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Biggiee2180@aol.com

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Everything posted by Biggiee2180@aol.com

  1. Well that was... expected. Looking like APFMH & POA tomorrow
  2. I'm will to bet money that Mike will fill the space up with a Fort Minor set. I haven't seen much of this tour, but it's pretty much unanimous that Chester's voice just couldn't take the abuse. With all the new & random FM shirts Mike has been wearing on tour I think he should gonna surprise the fans with a mini set. Hell, he could do that the 2nd night, and maybe the first night they'll extend set a couple of songs. I don't see them doing anything crazy or that shocking
  3. I tried to stay optimistic as LP slowly rolled out what seemed like the entire album, song by song, leading up to today. Given how much LP has truly shaped me musically and as a person, and how much I've loved EVERY album they've released so far, I was secretly holding out hope that the entire album listening experience would magically alture my opinion for the better. Sadly, it's just not happening. As I'm writing this, I'm just starting my 3rd full run through of the album, and my initial opinions of the potential for the album that we're based off of the songs released prior today are slowly cementing. 1) Nobody Can Save Me suffers from a couple pop cliches; high pitched sampled voices (at least they sound like voices, maybe an instrument?), snapping fingers, clapping. Positives are Chester's singing & sync/keyboard melody throughout the song. Like the guitar layered throughout as well. Can't believe this Adam's favorite LP song ever haha. The song is average. Don't love it, or hate it. Seems like it could have fit back in the MTM/ATS days, and with LPU 9 & 10 demos. 2) I never thought I could ever actually "hate" an LP song, but Good Goodbye just may be the first. Chester's performance just comes off as a typical hook of your everyday rap song featuring a singer on the choruses. Cliche & unoriginal (I'm sure I'll butcher this word by the end of this review, if I haven't already prior to this). Mike delivers a solid verse to start things off, but it just goes down hill from there. Pusha-T's (who I had never heard of prior to this song) wasn't bad, but if you're gonna feature someone vocally on an album track (only the 3rd time ever for LP's studio releases) you'd think they would have delivered more. If not, just have Mike write something better. Apparently he did on the live version? I haven't heard it, because I cannot stand this song so much I refuse to watch it live. Stormzy (another one I hadn't heard of) was just awful. He just felt so wrong and forced into this track. What annoyed me the most? Him mentioning LP in the verse. Typical of rappers I know, but mentioning Linkin Park on a LINKIN PARK album just takes me out of the listening experience a bit. And don't get me started on that fucking chipmunk voice! 3) Talking To Myself surprised me quite a bit. The samples organ felt very natural for the sound of LP, without going too poppy. Mark made a great observation of Brad really being present on this album with his guitar, but not in his usual "loud" fashion. That's very evident on this song, and it works. I also appreciated the bridge & breakdown of the track not repeating th vocals and changing the mood up a bit. All in all, very satiafied with this one. 4) The same can't be said about Battle Symphany. This song was about 10 years too late for being considered a quality LP track. They've done the ballads. They've done the catchy choruses & samples. With this one, it seems like they just recycled the same old shit & threw some military drums in the mix. Nothing about this song screams originality or challenging. Lyrics are forgettable, along with the rest of the song. 5) Invisible is another one that suffers from poor music & song writing. More military drums?!? TWO songs in a row? Come on, at least try to make it seem like you're trying. Only redeemable part of the song for me is Mike's singing, which I always enjoy, except for In Between haha. Lyrics have a great meaning, but they're painfully simple & repetitive. Not bad, but definitely not 2nd single worthy. 6) Now what is there to be said about Heavy that hasn't been said already? Chester sounds awful (yet amazing live, what gives?), but I HAVE to chalk that up to maybe the band wanting to make him sound strained for the purpose of the song. Otherwise, why not a better vocal take? This one is the biggest "pop" song on the record, hands down. The music sounds like it was put together on a drum machine and keyboard, with a little Brad layering thrown in. Kiiara is by far the best part of this song, which I feel is the problem. It sounds like one of her songs featuring Chester, and not the other way around. 6 songs in, and it feels like Joe, Dave & Rob just phoned it in, sadly. Not their fault, but this album makes mefeel like they only recorded their parts just to be included. 