The World Tour is heading back to California this week for the official review on the new Linkin Park album - A Thousand Suns. Their fourth studio album, A Thousand Suns sees Linkin Park truly depart from their trademark Nu-Metal sound heard on their multi-platinum albums Hybrid Theory and Meteora. For their third release, Minutes to Midnight, they changed the formula a bit, branching into more of a mainstream rock sound. That album has worked as a sort of bridge-piece for their latest effort.
On A Thousand Suns Linkin Park have completely ditched their usual methods of song writing and structure. In fact, they seem to have abandoned any kind of traditional structure.
This album is a band claiming that they want to make the album they want to make, not what their label wants them to make. They want to experiment new sounds and styles. I do, to a certain degree, believe them and I think it's pretty inspiring. However, when you're Linkin Park I'm not sure how true that statement can be.
But they've certainly taken a gamble on A Thousand Suns, and while the music may still have that catchy, radio friendly pop-rock edge to it, the band have gone to great lengths to support the message they are trying to put across. In several interviews I've seen they have basically said that if their fans don't like it they should just go and listen to something else. It's one thing to believe in your art, but it's another to actively push out your fan-base - something that Linkin Park are known to be very supportive of.
On to the music then. A Thousand Suns opens with the first of many instrumental/interlude type tracks. The Requiem is a very ambient piece, with a female voice singing a lyric later heard in lead single The Catalyst.
God save us everyone
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
for the sins of our hand
the sins of our tongue
the sins of our Fathers
the sins of our young?
Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns
for the sins of our hand
the sins of our tongue
the sins of our Fathers
the sins of our young?
The Radiance follows, and is just an electronic noise layered beneath a famous J. Robert Oppenheimer speech, where the concept forthe album actually came from. Although if my research is correct, the words actually come from a sacred Hindu scripture 'Bhagavad Gita'. It's a nice way to set up the album, nonetheless, and we are then graced with our first actual song, Burning in the Skies. It's a decent song, with some great vocals from both Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda. It also seems to be one of the only songs with noticable guitarwork in it.
Speaking of songs, there are actually only 9 on the album, if we take out the interludes. However, that's not the really the point, as you can tell after multiple listenings that the only way to truly gain anything from A Thousand Suns is to listen to it fully. It's a masterfully composed and produced piece of art, something that the band should be proud of, especially considering Shinoda co-produced it, even though many of their fans are still calling out for a return to Hybrid Theory-esque rap-rock.
It's tough, because while they are changing sound and direction, they are sticking to their roots, and you can find plenty of decent rap sections here, such as in the next track When They Come for Me. It's no Place for my Head, but it's a great tune, and fits in great on the album. About two thirds in, it then switches into a melodic section, where Chester takes over the vocal duties.
After some unusual eastern-sounding vocals and beats, we then move into Robot Boy. Every time it comes on I think they're next in line to cover Don't Stop Believin', but thankfully that isn't the case. It's actually not the best song I've ever heard. It's a slow-starter, with a pretty basic lyrical flow, with a pretty standard vocal performance. When the music shifts at three minutes though, there are some pretty strong background vocals from Chester, which have been layered beneath the beat which, for me, really make the song. It adds more depth, and in a live setting could work nicely as Mike joins in lead vocals at this point. Mike and Chester are actually a great duo, vocally, and I don't know why they don't sing together more often. In previous albums they've tended to either take a song to themselves or have Chester sing while Mike raps. In A Thousand Suns, we see their voices supporting one another and it sounds great.
Jornada Del Muerto bridges the gap between the previous track and Waiting for the End, one of my favourites from the album. Mike takes an unusual approach to his rap-section, going for some kind of carribbean style rythm. Chester then performs a great vocal, which out of the album's context does sound pretty emotional, like much of their old material. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Mike comes back in at the three minute mark and Chester takes the background. The song sounds great, and I believe it's due to be the next single.
Blackout is a real headtrip. There's this crazy, techno beat. Like the sort of thing you'd hear in an 80's arcade game. Over the top is a shouted vocal section from Chester. Then at two-minutes it goes crazy, and it sounds like a remix (which annoys me). Then at three minues things slow down, and Mike takes over on vocals, which builds up into a duet between the two.
Next up is Wretches and Kings which for me marks the beginning of the point where the album became great. Opening with Mario Savio's 'Bodies upon the gears' speech (which I'm not going to pretend to have heard before) it then breaks into a great electronic beat. It sounds huge, and since I first heard it I've been dying to see it in an arena. It has a great rap section from Mike, and then a crazy chrous from Chester, continuing with this carribbean-sounding theme I noticed earlier.
Then we go into Wisdom, Justice and Love. In a way, it's one of my favourite parts of the record. It's just a sample of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, on top of a really basic piano melody. As it goes on, a static takes over and eventually we're left with a deep, moving and almost robotic voice, looping the last line;
Speaking of songs, there are actually only 9 on the album, if we take out the interludes. However, that's not the really the point, as you can tell after multiple listenings that the only way to truly gain anything from A Thousand Suns is to listen to it fully. It's a masterfully composed and produced piece of art, something that the band should be proud of, especially considering Shinoda co-produced it, even though many of their fans are still calling out for a return to Hybrid Theory-esque rap-rock.
