CD Review: Linkin Park - Living Things

Written by Petra Whiteley Tuesday, 03 July 2012 12:50

Artist: Linkin Park
Title: Living Things
Genre: Rap Rock/ Nu Metal/ Experimental Rock
Release Date: 22nd June 2012
Label: Warner Music

Album Review

LINKIN PARK’s debut album of 2000 ‘Hybrid Theory’ defined their style and set them as forerunners of the genre they helped to bring about ‘Nu Metal’ and all the other bestowed monikers, mixture of Hard Rock - Rap with electronic elements. They gained acclaim and mainstream success, a loyal fan base, even became an influence to some other bands, as well as raising some eyebrows and dividing opinions with mid-career albums and even more so with their previous album ‘A Thousand Suns’. So let’s see in which direction they’ve headed with their newest one ‘Living Things’.

The lyrics still touch as the angst-loaded and troubled kind, but one wonders if their audience has by now outgrown their teenager years because this goes right way back to predominantly appeal to that mode of thinking/ feeling/ articulating. Sure as one progresses on the journey from birth towards death, relationships remain complex and one still gets hurt, be it by them or one’s own self-destructive behavioural patterns, but as one gets older the way one deals with it all chills out, becomes more mature if you like, one’s thinking gets less naive too. The bigger problem is that the music doesn’t even stand behind them at least as it did once; they’re like two roads that don’t ever meet, at the least. Having said that, let’s turn to music, some tracks revert to their past as the single ‘Burn It Down’ for example, some flirt with electronic and more experimental waters tried in previous times such as ‘Roads Untravelled’, though the effort comes lacklustre and unremarkable.

Some other tracks sound as if they wanted to steer to tricks of clubby, electro house music such as ‘Lies Greed Misery’ and ‘Skin to Bone’, but it doesn’t come out well from it. ‘Until It Breaks’ marries the dub-steppy treatment to their earlier sound, especially when it comes to Shinoda and Bennington interaction, giving some nod also to PUBLIC ENEMY there, I feel. A much welcomed burst of energy comes in ‘Victimised’ but otherwise it’s lagging. So to sum up, there are no really outstanding tracks at all by their own sheer and wholesome quality and awesomeness. I feel that the songs lack clear direction and lack cohesion, there’s more attention to detail in production rather than song-writing and performance itself. Sure, you can call it stripped down, but it just feels like it has its ends tied up in a flimsy or drained effort. The problem probably lies in that they’ve tried to experiment and attempted to find a new footing and got a stick for it and in trying to revert to earlier sound and retaining some of that experimental vein, they’ve got to sound torn and exhausted, and even unconvincing. So as it lacks heart it consequently doesn’t really get mine quite going either.


Tracklist

01. Lost in the Echo
02. In My Remains
03. Burn It Down
04. Lies Greed Misery
05. I’ll Be Gone
06. Castle of Glass
07. Victimized
08. Roads Untravelled
09. Skin to Bone
10. Until It Breaks
11. Tinfoil
12. Powerless


Line-up

Chester Bennington – vocals, guitar, percussion
Mike Shinoda – vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard, piano
Joe Hahn – turntables, samples, keyboard
Dave Farrell – bass
Brad Delson – lead guitar, keyboard
Rob Bourdon – drums, percussion


Websites

http://www.linkinpark.com/ / https://www.facebook.com/linkinPark


Cover Picture




Rating

Music: 6
Sound: 7
Total: 6.5 / 10