7) So I read in early album reviews that Sorry For Now had LP channeling their inner Owl City, but I had no idea they were actually featured on the track?!? I kid, but sadly I kind of don't. Anyway. Another solid vocal performance by Mike. I really liked the "fuck you, deal with it" undertone of the lyrics. Yes, I know he's talking to his family and not actually telling them to fuck off, but you get the vibe that he's telling them they're not in his shoes and couldn't truly understand what he's doing until they did. I hated that they buried his vocals in the final chorus. Seems like he really put some power behind his voice there and it drowned under the musical noise and Chester's backing vocals. This song is catchy, but that isn't always a good thing. The crazy electronic breakdown scattered throughout the song threw me for quite the loop. Different? Yeah, but being different for the sake of being different doesn't always work. I feel like my opinion of this song will change with more listens. 8) Now comes the other contender for worst song LP has ever written. Halfway Right suffers from just about every cliche known to man. Forgettable beat and rhythm, cheesy melody, poorly written lyrics. The "woooohhhs" and "na na na nas" were the icing on the cake. If one positive thing could be said about the album up until this point, they all "sound" like Linkin Park. Hell, even Heavy can pass on a good day. This turd of a song doesn't even sound like LP. Feel like they copy and pasted Chester's vocals over a sample drum beat from a Casio keyboard. The first time I heard this song I wanted to punch a wall. That doesn't happen often when I listen to music. 9) One More Light (more appropriately The Only Light) is the one song on this album that doesn't feel like it's forcing a sound down your throat or trying to sound like something that's already been done a thousand times. It's a truly beautiful song, with a heart wrenching message. Anyone who has lost someone important to them (I, losing my father 2 years go) and felt that bottomless pit of grief can't help but feel that tightness in your chest when you listen to this song. It opens your eyes to the reality of how small our world really is, and at the same time how big of a hole left behind when that one light finally goes out. 10) I always thought The Messenger would go down as the worst album closer LP would ever release, but damn did Sharp edges prove me wrong. What ISN'T wrong about this song? Someone compared this song to having a country vibe, but I see it more as folk music. This song goes absolutely no where in a hurry. The lyrics are so bad when I first heard this I fought the urge to throw my Bose headphones across the room. This song belonged at a campfire, not closing a Linkin Park album. I honestly think this song has more of a place on Mmm Cookies Vol 2 than on an actual studio release. When it was all said and done, I truly was disappointed with One More Light. There are a couple bright spots, but for the most part I felt like I was picking apart the songs in an attempt to find just pieces of them that I enjoyed, which is a horrible way to appreciate a song. One More Light suffers from two problems, where all of their previous albums suffered from one or the other. The album doesn't benefit from listening to it from beginning to end, like you would A Tnousand Suns or Minutes To Midnight. Those albums truly excelled as a single musical endeavor. It feels like a bunch of scattered songs on shuffle. The other problem is the album doesn't hold up as a collection of songs either. It doesn't have enough standout songs to warrant a comparison to their previous works that had stellar songs but maybe had some fillers and didn't flow like a complete album. Highlights are Talking To Myself, Sorry For Now and One More Light, if I'm reaching for a top 3. Shit list are Good Goodbye, Halfway Right and Sharp Edges. The ones in between have a better chance of falling towards the bottom, but that could change with more listens. All in all, it truly is disappointing to wait nearly 3 years for a record from your favorite band, only to be let down like this. The tour doesn't bring the excitement and incentive to see new music live, and since they're unlikely to bring back quality jams, it depresses more knowing we probably have another 3 year wait ahead of us...
  4. Well, considering the quality of the songs, are we even sure we want 13-14 tracks? Let alone 20? Haha
  5. Invisible, like I've stated with every song officially released so far, is just weak. Lyrics are cheesy & cliche. The music just feels empty and lacks that "umph" that they usually have. The overall rhythm & melody just sounds like any generic pop structured song that you can find anywhere. Only bright spot is Mike's singing, which I always enjoy. I'm all for the band broadening their musical horizons, but damn at least do something original. This particular style may be new to them, but it's by no means genre breaking. Whether it's the co-writers, producers or the band just misfiring, this album is just setting up to disappoint.
