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Linkin Park returns with their latest studio album. After dividing fans with Minutes To Midnight, can the rock/rap group redeem themselves?
Linkin Park clearly divided their fans over the latter half of the decade. They’ve polarized them into the “love them” or “dislike them” groups. At the conclusion of this album, I know where I firmly stand: at the latter end of the spectrum. And I’m okay with that. I’ve read mostly-popular reviews for this album, but I cannot even begin to fathom how these people can enjoy what they’ve listened to, unless they’re pandering solely to appease fans.
What’s on A Thousand Suns is some of the most uninspired work that I’ve listened to in a long time. The album relies too heavily on three things: electronic rhythms that are easily produced on a child’s keyboard, piano, and spoken word speeches that cater to the underlying theme of destruction, despair, and the apocalypse. Rather than trying to get their point across themselves, Linkin Park relies on the speeches and then throws in some depressing songs that really show no creativity or imagination; they chart no new ground and show no real growth.
And the rap tracks from Shinoda on this album? Seriously? They’re just terrible. That new Nick Cannon diss track is better than what is on here.
Anyway, let’s get started with my critique.
I don't know what's up with bands starting their album with fairly useless instrumental tracks. Sometimes they work to lead into the first real track. Here's an idea: why not just write a solid opening instead of having to rely on hokey shit like "The Requiem". The fun part of this is that it doesn't even lead into a real track; it bleeds into "The Radiance", which is just a spoken word track that does little to capture my imagination. I wondered when the music started.
Skip them.
Now, the album really starts after wasting three minutes. "Burning in the Skies" brings no energy. It fits more like a mid album track. It has an okay beat to nod your head to. Fans of the softer edge of Linkin Park will like this one. It airs more on the poetic side, and I almost don't mind the auto-tune-esque effect on the voice of, what I guess, is Chester Bennington. It's a blend of "What I've Done" and "Leave Out All The Rest", so it feels very Minutes to Midnight.
"Empty Spaces" is worthless filler. Skip it.
"When They Come For Me" is geared heavily at the other end of the Linkin Park fan section: the rap/hip-hop. This track would go great on a Mike Shinoda solo album, but it stands out as an unnecessarily vulgar, lyrically-uninspired rap with extremely weak beats on the first half of the album. I've come to skip this track.
"Robot Boy" is more of the auto-tuned soft stuff. Standalone, I like the track; again, though, it's working toward a misshapen first half flow of A Thousand Suns that quickly became a pop/electronic album rather than rock. It has a decent piano line layered in with some good electronic touches. There's not really much here, lyrically, however. It's meant to be an inspiring revival for someone who has clearly given up, but what is said just comes across as cliche.
"Jornada del Muerto": more useless filler. The first half of the album is practically a waste.
"Waiting for the End" brings Shinoda and Bennington, together, to your ear holes. We finally have some rock music after the first half of the album bled away. This track reminded me of 311 or some funky Caribbean band, with the way the verses are crooned more than sung. Shinoda has a decent breakdown. The best thing about this track: it doesn't overstay its welcome. If I had produced this album, I would have led with this track.
"Blackout" was a real treat to me, for the first half of the song. I equate this part as the high-energy, aggressive work, spit and screamed viciously by Bennington. It's up the same alley as "Faint" and "Bleed It Out". What I liked most about it, though, is that it had an electronic inclusion that reminded me of ::wumpscut::. The breakdown is kind of a mess, though. After it cleans itself up, the song becomes softer again, much like "Burning In The Skies" and "Robot Boy".
"Wretches and Kings" is another ridiculously-poor rap track from Shinoda. It starts with another speech sample. The rapping by Bennington made me cringe the first time I heard it. This is just a poor attempt at rock/rap/reggae. I don't think I've listened to this one all the way through more than once.
Skip it, unless you hate yourself.
"Wisdom, Justice, and Love" is another speech. Skip it after the first time you listen to it.
"Iridescent" is ANOTHER soft, piano track with so much electronic touches that it's just embarrassing at this point. The tone of the lyrics are the same as all the others: whiny. In fact this sounds like a watered down version of "Leave Out All The Rest". I didn't even think that was going to be possible.
"Fallout" is a joke. It's a poor call-back to the earlier part of the album. Skip it.
At this point, I am frustrated, and I don't even want to finish the album. I haven't even reached the first single yet and A Thousand Suns is already irredeemable.
"The Catalyst" is easy to comment on. It's been around for a few weeks now, and I've heard it a bunch of times. My original opinion after first hearing it hasn't changed much. It's clearly made to be the lead radio single: processed and dressed up to be walked through the public's ears with a political-themed message. The problem with this one is same as all the rest of the tracks: relies too heavily on the electronics and has no feeling or charge. At over five and a half minutes long, this song is entirely too long for its own good. From the comments I've seen from listeners in various places, it's gotten a fairly good reception, but I cannot agree with that at all.
So, can the album close on a decent note with "The Messenger"? No, it can't. It ditches the electronics in favor of Bennington screaming over an acoustic guitar and piano. It doesn't work for me at all. I waited fourteen tracks for some fucking guitar work. Something is amiss here, folks.
Now that this is over, where does this album stand among the other works from the band? It's a clear leap in an entirely different direction from Minutes To Midnight. I'm left with a feeling of "what the hell did I just listen to?" This was a poor attempt to make some headway into the electronica and pop genres, and it falls completely flat on its poorly composed face.
All of the anger on this album is manufactured and forced. It's written purely for marketing's sake from a band that is designed to sell hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of records. There's nothing creative here, and the few moments where creatively could have shown through, it was swallowed by awkward attempts at trying to make a point.
I've wondered if there's a chance that this album is going to grow on me. Probably not, as it doesn't deserve the listening time to do so. Even if you're a hardcore fan, you have to question what this collection of tracks really is. I've said it several times throughout the review, and I'll say it about A Thousand Suns, as an album:
Skip it.
The 411: Maybe there's something I missed, but A Thousand Suns is a thousand times worse than Minutes to Midnight. The album relies too heavily on poorly contrived electronic compositions, speeches that just feel too out of place, and liberally-sprinkled piano. I took it to mean that these three "gimmicks" were supposed to make up for the chief writers not even trying to write credible lyrics. I think it's safe to say that Linkin Park is no longer a tour de force rock band but a wanna-be pop band struggling for continued mainstream viability. They've become the Taco Bell of Mexican food: cheap, desperate, and leaving your stomach wanting to kick you in the testicles for putting it in your body. Worst album I've listened to in a very long time.