. I think the second verse is slightly better than the first. There seems to be more internal rhyming I picked up. The first is just really lazy to me. In your opinion, what verses do you like technically from him in the last couple years?
When They Come For Me and Until It Breaks. I don't mind the subject of the lyrics if they are clever or there are some interesting patterns.
Yeah I was only really impressed with the first verse of Wastelands. Damn shame too since he experimented quite a bit with rhyme patterns on Living Things for the most part. Hopefully he does something special with the new album. I remember him and Brad were discussing rhyme structure months ago, so that sounds like a good sign that Mike is focusing a bit more on that.
I think my major problem with this song is the fact that it's just a bit too straight forward(both structurally, instrumentally and lyrically). It kind of feels like a Meteora-era song but with a different production behind it, which honestly makes the song listenable, but the instrumentation overall just isn't the greatest. I wish it had some more lead guitar melodies and a thicker bass in the verses. I don't think the song is horrible, I like some of the elements and ideas behind the song but overall it's very mediocre and safe. The highlight of the song is obviously the solo which is simple but effective at the same time. Isolated from the album, I would dislike the song a lot more than I do. I just really feel like they found the perfect spot for it on the record - Between arguable the two best songs on the album(which proves that LP can do rock a lot more interesting than most bands). It's a straight forward rap rock song which LP hasn't done for ages, and I would lie if I didn't admit that it somehow appeals to me. I personally feel like the album's true low point comes with Wastelands and Until It's Gone, despite those two songs isolated being slightly better than AFN.
I cant say i hate the song, but its definitely not in the top of THP for me. Otherwise i really like the chorus and the bridge of the song. Mike and Hamilton harmonize perfectly imo.
Completely agree. I really like each individual portion of the song, Lyrics aside, I think Mike's flow is great during the verses, the chorus is catchy and memorable, and as others have said of course, the solo is one of Brad's best. The problem for me lies mainly in the fact that I feel that the song sounds like a less intense version of the type you'd find on HT or Meteora. On an album that's meant to be visceral and exciting, it just feels a bit boring to me. I love when heavy albums have softer tracks, they serve as a contrast and make the heavy bits feel heavier, but AFN doesn't really do that for me, it's just at the awkward point where it's not soft enough to provide a contrast, but not heavy enough to shine out as a visceral highlight. It's just... there. I really wish the band had done something extra with the song, a big heavy breakdown in the middle after the second verse would both serve to make the song more exciting and less generic in terms of structure, but also give the song that extra oomph to make the opening five songs all work together to drive home the album's heavy theme. As it is, for me, it's just a decent rap-rock song, which is a shame because I like each individual part and I wish the band had utilised them better. Also, time for GATS? It's been over 10 days.
Like others have said previously, I think that the guitar solo sounds really natural, somehow, which isn't something we can often say about Delson's solos.