  6. Horrible. Just painful swift. Where to even begin... First off, the song is very boring. I'd compare it to In Between (sadly) for being a song that just starts and goes no where. Kiiara actually sounds great, but it feels like she takes over through the choruses and I just don't like it. I can handle when the band lays back on the heavy guitars and drums, cause some of their best songs have done that. This, unfortunately, just isn't one of them. This is purely a pop song, both on structure and all around cheesiness. I'm the last person to discourage LP exploring new sounds & boundaries, especially after loving ALL of their albums, but this single really dampers my expectations for the album. And another 10 track album? Seriously? They couldn't bang out a couple more? And are they gonna release half of them before the album even drops like they did with The Hunting Party? Ugh, I'm so bummed right now. Never thought I'd be one of those fans talking negatively about the band, but damn did this song just kill my mood and excitement for what's to come. I'll give it more listens obviously, but I'm not feeling optimistic
  7. They'll more than likely post videos of the one where they collated with the featured artists on the album. All For Nothinf, Guilty All The Same, Rebellion, Drawbar and such
  8. What's sad is the ballad medley got more reaction from the crowd than any of their newer songs. Lack of radio air play for heavier songs is really hurting them
  9. I meant bring either of them down from the main set into the encore. Not drop them completely. That would be a crime in itself. And yes, drop Given Up. It's had it's time and it just doesn't live up to its quality live anymore
  10. In my opinion, they should just make a few changes, including th shortened songs. They should just drop Given Up, and New Divide, even if they're just portions. Chester can't do them justice live anymore, and they're just played out. And play the original Castle of Glass, which is WAY better than the RECHARGED version. If there's any songs that should be shortened, keep Burn It Down for that. Song is terrible live from all angles and it would put way less stress on Chester. And to make things interesting, instead of a Solo Medley for Joe, make it one big band jam, throwing a bunch of different parts from other songs into one joint jam. AND WHY ARE THEY SHORTENING UNTIL IT'S GONE?!?!? It's arguably the most attention radio-wise THP has gotten since it's release so shortening it makes no sense. And the encore has to be heavier. Bring BIO or WID back into the main set and drop Faint or OSC for the encore. Hell, being the new LFY mix into the encore
  11. Can't believe this means Camden is getting Set A on Friday. I don't think I've ever been bummed about going to an LP show before. This sucks
  12. Anyone else wondering why With You was played in full, AND a portion of it with Until It's Gone?
  13. Am I the only one who doesn't believe that 30 Seconds To Mars have been putting on a good show?
  14. If this is the set we'll see in Camden, it'll go down as the worst show I've ever seen from them, and that's disappointing. Chester and Mike could sound perfect but the sheer laziness, lack of creativity and clear punch to fans' faces completely outweighs thag slim possibility .
  15. Pretty lame set, if you ask me. Portions of songs have to stop. And ballad medley? Only reason I see that sticking around is to give the band a breather at the midpoint of the set.
  16. Can anybody point me to where the audio is at? I don't know where the audio section is on this site
  17. Whatever happen to the live video they were making? I'm surprised they're doing that, and releasing this music video. Unless I missed something?
