Audiophile Review #1

So, just because I'm kind of the eclectic type anyways, I am going to attempt to play "music critic". Please comment on your opinions!


Review #1
"A Thousand Suns"
Linkin Park
Rating: 9/10 (Excellent, not Classic)
LDS Family Approval Rating: 80% (Generally good, uses a bit of profanity)

So when this album first came out, I had intentions on listening to it, but I first wanted to hear the general opinion of the album. For some, including a member of my Church congregation, the album was described as excellent or near-classic. For others, mostly the disgruntled "Real Linkin Park" fans who hate any deviation to the band's rap-rock sound of old, it was a disgrace. They criticised for the fact of the lack of viable tracks, the general lack of guitar, and the overall "poppiness"of many of the songs. From this mix, I was intrigued to take a listen for myself.

In a general sense, I really think this album is excellent. The album is very consistent in sound, the genres encompassed are diverse, and the lyrics are moving at times. Although excellent, this album is by no means a classic as Dark Side of the Moon or OK Computer. The album starts with a foreboding, drone-like instrumental and leads to the second track, which more-or-less is a sample of Oppenheimer's response to the tests of the Atom Bomb. The first actual track, Burning in the Skies, continues in the sound of the first two tracks, and is a great electronics driven pop song, at times almost even taking some reference to "Everything in It's Right Place" from Radiohead's Kid A. The song that follows is an intro to the next song proper, When They Come For Me. This, one of the two rap songs in the album, is dominated by jungle drums and symphonic samples, ending off in a Israeli chant at the end. Robot Boy comes soon after, and is alright for the concept, but generally not that great of a song. After another Pink Floyd-inspired instrumental (The "Ping" from Echoes is sampled), Waiting for The End comes, a song dominated by Chester but also contains Mike's signature rap skills. The song itself is reggae in feel, with the drums taking center-stage and the bass providing in the groove. Blackout comes after, which is the only "Screamo" song in the album. This song is pretty odd, dominated by NIN-inspired soundscapes, hardly any guitar, and Chester providing nearly all of the vocals. After this, though, comes Wretches and Kings, almost an homage to Chuck D of Public Enemy, especially the song "Bring the Noise". Samples and metal guitars take front center, and be the only song that bears ANY resemblance to old-school Linkin Park. After a sample from Martin Luther King Jr., Iridescent is the next song, which is a slow-moving pop ballad. Fallout then helps introduce The Catalyst, a techno-driven hard rock song that feels to bring the album to a close... that is until The Messenger comes. This song is the weirdest of the album, mostly because it is an acoustic song from Linkin Park... an oddity for sure!

To conclude, this album is pretty good, and should ONLY be listened to as an ALBUM, not a collection of songs. There are so many segues and intros in the album that, even if the singles are of great solitary quality, if you want to appreciate the album you need to listen to the album in full. While a bold move for Linkin Park, it isn't that unique to all of music. In fact, most Progressive Rock bands have done the similar format for years. Will this mean that Linkin Park will turn into a rap-influenced Dream Theater? Who knows, but at this point anything is possible!