GUILTY ALL THE SAME The green could be the blame, or greedy for the fame, TV or a name, the media, the game, to me you’re all the same, your guilty On the morning of March 3rd, 2014, Linkin Park released a mysterious 21-second video titled “Preview”. The brief video featured Mike Shinoda and Brad Delson in the studio, where they premiered the first sounds of the band’s soon to be sixth record. The audio preview demonstrated a heavily distorted, raw guitar riff alongside a pulsating drum line. Fans around the world began salivating at the mouth for the potential return of an aggressive Linkin Park, matured from the experimental electronic departures into the unknown with A Thousand Suns and arguably Living Things. Some fans remained optimistically cautious however, as the preview seemed almost too “cookie-cutter” simple for a full-blown return to rock music. At around the same time, a new Linkin Park song title “Guilty All The Same” appeared in a highly reputable online index for the music industry. Fans were enamored and figured the new preview snippet was for an upcoming single in the weeks or months to come. Some fans groaned at the title, seemingly referencing to the older, more angst-ridden nu-metal songs of the past. The doubters were rendered inconceivably speechless on March 6th, 2014. Just three days after the preview video, Linkin Park stealth-released Guilty All The Same as a front-running single for The Hunting Party through an exclusive promotion with Shazam. The fan base erupted into blissful celebration as the furious 5 minute and 55 second track thundered across the airwaves. The very next day, on March 7th, 2014, Guilty All The Same was officially released as a single. The foreshadowed “heavy shit” is assuredly what follows the rather radio-friendly All For Nothing as a monolithic instrumental introduction takes place to welcome Guilty All The Same. Encompassing over a minute and a half, the build up to Guilty All The Same begins with the exact same crunching, heavily distorted guitar riff heard in the “Preview” video. The atmosphere sounds ripped straight out of an amateur garage punk band recording. The crushing wall of noise fades away to a pristine, brooding piano riff alongside relentless militaristic drums before the serenade is swallowed whole by the ferocious powerchords once more, this time bolstered by a professional record sound. The riff grows stronger and louder with each pass until the song dives into uncharted waters for two bone-chilling guitar licks. The riffs intertwine to form a rebellious, diabolical melody that rests atop a third, galloping guitar line. Bennington sings the first verse over the brooding piano and blistering drums, his voice equally raspy and airy. The pre-chorus beckons a drowned out octave riff over a wailing Bennington before he unveils a jarring, almost intimidating chorus. Backed by piano and what appears to be a pulsating electronic synth, the vocalist attacks with an unwavering, raw delivery. Linkin Park has consistently relied on doubling or even tripling Bennington’s vocals to amplify his legendary, powerful rasp in past records, but The Hunting Party charges forth without that illusion. The result is striking at first, as he seems almost held back from his full aggression, yet the raw unfiltered passion that is brought to the surface is euphoric. The once presumed synth quickly transforms as the chorus progresses into the same galloping guitar riff from the climax of the opening instrumental, proving to be the perfect partner for the vocalist. The two rebellious guitars also return post-chorus for an electrifying riff before fading into the second verse. This time, Bennington is leaking aggression while a guitar riff bolsters the brooding piano, resulting in a much tenser, strenuous verse. The next chorus follows suite, with the guitars immediately firing alongside Bennington’s fury. Guilty All The Same then enters its malevolent breakdown. The walls of guitars seem to literally crash down as a wailing Bennington is at the edge of screaming. Suddenly a second voice enters the fray. It’s none other than the legendary rap icon, Rakim. In the second guest appearance of The Hunting Party, Rakim triumphantly contributes a staggering verse spanning 24 bars, viciously attacking the integrity of the current music industry in the process. The end of the tremendous rap bridge signals the final curtain call as Guilty All The Same reaches the final chorus. After Rakim’s stunning performance, the entire song seems to radiate with a boost of aggression and urgency. The same breakdown riff reawakens beside a growling Bennington before Delson releases another lightning fast tremolo guitar solo to conclude, sounding strikingly familiar to the guitar solo featured in the 2007 extended live outro to “Faint”. As Guilty All The Same was a titanic six-minute single, Shinoda dared radio stations to play the full song from start to finish. While a few brave stations listened, an inevitable radio edit of Guilty All The Same was soon produced. Stripping the colossal introduction to a measly 46 seconds and removing Rakim’s masterful performance entirely, the edit is a hollow shadow of itself, clocking in over 2 minutes shorter. However, Guilty All The Same reached #1 on the US Mainstream Rock Billboard and #3 on the UK Rock and Metal chart, garnishing great success. Lyrically, Guilty All The