It’s been three years now since Linkin Park released their hit or miss album "Minutes to Midnight". Most people of course think it was a miss, but I respect these guys for trying to do other stuff even though the album has many flaws. Here we are now, with a brand new Linkin Park album, and again, the sextet from California have decided to start over again, refresh their sound. Was it for the better? You bet!
General Impressions :
I was very skeptical when listening to "The Catalyst", I thought to myself "Linkin Park doing electonica music… sellouts" and I hated that song for a few weeks, but it grew on me, and that is what happens with most of the songs from this album… they grow. Take each song from the album and listen to them in some random order at some random time, and you’re probably not going to like it. This album was made to be listened to as a whole in order to be appreciated. It’s a concept album about a nuclear apocalypse and war; very cliché you might tell me, but do you prefer Chester singing stuff like "Take everything from the inside/ shut up when I’m talking to you" or lines like in the Catalyst, where he sings "And when I close my eyes at night, to symphonies of blinding light/Like memories in cold decay, transmissions echoing away"? I personally find lyrics in this album much more meaningful than before. Linkin Park have grown as a band and as songwriters… in a good way.
The instrumentation of the album is brilliant. Joe Hahn has really outdone himself this time. As well as Mike, who is still a top notch producer and a great rapper. As I said before, the songs are electro-pop with some reggae and alternative influences, so you won’t be hearing much guitars and the drumming is less rock than before, though more intricate on some songs than what they have done before (listen to "When they come for me" and you should be impressed by the tribal drumming throughout it).
Good Points :
- The production is as good as usual, Linkin Park have never had problems with that. Plus, they worked with Rick Rubin again, so no worries there either.
- Joe Hahn’s work in this album is remarkable, compared to his semi-absence in "Minutes to Midnight" ; songs like "Iridescent", "Wretches and Kings" or "Burning in the Skies" all show how much talent this man has, and how much work has been put into this album.
- Mike Shinoda has started rapping again, leaving some reminiscence of earlier Linkin Park, without getting Nu-metal on us. His singing on "A Thousand Suns" is really a plus, because Chester - even though he is a very good vocalist – can sound out of place sometimes, like on "Robot Boy" when he sings high notes towards the end that tend to get a bit annoying. I personally think that Shinoda shines on "When They Come for Me", showing us a flow that can be compared to the greatest rappers of our time.
- The songwriting in general is more complex than older albums. Chester and Mike have become good lyricists and are talking about serious stuff now. I have to say it… they’ve grown up.
- It has a very soothing atmosphere, like a less better version of a Nine Inch Nails album.
Bad Points :
- Too many interludes. Though I appreciate them and think that they add to the excellence of the album, it can be very annoying for most people ( since 6 out of 15 songs are interludes !).
- Chester only screams in one song "Blackout". While it can be a good thing, I think people are going to miss them.
- "The Messenger", which is the last song from the album, is very annoying. I mean, please Chester, did you really have to sing like that ? We don’t need you becoming the vocalist of Avenged Sevenfold . Let’s face it, it looks like he’s very tired, and strained. Plus, the song feels very out of place in the general .
- The lack of guitar can be sometimes underwhelming, since Linkin Park have always been a rock band, it wouldn’t have hurt to put some more riffs in there IMO.
- Needs a few listens before being able to review it fully, though it might not be a bad thing.
Conclusion :
This is the comeback album they needed, the one that shows that they are grown men and and that it’s time to take things a little more seriously. This is definitely not going to be a Sputnik favorite, or even a fan favorite, but I hope one day that i twill get the recognition it deserves. Other than that, it’s a truly beautiful album and a musical journey that I recommend to everyone.
Recommended Tracks :
Blackout
When They Come for Me
The Catalyst