It's tough, because while they are changing sound and direction, they are sticking to their roots, and you can find plenty of decent rap sections here, such as in the next track When They Come for Me. It's no Place for my Head, but it's a great tune, and fits in great on the album. About two thirds in, it then switches into a melodic section, where Chester takes over the vocal duties.
After some unusual eastern-sounding vocals and beats, we then move into Robot Boy. Every time it comes on I think they're next in line to cover Don't Stop Believin', but thankfully that isn't the case. It's actually not the best song I've ever heard. It's a slow-starter, with a pretty basic lyrical flow, with a pretty standard vocal performance. When the music shifts at three minutes though, there are some pretty strong background vocals from Chester, which have been layered beneath the beat which, for me, really make the song. It adds more depth, and in a live setting could work nicely as Mike joins in lead vocals at this point. Mike and Chester are actually a great duo, vocally, and I don't know why they don't sing together more often. In previous albums they've tended to either take a song to themselves or have Chester sing while Mike raps. In A Thousand Suns, we see their voices supporting one another and it sounds great.
Jornada Del Muerto bridges the gap between the previous track and Waiting for the End, one of my favourites from the album. Mike takes an unusual approach to his rap-section, going for some kind of carribbean style rythm. Chester then performs a great vocal, which out of the album's context does sound pretty emotional, like much of their old material. I'm not sure if that's good or bad. Mike comes back in at the three minute mark and Chester takes the background. The song sounds great, and I believe it's due to be the next single.
Blackout is a real headtrip. There's this crazy, techno beat. Like the sort of thing you'd hear in an 80's arcade game. Over the top is a shouted vocal section from Chester. Then at two-minutes it goes crazy, and it sounds like a remix (which annoys me). Then at three minues things slow down, and Mike takes over on vocals, which builds up into a duet between the two.
Next up is Wretches and Kings which for me marks the beginning of the point where the album became great. Opening with Mario Savio's 'Bodies upon the gears' speech (which I'm not going to pretend to have heard before) it then breaks into a great electronic beat. It sounds huge, and since I first heard it I've been dying to see it in an arena. It has a great rap section from Mike, and then a crazy chrous from Chester, continuing with this carribbean-sounding theme I noticed earlier.
Then we go into Wisdom, Justice and Love. In a way, it's one of my favourite parts of the record. It's just a sample of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech, on top of a really basic piano melody. As it goes on, a static takes over and eventually we're left with a deep, moving and almost robotic voice, looping the last line;
Cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love.
It's powerful stuff, which leads into the calming Irridescent. Mike sings the intro to the song, and it's almost beautiful. It's got to be number one contender for the third single.
The track provides some really powerful imagery for me, and I think it's the most important song on the album. It builds up towards the end, and it's the perfect example of how Linkin Park have grown into great song writers. Listen to it against a track like One Step Closer. Though it's a classic hit for them, it's a poor song and sounds embarrassing against new ones like this.
Fallout is the final interlude. It's an electronic voice, and it's a callback to the chorus of Burning in the Skies. It builds into The Catalyst. Now, The Catalyst was the first taste the world got of this new-sound Linkin Park, and the reaction was pretty poor. I sort of think that's fair enough. But in context, this song is huge. The first time I listened to the album I think I actually got chills at this point. The song demonstrates Linkin Park at their finest. It shows that they know how to write a song. It builds and builds, with some huge, awesome electronic sounds and melodies. Then about halfway it crashes into this piano-driven section.
Lift me up. Let me go.
It's powerful stuff, which leads into the calming Irridescent. Mike sings the intro to the song, and it's almost beautiful. It's got to be number one contender for the third single.
The track provides some really powerful imagery for me, and I think it's the most important song on the album. It builds up towards the end, and it's the perfect example of how Linkin Park have grown into great song writers. Listen to it against a track like One Step Closer. Though it's a classic hit for them, it's a poor song and sounds embarrassing against new ones like this.
Fallout is the final interlude. It's an electronic voice, and it's a callback to the chorus of Burning in the Skies. It builds into The Catalyst. Now, The Catalyst was the first taste the world got of this new-sound Linkin Park, and the reaction was pretty poor. I sort of think that's fair enough. But in context, this song is huge. The first time I listened to the album I think I actually got chills at this point. The song demonstrates Linkin Park at their finest. It shows that they know how to write a song. It builds and builds, with some huge, awesome electronic sounds and melodies. Then about halfway it crashes into this piano-driven section.
Lift me up. Let me go.
They build again from here, with Chester's soaring vocals carrying the track through to it's departure. It feels like the end of the album, and it works great.
The real closer of the album comes from The Messenger, however. Just an acoustic guitar and a really powerful vocal from Chester. It's a beautiful final moment.
The real closer of the album comes from The Messenger, however. Just an acoustic guitar and a really powerful vocal from Chester. It's a beautiful final moment.
When life leaves us blind, love keeps us kind.
This is, undoubtedly, the best thing Linkin Park have ever done. Is it perfect? Not quite, but it's certainly one of the best albums this year. It sure as hell didn't deserve to be beaten to number one by The Script. 4.5/5
