hello my name is Sean, this is the first post im making here on this website, i just joined so expect more posts later on from me, lol anyway heres my review for living things [video=youtube;k732W98cGJ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k732W98cGJ4&feature=plcp[/video]
Linkin Park has been through it all - from metal to hip hop to alternative to electronic to God-knows-what - so the question here is, what's next for them? The answer is in Living Things, an excellent collection that harkens back to every album, from their rap metal debut Hybrid Theory to their electronic-influenced A Thousand Suns, but the album is a clear continuation of the latter. Living Things is polished A Thousand Suns's sound, direction and pacing, the same way Meteora polished Hybrid Theory's sound. The only difference is that Meteora simply improved the boldness of their signature tunes, while everything else, such as lyrics, patterns and experiments, fell a bit short; Living Things does more and then explores vast arrays of genres. "Lost in the Echo" is the band's best song opener since "Papercut", masterfully combining HT's metal guitars, raps and screams with ATS's killer electronic hooks. "Lies Greed Misery" is the band at its angst in the midst of a dance floor techno groove. The real standout here is "Until It Breaks", where Mike raps like Damian Marley over a hook made for Biggie, featuring a beautiful cameo by Brad. Living Things is everything you can possible recieve from Linkin Park. 9/10.
I love the album, but after a week I'm already bored of it That's far too quick for me to get bored with Linkin Park. It took me 9 months to get bored of ATS.
LOST IN THE ECHO 10/10 This song is perfect it has an old felling and new felling to it as it adds electronic and strong drum beats to the song and chesters voice is amzing in this one it realy sounds like hes echoing in our ears and mikes raping is amazing IN MY REMAINS 10/10 This song is also perfect it adds some good druming with gutair sounds also chester sounds just as perfect as he does in the last song BURN IT DOWN 8/10 As much as i like this song it realy starts to becoming hard to listen to as it been the first song realsed however it is very good as i realy love mikes raping part near the end of the song LIES GREAD MISERY 10/10 I have heard this song alot but it is realy catchy as it sounds more like A Thousand Suns but keeps an older sound to it as well as chesters screams in the song are great I'LL BE GONE 10/10 THis Song is perfect as chesters voice seems to follow the beet so well CASTLE OF GLASS 100000000000000000000000000000 This song is beyond my favorite song on this record it has a very great mix of pino and drum and gutair also i love how mikes singing is real smooth and makes the song more dark and mystirous VICTIMIZED 10/10 A Perfect song as it starts realy litly and smacks into hevyness like been hit over and over agin with chesters amazing screaming however i give it a 5/10 for been short if this song was longer and had more lyrics to it would be a masterpeice and magnificent live ROADS LEFT UNTRAVELED 9/10 A Great song with a nifty glass taping sound with a piano to follow and then kicks in with mikes smoothing vocals that give it a sad tone SKIN TO BONE 10/10 This song is great it has a nice drum beat and gutair to follow with mikes smooth vocals and chesters mixed together to cause an amzing echo like track and when chester says "ashes to ashes dust to dust" it causes a small shiver down my spine UNTIL IT BREAKS 10/10 I see this song to be amazing because mike has a strong rap that reminds me of his old days with fort minor TINFOIL 7/10 could have been a stronger beat to burst into powerless POWERLESS 10000000000000000000000000 I realy think this song to be there best finisher it has greatness of a darker sad song with piano and chester saying " you had it all but you were carless to let it fall" the smooth sound of chesters voice and how he says powerless is great and perfect way to close of OVERALL 10/10 They have made somthing that mixes all of there work togther and keeps all the fans happy by including some older sounds and new including in some hever and less hever tracks make the album equal and perfect as it mixes up tracks were mike sings more and some were chester does to me i like it when both chester and mike have a track each but they both sing a small verse on each also sorry this is my first review ive ever done sorry if it isnt great
not dissing on you, I was just wondering what makes an album get a 10/10 for you when not all songs are 10/10?
