I'm actually starting to like the album less except for the last two tracks. So much for it growing on me even more.
LP haven't lost the part of them that is aggressive and angry. That will always be there e.g. given up and no more sorrow. they probably went a tad over board with the ballady slow stuff but hey its their album and im sure they will do something heavier next time...but this is diverse album all the same and i love it
The album is good, but there are obviously some major changes in the music style. I was a little hesitant in buying it, after hearing What I've Done, and thinking it was OK. I picked it up, popped it in, and listened to Given Up. Given Up is a strong track, so I kept listening, then I went to Leave Out All the Rest. When it started, I knew it was very different, but I kept listening. It had good lyrics and was catchy. Bleed It Out was next, and it started. High energy and pure LP. I thought, YES, this is Linkin Park. They haven't forgotten. That energy carried me through the rest. I knew that it was different, but they hadn't forgotten their roots, and that was a very good thing. As long as they remember who they were, I'm okay with change.
I think it's one of the best albums ever made. Seriously, I really love this album. It completely blows Meteora out of the water, and it's just about as good as Hybrid Theory, because nothing can ever replace that album for me at least.
Just a warning. Real-time reactions to a 5th through listen. Chaos, reality, and weirdness ensues.... Wake * Kind of odd. I mean, was there a point? Really? Too simple for an intro, but I guess that was the point. I'm so used to Mr. Hahn's intros... Given Up **** F*cking love this song. Love the handclaps at the beginning. Catchy, fast, hard... quintessential good music. "Tell me what the fuck is wrong with me?!?!" Ahh.. I love it. Scream!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's something amazing about his ability to do that for... what... 35 seconds straight? Amazing... truely. Should be a single. Leave Out All the Rest *** Nice to hear Mr. Hahn. This song is THICK and slow. There's a lot going on you don't really notice until you pinpoint specific parts. Chester's voice is beautiful. Sad lyrics, but beautifully executed. Ends on an odd note, I think. Wondering, by now, where Mike is. Single. Bleed It Out **** YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hello, Mike! Fast... hell yeah. Handclaps again. "I bleed it out digging deeper just to throw it away." God, this song is ridiculous. Nice guitar. I don't really listen to Mike's lyrics, just his tone. It just works, man. There's nothing better to me than a song with both Chester and Mike in it. Priceless. Screams.. shit yeah. Single. Shadow of the Day **** Hmm... hello Hahn. Haha... I know the lyrics somewhat and sing them without thinking. Good sign. WONDERFULLY constructed chorus. Chester never ceases to amaze me lyrically. He can scream, but it's so so... smooth. Love it. Good beat... the hi-hat's nice. "And the sun will set for you..." Shit... strings? Well, well, well... not quite sure how I feel about those yet. This song's a single... most definitely. What I've Done **** I'm sure it's all been said before, but... it's finally here... the song that aounds like the OLD Linkin Park. The intro is industrial and just beautiful. "So let mercy come and wash away what I've done." Not a lot to say about this song other than it's great to listen to and sing with. Not too vocally challenging. No screaming... kind of a let down. Wish it was harder, but then it wouldn't have been universally accepted. The singing at the end is a little odd... I wish that wouldn't have been there. Just the industrial sound at the end would have been enough for me. Hands Held High **** Ahh yes... Kenji. Wait... nevermind. Nice drums. Yay Mike! Love these lyrics and love the enunciation and force Mike gives some of his words. This song is just... phenomenal. Amen... great harmony. Organ. It's about damn time someone talked about this shit. Mike can say it's not politically driven or whatever, but... to me it is. I want to express how happy I am Mike is singing lead in the end of this song. Thank you. Your voice is perfect for it. "With hands held high into the sky so blue as the ocean opens up to swallow you." I hope it's a single. No More Sorrow *** Handclaps... again! Kick ass, guys. The verses leave a bit to be desired, but the chorus is great. I don't think it's a great idea for a single. SCREAM! Hell, yeah!! "Your time has come to be replaced." Hell yeah it has. Valentine's Day * Bland beginning. As more instruments get involved, it gets better. *chuckles* Yay, Mr. Hahn. Monotonous vocals... build up to chorus.. right? Or... or not? No... the song just died... or at least it seems like it did. Where'd everyone go?? Okay, they're back... CHORUS! YAY... too bad it sucks. Worst song so far... I miss Mike... Yay... it's over. Single? No. In Between ** Yay Mike in LEAD! Too bad the lyrics suck. I'm happy he decided to sing lead, but... know when to ask for help hon. This album took a huge falloff there. WTF happened?? "Things I wanna say to you get lost before they come / the only thing that's worse than one is none." Okay... Hey, umm... how about verses that don't repeat themselves? Not a single. Yay... it's over. In Pieces ** MR. HAHN!!!!!!! Thank you, God. I hope this song rocks... it's about time. Not quite... well.... interesting. Yay for scratches! Too bad they were used in a song that didn't deserve them. The chorus is good, but the verses are basically non-existant. I don't think this song needed a guitar solo... I mean... didn't do any good. Why, with only a minute left, does the song get more interesting? Sounds like a 311 knockoff. Not a single. The Little Things Give You Away * Yay Mr. Hahn. Umm... acoustic? Okay. Acoustic's never been bad. Beautiful voice, Chester... Jesus... seriously. Nice chord changes. Split audio... nice touch. Strings again... still don't know how I feel about those things... I think they have their place, but... not in an LP song. Holy crap... what the hell is coming out of the left speaker? Does that hi-hat go with the beat or against it? That totally throws me off... Uhh... yeah, don't like that. Weird. Boring. Another solo.. nice. It's like they put the solos in the wrong songs or something... Doesn't matter how crappy the song is, Chester's voice makes everything better... even for a moment. Yay Mike! Sing it, buddy... acapella ending. Interesting way to end an album. Not a single. Overall verdict: About average, as albums go. I wish they would have balanced it out better. All the crappy songs were at the end, which was boring. I'll probably just stick the first 8 songs (minus Wake.) Not as good as Theory and Meteora. Even though it's completely different in lots of ways, I took that into consideration. It's just not up to par. 2.75/5
not all of the songs are nice, i hate "In between, In pieces", and most of these songs need more ROCK !, and need alotta scratches from MR hahn !
It's a shame how so many months into MTM being released and all I listen to is Given Up. LP's previous albums I could listen to continuously, they had so much energy which kept me coming back to them. This new album portrays a completly different band with a different approach, everyone seems to think thats a good direction to go in but I beg to differ.
I'm still enjoying it. I think a lot of the reason I'm getting so much out of it, is 'cos most of the guitar parts are fairly easy for me to play, but they're still enjoyable, so I do listen to it as I play a lot of the time. Still, solid album, No More Sorrow just keeps growing on me, and the lyrics in Leave Out All The Rest are still some of the most thought provoking LP's have ever been.
I still listen to it heaps. Mainly Given Up(favourite track), Bleed It Out, What I've Done(albeit overkill), No More Sorrow and The Little Things Give You Away. The last being a really meaningful song that I think if I were personally connected to hurricane katrina, AND I was a girl, I'd probably cry haha lol