Just to clarify, do you dislike the line? Or do you just not like having it spoiled ahead of the album?
The way I understood this was that he wishes those things were not known (basically using them in the lyrics is like telling this to everyone)
He did crack and meth and then used Opium to come down? Man we're fucking lucky he's alive today god damn.
I'll clarify for both of you. It's not that I wish this wasn't known. I actually knew Chester has a past that involved drugs. I agree that that's life, and I definitely don't judge him or anything. I'm fine with it other than of course the fact that he could've gotten himself into even worse trouble than he did. It's more just using it in a song because I've kind of felt like Linkin Park has had a way of singing about something in more subtle ways, to the point where some songs can even have different interpretations, so I'm slightly iffy about this direct approach. Take Shadow of the Day for example, or actually a few songs off Minutes to Midnight like Leave Out All the Rest or Valentine's Day. Instead of your conventional approach to a song titled Valentine's Day, singing about love and using that lyric directly, it's actually instead about death and missing this person, being alone now. Same with Leave Out, the theme is dying but they're less direct, and same for Shadow. My mom loves Shadow of the Day but she never really thought about it being about death until I mentioned it. (Even though yes, I know, they don't make it overly hard to figure that out) Some bands leave a lot less to the imagination. Sum 41 "Crash" : "I don't wanna die, I don't know why". Billy Talent "White Sparrows" : I hold that casket gently walking to the grave, dark clouds eclipse the sun won't shine again" (or something close to that). I like both of these songs, but I remember kinda smiling when I heard them first, thinking "wow nothing subtle about that eh?" Linkin Park managed to sing about death, many times, without being like "AHHHHH I'M DYINGGGG" (Chester), then "Never knew what we were living for, it don't matter now we won't be alive anymore" (Mike)..... crude examples but you get the point haha. Granted I'm not quite sure how Chester can talk about getting high in a more subtle way, or how many ways there are to artfully dance around it. I'm confident I'll be fine with it when I hear the song. I've generally embraced or accepted other things I didn't love at first, like naming a song and album the same thing (One More Light) and the first introduction of a dedicated guest vocalist on a studio album (Rakim). I know all these things ultimately aren't very important. I even thought twice the first time I heard them flat out swear in a song lol, on Minutes to Midnight, and now I can't really imagine them still actively avoiding it.
Well, the band did say they were going to go more personal on this record. While Heavy still feels vague lyrically, that released Halfway Right lyric definitely fits that mold about being more about their own lives and more personal. It's hard to be vague enough lyrically that anyone can 'relate' and be deeply personal at the same time. Direct sometimes may be the best approach.
I've actually been getting a little tired of LP trying to write like LP all the time, because I remember how Chester described feeling more free when penning STP lyrics vs. LP's. I thought it sucked that the band felt they had to restrict themselves like that, so I appreciate that they've apparently switched it up a little for this new album.
I really like it when they keep their songs relatable, I can totally identify myself with them... Like Wretches and Kings, that static man, makes me say 'woah' I think @Meteorain you're making it too much of a big deal for Chester to be naming "getting high" in a song. There are many more examples out there that are flat out more explicit, crude and raw (you said it yourself). And by the way, speaking about drugs, Chester may have turned the lyrics into a story but Across the Line isn't exactly "subtle" in my book, and it's a great song. There are many styles of songwriting, and LP has used to keep a more general approach to them, but the songs that paint a clear picture can also be relatable. And also you don't have to identify yourself in a song in order to like it, in my case I also find storytelling songs very interesting; there are third person narratives and there is also first person narrative where the songwriter is playing a character in the story (Rammstein uses this a lot). We just have to wait and see all things in context, not only Halfway Right but the entire album. I hope it turns out to be a cohesive body of work, both lyrically and sonically.
It's been said at least fifty times that these aren't the people anyone has a problem with or that we're talking about.
The band was in a much more stressful/drug fuelled place back in that 1997-2005 era, and LP no longer need to dig so deep to alleviate their own pain anymore.. that's why the new music isn't connecting to a lot of fans. Much of the fanbase want them to go back to their roots like Limp Bizkit, keep making music which resonates with their lives and so on.. while the band would rather mellow out like Pink Floyd did. I can see both sides.. i'm happy Chester's doing more personal/reflective lyrics for this album though.
How the hell do you make assumptions like this? The band members are human beings, and they go through ups and downs like anybody else.
I'm pretty sure middle-aged people have real and pressing problems they can channel through music too. The only difference is they have less to do with angst and in LP's case less about addictions and drugs. You have no water to your claim. How do you know if any of the members of the band are going through anything better or worse than they did then? You don't.
Somewhat random question but when was The Hunting Party US tour announced? If the tour is August/September again this time around like people are guessing I'd assume that tour would get announced around the same time.
The "Hunting Party" U.S. tour was announced early November of 2014, four or five months after the album drop.
I guess I should have been more specific. The Carnivores tour, the one that happen in August/September of 2014 Do you know when it got announced?
I know that "hungry artist is much more productive" still: Having a choice between LP being popish, creating a personal music but without the orginal band's style OR Chester overdosing drugs and alcohol, what kind of people would choose the second option? I mean, ppl, do what you really want to, be happy, sober, live the way you want, create the music you wish to. Speaking as a person who doesn't really like the song - they honeslty shouldn't listen to me or anyone sharing my opinion, if current music makes them happy they should do it.
That was just the typical and ignorant "they have plenty of money, so they surely are happy". Makes my eyes roll every time.