Made a short review in the leak thread. Will post the review I put on LPL the other day that is my updated review. I want to express my opinions on LT. LT brings everything they have done before, plus adds new sounds. It is truely an awesome album. It has the best LP lyrics imo, and has some of the best vocals and sounds from LP ever. My ratings: Lost in the Echo- 10/10 In My Remains- 10/10 Burn it Down- 10/10 Lies Greed Misery- 10/10 I'll Be Gone- 10/10. Sounds like DBS done right. Castle of Glass- 10/10 Victimized- 10/10 Roads Untraveled- 10/10 Skin to Bone- 10/10 Until it Breaks- this song confuses me. Why combine four demos? WHY? Take Chester's part and expand it and keep Brad's part and you got an amazing song. Brad's part is the best part of the song. Get rid of Mike completely. His rap frick, the only thing on the whole cd I don't like. It's so hard to rate this because I am so conflicted. I guess My rating for Until it Breaks: 8/10 (I used to say 9/10.) Tinfoil: 9/10. Not as good as Session. Powerless: 10/10 Well you may think I am overrating the songs, but this is legitely the 2nd best album I have ever heard (after Swoon by Silversun Pickups, the only album I have ever given a perfect score to.) Amazing. Overall album: 9.9/10 Songs from favorite to least favorite: Castle of Glass Lost in the Echo Skin to Bone Lies Greed Misery Roads Untraveled In My Remains I'll Be Gone Victimized Powerless Burn it Down Tinfoil Until It Breaks Favorite LP albums: 1. Living Things 2. Meteora 3. Minutes to Midnight=Hybrid Theory 4. A Thousand Suns
I think Mike's verses in UIB are the best parts of the song. The bass, the beat, the interesting wordplay. Chester's part is weak IMO and comes completely from left field, but that kind of makes it more endearing in a way. I really can't see how his part could be expanded into something more interesting. Brad's part reminds me of that Thrice song off of Beggars, where the bassist (I think) starts singing some poetic line towards the end/climax of the song. "talking through glass/we move like swing sets" I think it's called. UIB is great BECAUSE of the spliced nature of it. I think it takes a lot of talent to make something like this work.
Yes, it takes talent, but to me it doesn't work. the transitions from mike's raps to Chester and Chester to mike sound awkward to me. It's not an awful song, but it's definitely my least favorite
Excellent review and very much along the lines of what I would write were I to put in the effort. The only place I really disagree is on In My Remains... which is likely my least liked track on the album. The lyrics are far too cringe-worthy and it feels like the one real step back for the band. Outside of that, I think my score would be the same as yours, give or take a few .01s.
I love it. I mean there are a couple songs that disappointed me. Like for instance, I expected more from Castle of Glass. Also I thought Skin To Bone was too repetitive. And I loved the song Victimized but it wasn't long enough! D: BUT! Overall I love it. I don't know if I love it more than A Thousand Suns, but I loved this album immediately unlike ATS and MTM.
Heres my Opinions on some of the songs Lost In the echo-One of the best songs on this wonderful album,it appeals to the new fans and the old fans its got everything,rap,Chesters raging scream,an awsome guitar riff and some badass beats Powerless-Personally one of my favourites, its beautiful thats all that i can say Castle of Glass-WOW! another amazing one, its hard to describe the genre of this one, alternative? folk rock? Victimized-This song is very short, but pretty badass , i would like to hear a longer version of this In My Remains- ''Like an army falling one by one by one'' best lyric is right there, another personal favourite of mine
Alright, here's a review from me. Although I've listened to the album for about 6 times now, I'll be listening to each song as I review it. Everything I say is in my opinion. 01. LOST IN THE ECHO It left me disappointed at first, because everyone was going like it's the best Linkin Park song ever, which, to me, it isn't. But listening to it without thinking about others said, I got to realise it's a great song, really. Musically and lyrically, it's very well done. In Mike's voice, you can hear the excitement that we normally only get to hear in a live show, and Chester delivers the chorus on top of heavy guitars, excellent drumming and epic, atmospheric electronics. At the end of the song, you can feel the emotion in Chester's voice, singing "This time I finally let you go", his chants being echoed by screams. 9.5/10 02. IN MY REMAINS The highlight of this song, among others, is the melody of the verses, with the background consisting of soft piano and swirling electronics. The chorus is just amazing. When I first heard the bridge, I couldn't believe how deep Mike's voice was. Chester joins him singing "Like an army falling, one by one by one", his soft tenor contrasting Mike's harmonies. Chester then continues to an epic ending of the track. After the final chorus, Mike ends the song silently repeating the chant. 10/10 03. BURN IT DOWN First of all, I don't think Burn It Down is by any means similar to In My Remains. The intro is meant to pump up the listener. Chester then starts his melodic verse, with Rob rocking electro drums in the background. Although simplistic, the chorus is the biggest on the record. After the "everything is fucked up" verse, the chorus is interrupted by Mike's confident rapping. The song ends after a vocal interplay, which has Chester repeating his, and Mike his last line, and some more rocking electronics and trembling guitars. 