"The Hunting Party" Full Review by Metal Hammer

Discussion in 'News' started by Andreina, Jun 4, 2014.

  1. #1
    Andreina

    Andreina Proud Venezuelan LP fan. LPA Contributor

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    This week, Metal Hammer has posted a full length review for "The Hunting Party", check out their track-by-track impressions below:


    KEYS TO THE KINGDOM

    You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and with The Hunting Party it's evident that Linkin Park are out to shake up expectations from the off. Keys To The Kingdom explodes into life with a distorted Chester Bennington vocal, the singer barking “No Control! No Surprise!” like a cyborg Dennis Lyxzen, before a stop-start Brad Delson guitar riff kicks in. Mike Shinoda then weighs in with some tough guy rapping - “Got a different method, but I can still bring the pain...” / “Careful what you shoot for, cos you might hit what you aim for...” - before a trademark LP chorus crashes in. By the time the track closes out with some 'woah-oh-woah' massed vocals you'll be buzzing.

    ALL FOR NOTHING

    Helmet's Page Hamilton is on here somewhere: good luck to anyone who can locate his trademark staccato riffing in the mix. All Or Nothing largely adheres to the traditional Linkin Park formula, with a brash Mike Shinoda verse bleeding into a widescreen Chester Bennington chorus: the second verse sees Shinoda asserting: “Let me break this fucker down for ya, I really don't know ya... no I'm not your soldier, I'm not taking any orders, I'm a five star general...” There's also a pretty, tinkling piano outro, setting up 'the heavy shit' that follows...

    GUILTY ALL THE SAME

    If you've the slightest bit of interest in what Linkin Park are up to in 2014 you'll know this one already. It's huge – featuring a cool Matt Bellamy-esque riff, big portentous doomy piano chords, martial drums, and then a big monster chorus featuring a melody reminiscent of a section of My Chemical Romance's Thank You For The Venom. “You're guilty all the same, too sick to be ashamed,” sings Chester. “You want to point your finger but there's no-one else to blame.” When hip-hop legend Rakim steps in for the second verse it's impossibly exciting.

    THE SUMMONING

    A little pause for reflection. This atmospheric mood piece is one minute of FX pedal noise, synth washes and random clanging guitar chords: for reasons that probably make sense only if you're in the band, the run-out features what sounds like a sample of a kids softball game. “Watch the ball! Run, run, run!”

    WAR

    Woah, Linkin Park go Punk Rock! Ushered in with a classic “1-2, 1-2-3-4” count, this is 2 minutes 11 seconds of snarling punk rock attitude which sounds more like Trash Talk than Linkin Park. The pregnant pause before the chorus (“War! Destroyer!”) is particularly smart. You would never guess this was Linkin Park in a million years. Bracing.

    WASTELANDS

    And, in contrast to the previous track, this could only be Linkin Park. The band are on familiar ground here, with a cool, clatteringly funky rhythm, rapped Shinoda verses (“Every phrase a razorblade,” he brags) and then a big Chester B chorus referencing the “wastelands of today” where there's “nothing left to lose” and furthermore “nothing more to take.”

    UNTIL IT'S GONE

    The album's inevitable monster ballad. The lyrical sentiment is breaking no new ground, as Chester Bennington acknowledges when he sings “I've heard it said a thousand times, but now I know...” and the song's key lyric - “You don't know what you've got until it's gone” - is repeated like a mantra.

    REBELLION

    From the second the opening riff kicks in, you know exactly who the special guest on this track is. System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian's fingerprints are all over this, from that killer introduction to Bennington's hectic, bonkers screams of “Rebellion! Rebellion!” in the middle eight. The chorus runs “We are the fortunate ones, who've never faced oppression's gun”: hard to argue with that.

    MARK THE GRAVES

    The track's most experimental track, wrapping a chunky Helmet-esque riff, ambient noise and swooshing keyboards into a rather fractured, disorientating whole, which never settles into a formula. Interesting.

    DRAWBAR


    If the previously reported presence of Rage Against The Machine guitar wizard Tom Morello on this track has got you all in a tizzy you can calm down right now. This tasteful minor key instrumental could be Muse at their most low-key, with a sweet piano intro, marching drums and some unobtrusive, chiming processed guitar, presumably supplied by the RATM man.

    FINAL MASQUERADE

    More A Thousand Suns than Hybrid Theory, this is LP at their most controlled and meditative, a slowly unfurling, mid-paced anthem built around simmering keyboards, unfussy, low-tempo beats and palm-muted guitar. It features one of Chester Bennington's finest vocal performances on the album: “The light on the horizon was brighter yesterday, shadows floating over, the skies began to fade...”

