A THOUSAND SUNS: LINKIN PARK
By: Isabelle Auton and Aurelia Irvine
The Requiem
The Radiance
Burning in the Skies
Empty Spaces
When They Come for Me
Robot Boy
Jornada del Muerto
Waiting For the End
Blackout
Wretches and Kings
Wisdom, Justice, and Love
Iridescent
Fallout
The Catalyst
The Messenger (Bonus Track)
Blackbirds (Bonus Track)
*Some tracks are explicit.
Linkin Park's new album is indeed a forray into the unknown. They somewhat enigmatically interweave snippets of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Wisdom, Justice, and Love speech, as well as experiment heavily with computer generated sounds that the band had always danced around. Many of the tracks are fillers, snippets of other songs, like "The Requiem", which alludes to the later single, "The Catalyst". "Empty Spaces" is simply that: white noise. "Burning in the Skies" however, reveals a raw, emotional side that is much softer than their past work, and it doesn't disappoint. It still brings the listener close to the heart of the song even though the characteristic hard rock feel is missing. "When They Come For Me" gives a taste of hip-hop flavor and original beats that impress. "Robot Boy" harnesses the lyric genius of Mike Shinoda with longtime collaborator, Chester Bennington's, expressive tones to create an electronica work of art. "Jornada del Muerto" or the slightly depressing translation"Path of the Dead Man", is another filler track with a snazzy title that only slightly lives up to its expectations, displaying an interesting beat progression that leaves you wanting the next song. "Waiting for the End" starts with a rhythm that immediately has you thinking reggae, but later shows its depth by incorporating rock, electronica, reggae, and hip-hop along with impressive raw vocals to create a musical masterpiece. "Blackout" initially comes across as another filler track, but then surprises with a dose of Bennington's signature screaming vocals reinforced by the most hardcore beat of the album, and is more reminiscent of Linkin Park's original style. "Wretches and Kings" begins with an excerpt from Mario Savio's Bodies upon the gears speech that transitions into almost a purely hip-hop track with only mild guitar and bass influence. "Wisdom, Justice, and Love" is an example of Shinoda experimenting with autotunes and putting pre-recorded speech to music. Unless you have patience, I would recommend you skip the track. "Iridescent" is a ballad that eventually strays into rock that is more "Train" than "Three Days Grace". "Fallout" doesn't make much of an impression apart from repeating lines from "Burning in the Skies", though it leaves you wondering exactly where it came from. It does, however, transition into "The Catalyst", the album's main promotional track, smoothly. "The Catalyst" is definitely one of the best tracks of the piece, immediately grabbing your attention with both beats and lyrics, and will hold it for some time to come. You'll be disappointed when 5:39 (the end of the track) comes around. "The Messenger", one of two bonus tracks, displays an emotional side of Linkin Park that usually doesn't show through in any of their past works. Love is the main influence in this song, and the first acoustic track that they've released, touches you with the honesty and sincerity of the lyrics and Bennington's interpretation of them. "Blackbirds" is a fitting conclusion to the album, though it is a bonus track, starting off with what sounds like a sampling of a drum track and vocal attempt from the studio, unfiltered and unmixed. It then jumps straight into the finished track, which is somber in general but lightened up a shade by the background beat from the drums.
All in all, "A THOUSAND SUNS" opens up a whole new era for Linkin Park, one that gives Mike Shinoda the raw vocal and rap spotlight (which had been absent since Meteora), and still dishes out enough of lead vocalist Chester Bennington to satisfy you. Other members, such as Rob Bourdon, Joe Hahn, Dave Farrell, and Brad Delson may not appear enough for your taste, but either way, the old Linkin Park is gone. Whether or not they'll leave you behind on their journey? Your choice.