  18. I got 3 full listens in and I'm holding off until either get the digital copy emailed to me or the hard copy arrives. This album really took me by surprise. Unfortunately with the last few albums I always set my expectations high and either was let down at first or needed a bit of time to let the albums marinate. I can honestly say that this album is the first album since Meteora where I couldn't find a weak link in the tracks, and that's saying something. Also the first album since Meteora where I loved the album on first listen. Now, here's my initial opinions on the tracks, based on 3 listens... 1) Keys To The Kingdom: Holy fuck does this song make a statement if the band has ever made one! Love Chester's distorted vocal effects and Rob's buildup, and I LOVE the pause before the heavy intro riff kicks in. Mike's singing parts are great, and based off the rest of the album he's really stepped up his game and appears to me more comfortable. His rap verse on this song is sick. The pace and rhythm really showcases his verbal abuse talent. The bridge in my opinion is the highlight of this song. Brad and Rob make their own statement that this band hasn't lost it's edge, if anything they've just amplified it tenfold. 2) All For Nothing: This song is an early favorite, and that's because of Page Hamilton. I am not the least bit familiar with Helmet, but after hearing this track I just may give them a chance. He completely nails that chorus, and with Chester (and Mike?) chanting in between his lines gives such an impressive energy that would really make this song kick ass live. Mike's verses are on point as well. His wordplay is amazing and it's a shame he's so underrated in the rap world cause he could pare up with the best in my opinion. The bridge in this song is probably my favorite on the album. Brad's solo that mimics the chorus melody is so '90s grunge-like that I actually didn't mind it all cause it just took me by surprise (Brad doing solos is gonna take a while to settle for me lol). 3) Guilty All The Same: Mike & Brad's conversation about the heavy shit leading into this song is just priceless, and is another reason why this song flows so much better on he album rather than an individual single. The intro is so bad ass, and once again Brad & Rob shine here. It took me a while for Rakim's verse to grow on me, but now I love it. His rhymes flow so well with the instruments and after hearing the radio single without his verse, I've learned to appreciate it even more cause the song just doesn't contend without it. And that outro? Holy shit is that sickening and Brad certainly is giving the middle finger to his Hybrid Theory/Meteora self. 4,5) The Summoning/War: I agreed with Astat on this pairing. The summoning should have opened the album and kicked right into War. Chester took the theory that they were limiting the screaming songs to one per album and threw that right out the window. The screaming chorus and later melodic/wailing later choruses really keep the surprises going from beginning to end on this song. The pause before the first chorus is epic. Reminded me of the pause the band would take before they kick in A Place For My Head. That guitar solo is pure sickness. Brad takes the energy already established in this song and just blows the roof off of it. This song, going into Keys To The Kingdom would have been heavenly, and made for the most badass opening of any of their albums. Regardless, this song shoots first and doesn't even bother asking questions later cause there's no one left to ask after their faces melted off. 6) Wastelands: For all the haters out there that cried for the "Old LP" to come back, you got your wish here. This is the closest they've come since MTM to sounding like their older material, and that's not a bad thing. Chester's raw vocals and Mike's wordplay are perfectly pitched here. At this point on the album, it's become clear to me that when Mike delivers amazing rhymes, he's not channeling his Fort Minor side. I think Fort Minor was him channeling his boiling-over-the-top LP rhymes and rhythm to the point where he had unleash that madness. The heavy bridge and Chester's breakdown are highlights of this song. All in all, the vocals and riffs are catchy, and this song seems like one I'll be jumping to live 7) Until It's Gone: Probably the weakest song on the album, but that's not a bad thing when you're up against the rest of the album. Instrumentally, this song is great. The organ/synchs and samples over the guitar and drums really hit you hard here. The vocal melody flows amazingly with the build up of the song, but sadly the lyrics are what bring this song down. Way too many repeating parts, and for a band that rarely fails at writing descent vocals, it's a shame. If they had added some variety like they did in the final chorus I think it would have salvaged the song. 8) Rebellion: If there was a song I regretted hearing before the album, it was this one. I honestly wish I didn't hear any song besides GATS cause this section of the album is awesome, and continues going with this one. Daron Malakian's presence is instantly and throughout, and really brings a thrashy/punk vibe to a very hard, yet melodic song. Easily my favorite performance of Mike singing here. He really steps up here and I can't wait to see this live. The shared harmonies