8.5/10 04. LIES GREED MISERY YAY! FUCK YOU! I couldn't be more excited when I heard it on the radio premiere. This song is even more ridiculous now that I know Chester was sick when he recorded the vocals to it. This is a compact little happy motherfucker that will confuse anyone. The beat is fast and everything's here: rapping, singing, screaming. Wait, I forgot something... oh, yeah... YOU DID IT TO YOURSEEELF!! 8/10 05. I'LL BE GONE I was also disappointed by this track at first hearing. But, already the second time, I was singing along to it, wondering what was wrong with me. Starting of with a heavy, electronic sound which reminds me of an uncomfortable feeling in your soul, the intro rises from the ashes into a "what have I done" monster of already traditional heavy guitars, electronics and drums. Chester sings "Like shining oil, this night is dripping down", his vocals immediately reminding of his work with Dead by Sunrise. He continues his verse, the lyrics getting along with the uncomfortable sound - "I'm trying not to think what I'm leaving now", as if he's feeling down because of the unsolveable problems, not wanting to face them. But - "no deceiving now". Really the best word to describe the chorus is poetic, and once again - big. The second verse has more layers than the first, the strings being more prominent, and the wonders of nature dragging the thoughts of whoever Chester is singing about away from the problems, but Chaz isn't forgetting - "it's time you finally let me go". The guitars kick in along with the second chorus, which fades into the bridge in which Chester shows there is still a bit of hope left. And the chorus repeats: When the lights go out and we open our eyes, out there in the silence, I'll be gone. Let the sun fade out and another one rise, climbing through tomorrow, I'll be gone. I'll be gone. 10/10 06. CASTLE OF GLASS This song was a gigantic surprise. It's a very weird song, expecially if you take into consideration that this is Linkin Park. The folk influence is here - it's obvious, and it's tasty. Castle of Glass is the beggining of the experimental part of the album - hell if isn't perfect for that. I LOVE IT. 10/10 07. VICTIMIZED Mike's tweet: VICTMIZED. Rob KILLED this song. And holy crap he did. Those drums are sick. They pump up the listener, giving the song a heavy metal feel. After a mysterious speech, Mike sings a quiet verse, while Rob is eagerly hitting those drums. The chorus comes, BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM VICTIMIZED VICTIMIZED NEVER AGAIN VICTIMIZED VICTIMIZED VICTIMIZED NEVER AGAIN VICTIMIZEEEEEED the frenzy continues with Mike rapping a fast verse, and Chester screaming the chorus again, screaming over the crazy beats - and the hard hitting guitars and rolling drums bring the song to a loud end. Is this the heaviest Linkin Park song ever? Yes. People feel like it isn't just because it's short. 10/10 08. ROADS UNTRAVELED After the hardest song, comes the softest song on the record. Although I knew there were gonna be jinglebells sheldon, they still left me polarised. Mike starts his verse over them, the soft piano and the occasional bass drum beat. I'm not gonna philosophize much about this one - it's one of the most beautiful Linkin Park songs ever and one of my favorites on the album. Roads Untraveled was also the title I was curious about the most. Woawoawoouaoh. 10/10 09. SKIN TO BONE I don't know what to say about this one. For sure, it's the weirdest song on the record. Although Mike's and Chester's vocals are at their best, I can't really figure out what the song is about. This is one of the most experimental songs Linkin Park has made, if not the most experimental LP song. Overall, I like it and I may just feel like listening to it sometime. 8/10 10. UNTIL IT BREAKS Oh yeah. Mike's rapping is just full of swagger here. After two verses that are just distorted Mike Shinoda and ambient, heavy electronic bea... Give me the strenght of the rising sun; give me the truth of the words unsung, sings Chester. This sudden change just made me laugh the first time. Not to mention Chester's vocals are amazing. Then we go back to Mike, who delivers his Apaches verse, just badass. He creeps hard on impastahs. Then comes another sudden change - the atmosphere changes to a light, optimistic tone - and Brad himself, head to toe, lungs to mouth, sings his verse. I've been waiting for ages to hear someone else singing in a Linkin Park song, and here I go. 10/10 11. TINFOIL Tinfoil brings back the vibe of Ambient, Cure for the Itch and Session, with a fresh synth and atmospheric piano, before its end segues into the beginning of Powerless. 10/10 12. POWERLESS Over the undeniably amazing sound segued from Tinfoil, comes Chester's clear, flawless voice: You hid your skeletons when I had shown you mine. You woke the devil that I thought you'd left behind. The chorus is quiet, but you know, immediately: later in the song, it will be repeated epicly. After the second verse, in which Chester expresses his disappointment over the person, that is exactly what happens, as drums are added to the mix, and the piano becomes faster. With the addition of guitars, Powerless becomes an epic, cinematic closure to the record. 10/10 Overall rating: 10/10 Objective ranking: LT = ATS > MTM > HT > M Subjective ranking: MTM > LT = ATS > M > HT ^that's one big post
I think if Chester's part was expanded it wouldn't be as weak as it was. Hell I'm sure gang vocals, instead of the part where Brad sings, would make the song better. I think that if Chester's wasn't as normal, and tried a different vocal it would've been better. His part isn't weak on it's own, but his when compared to the rest of the song.