Same has been stated to be a message towards the modern culture of the music industry. Shinoda has even gone so far as to say Linkin Park feels “unwelcome” in the current state of music. The Hunting Party is often referred to as a rebellious outcry towards current “stagnant” rock music, which makes it entirely understandable for the band to claim Guilty All The Same to be the heart and soul of the album. Rakim’s rap explains the scenario best, as record companies hope to control the music artists produce in order to reflect an artificial vision of modern music. Bennington has even gone so far as to state that Guilty All The Same is also a message to their fans and their insatiable desires, whether it be for A Thousand Suns: Part II, or Hybrid Theory: Part III: Never backing down from a new way to let fans interact with their music, Linkin Park collaborated with Microsoft’s Project Spark to release Guilty All The Same’s official music video. Players were able to download the band’s own version of the game and control a protagonist haunted by guilt, who must travel through dark and dangerous environments. If players performed poorly, the soundtrack would diminish, whereas if they excelled, the track would amplify in sound. The level in particular Linkin Park chose to demonstrate for their official music video seems to be heavily inspired by Temple Run. Players were encouraged to download the game, and remix it into entirely new challenges. To date, the YouTube video is just under 4 million views, making it incredibly unsuccessful compared to other Linkin Park music video endeavors, even failing to surpass the 9 million views found on the official lyric video. Guilty All The Same was a monster live. When it premiered in Tucson, AZ on May 5th, 2014, the instrumental complexity of the introduction proved to be a daunting task, alongside some large technical guitar difficulties. These problems resulted in some flat out embarrassing first few performances until Linkin Park finally found its stride. Guilty All The Same always followed the band’s opening Mashup Intro, including several elements of the band’s discography from Reanimation to A Thousand Suns. The mashup would then transition directly into the crunchy opening guitar riff fans have come to love and crave. The band has yet to perform the song with guest musician Rakim. However, Shinoda has stepped up and taken the place of the legendary rapper in each and every performance during the bridge to satisfying acclaim. The vocals in particular for Guilty All The Same as a whole were generally considered very strong, as Chester’s live voice sounds very similar to the stripped down vocals found on the studio performance. Unfortunately, Guilty All The Same was abandoned two shows before the end of 2014. No reasoning has been provided to the dismay and confusion of many fans. Considering the band continued to promote The Hunting Party throughout 2015, it seemed odd to see they had removed the album’s lead single entirely.
God, this song is a fucking banger. I remember the first time i listen to the song, it was about Shazam iirc. The day after the 10 seconds preview. It was much better than i expected it to be. The intro was one of the most exiting things i ever heared by Linkinj Park in recent years and the guitars in the song are fucking dope. Chesters vocals are cool and Rakim kills it totally. My only problem with the song is the outro, its the typical Faint live outro, but its not too bad Talking about live, this song as a show opener is a monster. It was so awesome in the crowd then the intro kicks in and all was perfect. I hope the song will return in the next tour, because it deserved it to be played live.
Oh yeah! Guilty has become one of my favorite LP songs. Every guitar riff, chords, bits in this song is absolutely killer. The drums only make it better. The intro set the mood for something epic and in-your-face. The first chorus keeps building the tension, which, in my opinion, is finally released when the drums kicks in the second chorus. And damn, that bridge. Fucking hits you man. Rakim kills it too. Chester vocals are raw as ever. The end climax ends the song perfectly. Yeah, yeah, I just don't have enough good words for it. Big, big tune!
I didn't like it much for the first few spins. It grew on me a lot about a year later. I really like how Brad's playing sounds symphonic (I think there was a review that said that too). It's even more fascinating to hear Rakim on the song, considering it's one LP's heaviest songs ever. Of course, Brad and Rob are the stars of the song, next to Rakim. Brad and Rob tend to highlight the entirety of THP anyway, even though their parts aren't as complex as naggy musicians need them to be (yes, I'm talking about the comments sections all over the web). Brad thrashing on a single-coil Fender kind of pisses on the rules of metal. I think that's great I think the song suffers a lot when played live but it's still passable.
GATS is a banger for sure. The intro with its length and buildup is enough to make the track one of my favorites from LP. It's got a lot of energy and Brad and Rob really go hard. However, the solo could have been a lot better in my opinion. Like Michele said, it's fairly of reminiscent of the way he used to play the solo for Faint live, only with effects that make the tremolo picking little less obvious thanks to the wah.