between Chester and Mike during the pre-chorus and choruses really help deliver a powerful chorus. Both melodically and vocally. Chester letting off in the bridge on top of Daron's fast paced palm-muted riff is as punk as this band has ever gotten, and it's awesome. And I LOVE when Mike comes back solo leading into the final chorus! This song is not only in your face, but it's very catchy at the same time. 9) Mark The Graves: I will admit, this song was the one question mark for me on my initial listen. This is just all over the place, and I really didn't know what to make of it. The chorus I think is what had me scratching my head at first cause with all the build up I thought it was going to lead to a more intense chorus, instead of Mike & Chester just yelling throughout it. After a second listen, the whole structure of the song finally clicked for me and now I really like it. Chester & Mike's harmonies are really ambient and compliment each other very well. The guitar riff throughout almost reminded me of a Foo Fighters song at times lol. The solos really complimented the song as a whole, rather than just standing out, and I really liked that. 10) Drawbar: Like most, I was disappointed by the lack of Tom Morello being his usual self and wowing us with things on a guitar we never though possible. I feel like the band could have axed him as a collab and made an interlude just as fitting to be an intro to next track. Don't get me wrong, I liked how the piece was structured and how it flowed, but if TOM MORELLO is going to be on your album, I think he should have made his presence known. 11) Final Masquerade: Chester is firing on all cylinders on this one. As much as we all wanted aggressive and screaming Chester back, I always appreciated just how melodically powerful he is, and he shows it on this track. The drums and strings (synchs?) in the intro really set a very atmospheric mode, and completely punches you in the face after the first chorus. This song is proof that band can still deliver a lighter track while still kicking you teeth in with heavy drums and guitar. Brad's solo really helps continue the atmospheric experience, and when Chester matches that melody on the outro it really puts a fork in the song and delivers 12) A Line In The Sand: After all of the reviews and first listens made their way around about this song, I really had high hopes. After TLYGYA and The Catalyst (the song that should have closed ATS) I knew LP had it in them to make a really epic closing song that managed to sum up not only the tone of the album, but the band altogether, and they deliver in a big way here. Mike's vocals really set a drowning tone to start things off, and thought it was very poetic considering the "line in the sand" metaphor and how his tone makes it seem like things won't change. Then BOOM!!! They pull a 180 and deliver some of the best head banging riffs they have ever played (despite it sounding similar to GATS). I will say this, Chester's vocals was the only thing that kind of dampened this song for me. I wanted less aggression and a bit more melody from him, but given the nature of the song I've slowly come to grips with how the aggression fits better with the track. He highlight of the song for me, by far is Mike's "rap verse." I used quotes there cause it was more of a spoken verse rather than rap, and damn did that breakdown bring me back to Mike's bridge on By Myself. The guitar work and drums come to an epic climax with Chester unleashing all that angst. Love how the song comes full circle, with Mike's singing further solidifying the metaphor of A Line In The Sand. I've said it before and I'll say it again... THIS is the album I have been waiting for. The band hasn't impacted me this hard since Meteora, and with the directions they've been going the last decade, I didn't think that could be possible. All in all, fucking awesome record. Solid 9/10 for me. Cannot wait to see them destroy us all playing these songs live this summer
  19. I'm glad my first listen opinion of the album helped convince you to listen to it haha. Glad you enjoyed it
  20. I loved LT & ATS. Thankfully I wasn't one of those fans that completely jumped ship when they decided to expand and broaden their sonic landscape. But in terms of hitting you in the face with hard sound, this album did it and then some
  21. THIS... Is the album I've been waiting 7 years for. IMO, easily their best record since Minutes To Midnight. Damn, and that was off of ONE LISTEN!!! Can already tell this record is going to own me this summer. Right into seeing them perform it in Camden!!!
  22. Really anxious to hear. For those who have listened, is the quality good? Or is it worth waiting for the iTunes stream?
  23. Each of the songs are surprisingly powerful in their own unique way. I can't even imagine how hard this album will impact the listener from beginning to end
  24. Couldn't agree more about the lyrics. Not to mention the vocal melodies, and Mike singing! Think it's awesome
  25. Really not liking this. As much as I like Rebellion and Wastelands, I think they should have stopped at Until It's Gone. Think it takes away from the whole album experience. Especially since THP only has 10 full songs, so theoretically half the album will be heard before it's even released
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