arbiter

You're an idiot. The band cannot not sound like Linkin Park. Linkin Park will forever sound like themselves if the music is made by them. What you meant and should say is the band is trying hard for their new album not to sound like Hybrid Theory/Meteora. Because that is basically what you're saying.

I can't say i'm crazy about the autotune part of the album as i've never been a fan of that creation, especially in relation to Linkin Park as one of my favourite parts of the band's music is the raw vocals for my hearing pleasure as Mike & Chester's voice are a match made in heaven for me. But i can understand that it goes along with the effects they chose to incorporate for this album. I don't know where i stand currently on the whole Mike on lead vocals as Mike is very new to singing lead especially when he refused to perform the (for him) challenging No Roads left due to fear of not doing it justice. Chester has the higher range and versatility. I just hope Mike can carry the weight. The songs themselves besides the autotune sound fantastic. I am excited because i've been ready to move on with Linkin Park in this new direction since i first heard their songs. I love all the different sounds and ideas they've decided to take for this album. Its like they peaked into my pleasure jar and picked a bunch of stuff and mixed them together. I am more excited than dreading this album that's for sure. I don't put much stock in reviews like this because it is very impossible to truly capture everything on a first listen to give a detailed and accurate review for anyone to go on. So i'm just going to wait for the album to drop so that i can make up my own mind. After all, one man's meat is another man's poison.

In addition to the two you mentioned, The Little Things Give You Away In Between Valentine's Day A Place for My Head Pushing Me Away Don't Stay None of them are singles, and yet, LP have always played them on their tour. So i honestly don't get why people like you spew this bullshit of LP never playing none singles. Good grief.

Okay professor know-it-all. You've proved how smart you are. I mean you even know how to translate Mike Shinoda after a 2 minute clip. Pat yourself on the back and give yourself a cookie.

Chill out. If you're prepared to come on a public forum to post your opinions, then you should also be prepared to receive oppositions and/or validations just like i am prepared for all that. Its cool that you took the time to explain why you found the song underwhelming. But i don't understand and think its just unnecessary to label everyone who thinks the song is great a "cattle" simply because they love the song and you can't understand why. I love the song and think it is orgasmic. Nothing intellectual. It was just how i felt listening to it for the first time. I consider myself a fan of the band because I've always found myself loving at least 85% of the music they release and i connected with them live when i saw them. And with this single, they still make music that appeals to me. I don't force myself to like their music. I didn't love What I've Done when it came out. But that didn't stop me from checking out the rest of the album as i had fate the band had the ingredients to make music that spoke to me and they did. So i think it is rude and doesn't help get your point across when you try to insult people for not writing a novel like you and chose to simply express themselves in the simplest of terms. And maybe you could consider that this song maybe polarizing. Most people might either love it or hate it. I don't think the people are haters if they don't love it. And the word fan is a short form of fanatical(excessively enthusiastic.) If you're not fanatical, then you're probably not a fan. Just so you know. You shouldn't be mad that people are living up to the definition of the word.

Sweetie, The only "truth" about art is the fact that it is purely subjective and biased based on the individual's schema of music based on their experiences and taste. And what the fuck is a "LP apologists?" Another stereotype that unfairly groups a bunch of people under one umbrella? Like seriously?

I LOVE the song so much! I was so prepared to be disappointed and hate it; but LP proved once again why they're my favourite band. They consistently make music that appeals to me. I felt so warm from listening to it. The harmonies were my favourite part of the song followed by the drums, piano, and scratching. I love electronic music, vocal driven music, drum heavy music, singing, piano, melodic music, and alternative rock music so this song satisfied all those buttons greatly. I can't wait for the rest of the album. I am glad LP have completely disregarded what anyone thinks, expectations, fitting in a stereotypic narrow view, genre boxes and all the bullshit that comes along with being a rock band in exchange for doing what they want that satisfies them. I for one am along for the ride. If i didn't like it, i would wait for the rest of the album. If i didn't like that either, i would just stick to their past albums instead of wasting my time going on forums and ranting about it.

I like both but the first one is all kinds of awesome in the tone, but the second one is also made of win. So hard to choose and pick a favourite. They are both so simply, yet fantastically done and memorable. I love the color pallet of the second one. Just all around love.

Like the other dude said, if its made by Linkin Park, it is a Linkin Park album. What you probably meant to say that would be more accurate is: this is definitely not Hybrid Theory, Meteora, or Minutes to Midnight.

Let's not get carried away. All this could all be smokes and mirrors to cover up the fact that the songs themselves may blow from here to kingdom come. (and that is the only thing that matters) Never does the results live up to the hype.

I hardly doubt that. Maybe to you. If it were, i wouldn't be the fan that i am. I hate bands that scream and scream. Screaming isn't music. It's noise. And noise is annoying.

New vocabs. Linkin Park-inize it & Linkin Park it. Now i'm going to have to find ac actual conservation that they would be appropriate for.

Is there a regular CD only version? I just want the damn music. Everything else is a bonus if i can afford it.

And the award for most boring album covers goes to those two. And did it ever occur to you that some people only bother to announce and participate in what pleases them as opposed to the people who only speak when something doesn't. Did it ever also occur to you that maybe the fan happens to like everything the band does because the band has yet to disappoint them? Since when did it become a crime that you can be pleased by a band each and every time? I am an LP fan because I found out every time, at least 90% of the music on their album pleases me. Because i love so much of their work, the 10% that i don't isn't worth my time to bitch about. I save that for the music i hate 90% of.

