Linkin Park - Living Things

[Dagger Dias]

Linkin Park's 5th album, Living Things, is finally available.

Say what you want about the direction they have taken in the last few years, but there is no denying their talent and success. This is by far their best album out of the newer material. I love how they keep evolving their sound with each release. Minutes To Midnight saw experimentation far different from the sound that they had on their original albums, and the fans reacted negatively towards it as well as A Thousand Suns. Hopefully by now the fans will have grown to understand that the group has evolved and moved on. Like them or not, Linkin Park made the right decision. They could keep remaking clones of Hybrid Theory, or they could take a risk and change things up. It worked.

So what are your thoughts on this new album, do you like it? Why or why not? What are some of your favorite tracks on it?

I think they released yet another classic with this one and other than the first track, which doesn't suck but could have been better, I found every other track to be of high quality. Nearly any of them could go on to become fan favorites in the future, especially the lead single Burn It Down and Roads Untraveled. Hybrid Theory does remain their best work, although I have to say after only a few listens that this is already my second favorite in their discography.

Discuss!

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

I haven't heard the whole thing, but I've hated what I've heard.

I think deep down, this is the sound they've always wanted, which I can respect. They seem to follow the trends. Now it's cool to be softer and very studio-sounding. I just personally hate it.

 

[Jabroni Drive]

When i first heard it all i thought was their chasing another number 1 single and don't really care about making good music. However after a few listens i have to say this has been the best album since meteora my favourite track is Misery and tbh this new sound is probably good for them the sound that Hybrid Theory had isn't really around anymore and it's always good to hear a band evolve with each passing album. Sometimes it's good (Arctic Monkeys) Sometimes it's bad (Kings Of Leon) For me they are getting better at this style of music.

But if i haven't sold you on it this might they knocked Justin Bieber off the number one album spot in the Uk. Which makes them top guys in my book.

 

[Chess]

Hate it all. Why can't they go back to their roots? Hybrid Theory and Meteora were really great albums and then they changed into some kind of pop metal group. The lead singer cannot even roar like he used to and Chinoda has forgotten how to rap (a shame a the Fort Minor album was great).
I assume even the most oyal fans have abondoned shi as they just suck megatron ass now.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I haven't heard the whole thing, but I've hated what I've heard.

You're not being very fair here. How much of it did you even listen to? Like I said in the opening post, this album is amazing. If the only track you listened to was Victimized, then I can understand that, as it is the only track on the album that isn't 5 star quality. (I stated in the OP that the only track I didn't find brilliant was the first track. To clear that up, a friend had burned it for me before I purchased it and he got the track order incorrect, Victimized was the first track on that copy, but on the real album it's #7.)

Give it another listen. Here are my top 5 from the album, in case you missed out on any of the stronger material:

[YOUTUBE]QkTCHq_4SPw[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]wOEyzF3J6nM[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]dxq1mdM68YE[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]39WXeptZoGE[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]iFiNlLt8sJw[/YOUTUBE]

If you listen to each of those in their entirety and still "hate" this album, then I have nothing else to say. This music is incredible and it will easily be the best album of 2012, bar none. Roads Untraveled might very well be the most beautiful song the band has ever done.

Hate it all. Why can't they go back to their roots?

So you'd rather they release countless clones of Hybrid Theory? This is why so many "fans" are hypocrites. If the band changes their sound, the oldschool fans think it "sucks", and if they don't then everyone complains about all of the material being the same. Bands evolve and go through changes, just like people do. I get it that people are going to look back fondly on their old material due to disliking the new material, I too think Hybrid Theory was their best work. That doesn't stop me from giving all of their other work a chance. I liked a couple of tracks on Minutes to Midnight, most of the under-rated A Thousand Suns, and honestly everything off Living Things.

Give it a chance, guys. You won't regret it. I promise. I've listened to this non-stop on the way to and from work for several days now, and still am not tired of it. If you didn't like it at first, give it another try. Also to any of you haven't heard it yet, listen to the videos I posted and go check out the rest of it. Yes it's different than Hybrid Theory, but it's the best material they have released since then and worth every penny.

 

[Chess]

So you'd rather they release countless clones of Hybrid Theory? This is why so many "fans" are hypocrites. If the band changes their sound, the oldschool fans think it "sucks", and if they don't then everyone complains about all of the material being the same. Bands evolve and go through changes, just like people do. I get it that people are going to look back fondly on their old material due to disliking the new material, I too think Hybrid Theory was their best work.

Linkin Park came out of nowhere with a unique sound that was not only instantly recognizable but also very marketable to both fans of metal and more more mainstream music. They also did this by creating great and exciting music that worked well on radio and for live shows.

I have no problem with bands evolving however I feel it is more like they lost their creativity as they blew up so quickly, earned big $$$ and just wanted to cash in on it but releasing poorly produced pop rock tunes. I have tried to like their more recent stuff but I just think that all the elements that once made them great have now disappeared and I get bored with their music. The singer just sounds like he autotunes every track, his screaming (rare) is just not how it was, the production is horrendous (pure cheese) and Chinoda has forgotten how to rap. I am sorry but they will never be popular again and for me the have regressed not evolved.