Staying within the kind of sound they put out in OML would be a good option considering the overall quality of the album, even though for me it had some flaws in songs like Heavy, BS or Good Goodbye, but I also like the fact that they change their sound with every new album, so I'd be pleased with anything they put out as long as it is true to LP as band and along the lines of what Chester would have wanted. I agree that Chester had the voice which made many people like LP, but I hope those people won't turn their backs away from the band because Mike is a good singer as well and more versatile as an artist as he can play the guitar, the piano, sing, rap and produce the albums in the studio. What concerns me the most is whether they will be able to perform older songs without Chester and I fear the answer to this question is no.
That was good to read. And who knows, maybe they will continue with Mike, Joe, Rob, Brad and Phoenix and when there is music where they have the feeling something is missing they will do it like on the last albums: with a guest.
Every road to recovery starts at the break down. LP's post gave me a lot of hope for their future which is honestly much more than I could have ever asked of them in this tragic time. Them planning a big public and official tribute for Chester is great.
I actually would love if Phoenix would think of contributing vocals. The video of him jokingly singing Pushing Me Away, his contributions on Reanimation, and the live version of TLTGYA shows how talented Dave is
That's true, and iirc the whole band provided vocals for "Iridescent". Plus, Brad has vocals in "Until It Breaks". Mike's not the only one of the 5 that can provide vocals if needed.
Wanted to check back in and say I'm thrilled to see this. The last few weeks have been manageable, but there are definitely times when the sadness comes flooding back in (watching live performances I find infinitely harder than listening to the songs themselves). I'm proud of everything this band achieved, and anything else they continue to strive for. In whatever form those five men decide to pay homage to their friend, I'll most likely be balling my mother fucking eyes out. I'm excited to watch and be a part of that, though.
to me LP is still LP if Mike, Brad, Dave,Joe and Rob still in the band. yeah, people always forget that Mike Shinoda is the brain of LP, he will find a way how to make LP a complete band again. plus, his singing is getting better and they can use playbacks for Chester's part. in Mike and LP i trust.
I'm glad they have the strength to put this together. It's gonna be emotional but I'm sure it's also gonna be a great tribute to an amazing person by some of the people who knew him best. As for the future I will support whatever they do, I love everything they've put out so far and I trust them to know the right way to continue in a way that will honor Chester's legacy and keep the band relevant and close to it's fans. They are great guys who deserve to continue to have happiness and success.
The only reason continuing as a five piece could work for the band is because Mike already held such an integral part in the band's creativity (he contributed a lot to ATS while Chester was touring with Dead By Sunrise), and Mike is a pretty competent vocalist. It would have been different if Chester was the sole creative force in the band and the only one who had singing abilities. Yes, LP will never completely sound the same (Chester's voice/'instrument' was very unique!) but I'm very confident that the remaining members of the band will still be able to create music that we can be proud of as fans. And as much as it'll hurt knowing such a key piece of the band is gone, I will still buy and support any music they may choose to make from here on out. Because they're great guys and deserve a chance to have a future. Remember, as hard as it is for us to imagine a Linkin Park record without Chester...it's a million times harder for the band themselves. A creative and talented voice in the room is gone. Chester's input will no longer exist in band meetings and I can't imagine how awful that must feel for them.
I have a lot of faith and respect for Mike. I know he'll find a way to make it all work out. Just when I think I've seen it all from him, he finds another way to surprise me.
Yeah i highly doubt that. Mike knows that alot of fans hated OML. I still hate that album with a passion and it has nothing to do with Chester at all. I think there will be a lot of more hip hop in LP going forward. Mike always said he never wanted to go full hip hop on LP because it didnt fit well with what LP were doing and that was what FM was for but i think thats gonna change. Or if Mike sings and raps i can see something similar to Hands held high or No roads left.
This won't have (and never has had) any bearing on what the band decides their next record will sound like. Certain fans have 'hated' the sounds of LP albums since the band abandoned their nu-metal sound. The band never used that hatred to influence what the followup album would sound like before, so why would they start now?
That's true and I guess they will do something no one is expecting for once again because that's what they've always done after Meteora and that has worked well in my opinion. None of their albums is a bad one, just one or two are a bit less consistent, but still good. Anyway, I still think many post-Meteora songs are very underrated.
I think Heavy and All For Nothing are great examples of what the future could hold. Mike + guest vocalists to complete songs are what I expect to be the most likely. There's tons of EDM artists who thrive off of guest vocalists. I know LP is a rock band, but with how much they branch out and how they respect all genres of music, I could totally see future work being Mike with lots of guests. Plus, I don't think they write with thoughts of "Can we do this, if we can't pull it off live?". They'll make whatever they want with whoever they want, and live shows will be a whole different story. No matter what they do or what they call themselves, I'll be checking it out.