....um lol...I'm glad your scores are so high but I made a "wtf?" face a few times while reading that...Until it Breaks can be called "too weird" but only docked 0.5 for a 9.5 because of it? Plus saying the mix of Chester and Brad isn't a good thing but then say Brad's part is the best of the song? I'm not getting the knocks on Burn it Down, but hey, you're not the first one, so that's not really confusing to me...but what it is, is saying it's so 'easily the worst song' that it actually brings down the album to 2nd favourite for you instead of 1st...really?...let's just say that if Burn it Down is the worst song on the album, I'll be very, very...very happy, because I like Burn it Down.
I know everyone is going to say I jumped the gun here, but I jumped the gun with ATS and stayed true to my opinion. So here goes. This is on par with their best albums (those being A Thousand Suns and Reanimation). It has the energy of Hybrid Theory, the melodic mindset of Minutes To Midnight, the experimentation of A Thousand Suns and the best folk influence ever. And the best part? It has nothing from an album that never existed in between HT and MTM. So how do I rank it right now? ATS = Reanimation = LT > HT = MTM
So I caved in and gave it a listen. Honestly, I am pleasantly surprised. And that's saying a lot, given that I expected the unexpected. But here are my thoughts. 1. Lost in the Echo Probably the most complete summary of what we've come to know as Linkin Park through the past four albums. Guitar is heard, Mike's raps are on point, Chester sings the chorus well and belts out screams towards the end. Electronic elements and pounding beats throughout. This is everything we loved about Linkin Park all wrapped into one song. 2. In My Remains A very catchy song with a synth that reminds me a starry night. Well done. BID and LGM, we already know. 5. I'll Be Gone I can see why they had such a hard time finishing it. The strings really do pull everything together nice and neatly. Again, electronic elements as well as guitar, are felt throughout. 6. Castle of Glass This is where things REALLY start getting good for me. Mike and Chester team up to sing this song which you can tell is about to be a folk song, you're just not sure how it's all going to come together to be a Linkin Park song. The beat really sets the tone perfectly. Amazing song. 7. Victimized The most odd song that Linkin Park has made outside of anything on LPU8. It starts off ominous, then hits you in the face with Chester's screams and an aggressive rap verse from Mike. Really short and intense. 8. Roads Untraveled A beautifully written piano ballad with Mike singing the first verse. The song explodes with guitar and leads up to Chester singing the second verse. Very emotional song. 9. Skin To Bone Another odd/folky song with Mike starting off the singing in the beginning. More big beats and electronic elements. Chorus reminds me of When They Come For Me, without the ketchup. Mike and Chester team up to sing the second verse. A dirty pleasure type of song. 10. Until It Breaks The best hip hop style song that Linkin Park has ever done. Mike Shinoda is at his best here. Rapping at you with ferociousness, Chester comes in and sings with some string in the background, and then a pounding beat comes back with Mike returning to give a ragga type of rap verse. And it's all neatly wrapped in a bow by Brad, who sings to close out the song. His voice is shockingly angelic. One of the most creative Linkin Park songs of all-time. This will be one of my favorites for a long time to come. 11/12. Tinfoil/Powerless I'll put these two together since Tinfoil is an intro to Powerless. Powerless is the perfect closer to the album, and it feels like a classic. The beat, the piano, Chester's voice at it's best. The lyrics jump out at you. This song is composed wonderfully (a lot like Burning in the Skies) and will make you emotional. I connected with it immediately and it made me tear up. This will be one of those songs that Linkin Park is known for when it is all said and done. And if it isn't, it should be. All in all, a great album. Still way too early to tell how I like it compared to the other albums, because I love them all. But I will say this: It's in the top 3 right now. And can only go up after I analyze and connect with all the lyrics. Artistically, the album has already won my heart.
4,5/5. What a great album. Really enjoyed the smashup of Hybrid Theory and A Thousand Sun style and that they bring in new influences like folk (that really works!). To awesome LOST IN THE ECHO IN MY REMAINS CASTLE OF GLASS POWERLESS Good BURN IT DOWN I'LL WILL BE GONE ROADS UNTRAVELED UNTIL IT BREAKS LIES GREED MISERY A little meh VICTIMIZED SKIN TO BONE TINFOIL (interlude)
Meteora was just HT part 2. It had nothing in terms of experimentation. It was purely for the commercial purposes. Anyone else has the feeling this itunes "leak" was intended by the band?
AWESOME album! but some songs felt too short,this definitely makes you want MORE. This is one of their best work, obviously not as good as A Thousand Suns, I really can't understand why some say ATS was dissapointing,really. Thank you LP for making an awesome album! ATS>HT=LT>MTM>M
^^ (I tried replying with quote but something's wrong)...I was already looking forward to Powerless, but you not only comparing it to Burning in the Skies (favourite from A Thousand Suns) and also saying it's "a lot" like it...plus saying it drives an emotional vibe...early candidate to become my favourite from Living Things...I guess we'll see, but thanks for amping me up!
What I think about this album: 1/ LOST IN THE ECHO: I love this song. The synth is just awesome, and so is the guitar, bass, Mike's verse, and the Chorus. This is a kid of Meteora and A Thousand Suns. 10/10 -> Best song of LT yet 2/ IN MY REMAINS : Minutes to Midnight with electronic. I like the melody and the guitar, and love how Mike sings in the bridge "like an army falling one by one". 9.5/10 3/ BURN IT DOWN - 8/10 4/ LIES GREED MISERY - 7.5/10 5/ I'LL BE GONE (ft. Owen Pallett) - it sounds similar to Dead By Sunrise's songs. It's very good. 8/10 6/CASTLE OF GLASS - I love the fact that Mike is the main vocal in this song. It reminds me of the song Into You by Dead By Sunrise, especially the chorus. Love the guitar riff after the choruses. 8.5/10 7/VICTIMIZED - weird, but I like it. It has System of a Down's style. 7.5/10 8/ ROAD UNTRAVELLED - it reminds me of "Up In Flame" by Coldplay, with more guitar. Mike is the main vocalist, just like CASTLE OF GLASS. 9/10 9/ SKIN TO BONE - Muse's style. Can't believe that this is a LP's song. 7/10 10/ UNTIL IT BREAKS - the strangest LP's song I've ever listened. Chester got a very little part in this song, Mike's verses sound weird (remind me of Gorillaz), and lol, is it just me or Brad sounds like Jonathan Davis? 8/10 11/ TINFOIL - 7/10 12/ POWERLESS - my second favorite ending song, just after The Little Things Give You Away. 8/10 My top LP's albums now: Living Things > A Thousand Suns > Hybrid Theory > Minutes to Midnight > Meteora
I hate math.....just kidding, but I do hate these forms of summing up and comparing lol...not knocking you personally, a lot of people do it...just sayin' (and no, it's not because I don't understand them...)
DUDE, your reviews are spot on. What's funny is...this album sounds like all of these albums together: (Hybrid Theory, Meteora, Dead by Sunrise's "Out of Ashes", & Fort Minor's "The Rising Tied").