    A LINE IN THE SAND

    The Hunting Party draws to a close with this 6 minute 35 second sci-fi themed epic, which builds from a static-flecked, chilling, 'last man on earth' transmission into something more powerful and menacing, featuring an echoing, double-tracked Shinoda vocal and some classic Bennington rage - “You'll get what's yours,” he seethes. “Give me back what's mine!” - before seguing into an almost Maiden-esque guitar part and finally dissolving into a reprise of the opening.

    What do you think of this review? Come discuss it in our forums!

    Source: Metal Hammer via Oberyn and sasuke4545
     
  2. #2
    The Emptiness Machine

    The Emptiness Machine Out of the abyss. LPA Über VIP

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    Really interested in hearing "Mark the Graves" and "War"
     
  3. #3
    Qwerty19

    Qwerty19 Well-Known Member

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    Yet another positive review (I'm not counting the Florino one though :lol:) , and Metal Hammer hasn't often been friendly with LP in the past.

    For those who don't know, Kerrang also gave an high score to THP (4/5), which is the same than the one they gave to ATS, and which is higher than those they gave to every other LP records.
     
  4. #4
    Serious Dave

    Serious Dave Fighter of the Nightman

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    All For Nothing will probably be no good. I'm excited for the rest though.
     
  5. #5
    Wasabi GOD

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

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    As good as ATS ... could be fun to listen to :D

    But i think there should be also give some negative things from the record. It is nice to hear so much positive things, but this cant be real , why they dont give 5% if there is nothing wrong with :lol:

    ALITS will be epic by all the reviews. This will be the track , i will expect the most of.
     
  6. #6
    Dimitris "the Parker"

    Dimitris "the Parker" "One For The Road"

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    I need this album right fucking now!It will be my precioussss
     
  7. #7
    SeLDfC

    SeLDfC Well-Known Member

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    A nice review! :D
     
  8. #8
    hawk

    hawk because the internet LPA Super VIP

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    kanyelaugh.png
     
  9. #9
    Qwerty19

    Qwerty19 Well-Known Member

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    Oh, the simple fact that some songs will use "traditionnal formula" is already enough of a bad thing for some. See the post above yours.
     
  10. #10
    The Emptiness Machine

    The Emptiness Machine Out of the abyss. LPA Über VIP

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    "Careful what you shoot for, cos you might hit what you aim for.." lyrics do not inspire confidence in KTTK. Still, I'm interested in hearing it.
     
  11. #11
    Sønic

    Sønic Searching for the last Chaos Emerald... LPA Super Member

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    This is telling for me because MetalHammer usually shits on anything LP does.
     
  12. #12
    Denny

    Denny @Jackethx

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    Metal Hammer, or particularly Dom Lawson, hates Linkin Park - especially A Thousand Suns and LIVING THINGS. So, it is very nice to hear they are being positive.

    Anyone know what score out of 10 the album got?
     
  13. #13
    IGibbedYEIH

    IGibbedYEIH The Prog Nerd Über Member

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    War seems like it will be one of the most unique songs LP has done to date. Really looking forward to that track.
     
  14. #14
    Sasuke

    Sasuke Modern Prog enjoyer LPA Super Member

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    YEAH! Seems like we get some Mike's KICK ASS RAP on KTTK & AFN :CUMULUS:
     
    Last edited: Jun 4, 2014
  15. #15
    Blackee Dammet

    Blackee Dammet Feminism Is My God Now

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    Bummer about Drawbar.
     
  16. #16
    Nimz Lp

    Nimz Lp niimz94

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    KTTK NOW! PLEASE.
     
  17. #17
    whattheblink

    whattheblink Kyles To The Kingdom

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    If they release KTTK before the official release, I'm not listening. I want that first punch to the crotch/face to be a real surprise when the album drops. But it's not like there's a good chance of that. But...if they leak the whole album on iTunes or whatever before the official release, I'll listen to the whole album, obviously.

    Back on topic though, this review does get me excited. KTTK, MTG, ALITS, War, even AFN. Even the instrumentals I'm excited for.
     
  18. #18
    lovablepanda

    lovablepanda Well-Known Member

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    I think there were negatives if you were reading between the lines. Some of the stuff they stated did match what others had complained about like Wastelands is where Linkin Park is in familiar territory. Now personally I don't see that as a negative but the review was necessarily praising this aspect of the song either.
     
  19. #19
    Rebel Traj

    Rebel Traj Well-Known Member

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    So hyped for 'War', 'Mark The Graves', 'Final Masquerade' and 'A Line In The Sand' :-o can't wait to hear the album!
     
  20. #20
    outcastboy

    outcastboy Sure God's all powerful, but does he have lips?

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    is there anyone else that is not into mike's rap recently? i think his lyrics are getting very stupid, trying to be badass, seems like KTTK, AFN and wastelands have similar egocentric rap.

    the only LP song that this kind of rap worked for me is WTCFM, because it actually had some meaning behind it.
     

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