What's your point really? People shouldn't enter? So if all you're saying is true and then some; it is still a great opportunity for a lucky person. If the person who enters happens to be a band and they win and impress LP enough, anything could happen. You can't predict the future. At the least, a lot of people get to have fun. If it bugs you so much, then don't freaking enter. No one is forcing you. So stop trying to shove your discontent into other people.

Very True. Bleed it Out is a live song. I never liked it till i saw them perform it live and i became a huge fan. In fact, many of the songs on M2M never fully hooked me till i saw them play it live. But Valentine's Day is an awesome song both in studio and live. I loved Brad's guitar intro. It gave the song a mood. Chester's vocals are awesome in it just like in TLGYA.

Word! That song is just the most epic song Linkin Park has done. And Chester's vocals are a thing of beauty on it. It is by far the most under appreciated song by LP because people don't know what to make of it since it is so far from what they're known for.

That's silly. Chester always shaves his hair and i doubt he would ever stop because some fans are more obsessed with how he looks instead of the actual music that matters.

There is no proof. That's stupid. The band members are just as human as you and I. They are free to believe in what they want. If they choose to write about it, it is their prerogative. After all, the best musicians write about things that are important to them and hold meaning for them. They can't please everyone as they can only please themselves. They can't push their religious views down on others without "others" permission. And how is writing about God pushing their religious views down on others? It is called perspective. I don't have to believe in Hindu gods to listen to Indian music that talk about the story of their gods or what it means to them. I can understand because i have what i believe in and can relate to the notion. Talking about God in your music if it is what you believe in is not the same as saying Christianity is the only religion. Music is a form of expression. Seriously, If you don't like a song or a band because they are talking about religion, then you don't have to listen to it. What is annoying is people who act like they are being forced to or have no control over listening to the music.

What's your point?

Ha! I knew Mike stalked the web and this site.

What is your favorite Linkin Park live moment and why? My favourite Linkin Park live moment happened in 2008. They came to the Staples Center. This was not only my first LP concert, it was also my very first concert ever. The experience was surreal. My favourite moment was during Bleed It Out. I have never been fond of the song per se. But the live performance blew me away and turned it into one of my favourite song from the new album. I was very impressed by Mike and Chester's energy and the band's ability to elevate the song to a whole new level. They turned a 2:44 song into 11 minutes and not one second was boring. They involved us the audience into the song that it became more than us listening to the song 3-dimensional but into an actual concert with us interacting with the band. From 2000 to now, whether it's a show you've been to or not, what is your favorite moment of the band's live history? My favourite moment of of the band's live history is the bands performance with Jay-Z for the MTV's Mash-Up. That whole concert was the liveliest i have ever seen Mike Shinoda. It was like Jay-Z brought out a different part of him. And i love the vocal chemistry between Mike, Chester and Jay-Z. It was very explosive and enjoyable for me to watch. I could feel the energy and jubilee even from my T.V screen as i watched it on DVD.

Happy Birthday dude i don't personally know. I thought i was a hardcore LP fan till i ran into your site. I mean seriously all the way to Europe to see this band. But who i'm a kidding. If i had the money, i'd be doing the same thing. Your obsession with everything Mike Shinoda sometimes creep me out though.

How very true and interesting article. There is a huge difference between the two. Bands i never became a fan of till i saw them live: 1. Alice in Chains (strong performers especially William Duvall They are like one of the few bands who sound better than their album live.) 2. Paper Tongues (the singer Aswan North has phenomenal vocal range and tone that i would buy a whole album with him singing the songs acoustic just so i can hear his awesome vocals.) 3. Linkin Park (i was a big listener so to speak but i never was fan crazy till i saw them perform live. And at that concert, Chester was sick. A detail i didn't know till after. Yet i still thought they were great and made me like several of their songs i wasn't really that into on the album.) Band i used to like but lost my love at least any enthusiasm to ever see them live again after seeing them once: 1. My Chemical Romance (Gerard is awesome but their live performance could use a lot of polish and finesse. Wasn't that impressed.

1. No Roads Left - I love Mike's vocals, the melody, structure, chorus, verse, and everything about this song. I am still pissed it didn't make it on the album and that Mike chickened out of singing it live. You hear that Mike Shinoda; i dare you to perform this song live if you have the balls. I know most people snort at the idea of calling a song pretty but this song is pretty in a good way. It's perfection to me. 2. Across The Line - I love Chester's vocals. He always continues to blow me away. His voice is beautiful. I admire how he can switch from melodic to screaming and raw power in milliseconds. For a demo that could use some final touches and tightening, it sure kicked ass. It had a mood and the lyrics were great. I especially loved Mike's backing vocals. It lent the haunting feeling beneath the vocals that made it even better. 3. Not Alone - Many people seem to not like this simply because it is soft. It reminded me of Valentines Day and i love that song too. I love Chester's beautiful melodic singing. He has the voice of an angel. I love the intro, bridge, and outro. The beats were wicked. I love the structure of the song. I am still not tired of listening to it. 4. Blackbirds - I haven't listened to it much yet. So here it stands. For the few times i did, i do love Chester's verse, vocals, the beats, and chorus. Not really a fan of the Mike rapping in this song which is a surprise. I do love the out of the box structure they went with. 5. New Divide - In the beginning i liked this song, but it didn't have the heart of LP to capture me. Sure it still had Linkin Park's fingerprint all over it but i never formed any emotional connection with the song unlike my top favourites. But i must say, Chester's vocal performance was awesome and i will agree, it is awesome live to see Chester bring it. He continues to surprise me. It joined the rank of LP's songs i can't sing without coughing or straining my throat to. 6. Lockjaw - simply because it is an instrumental. It has the potential to be a great song if developed. It was a great instrumental but in comparison to the other songs with vocals and all, it takes the last spot.