i really had no idea "heavy" was by linkin park tbh but i don't hate it like everyone else seems to.

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

Yeah, Heavy is one of the best songs on here.



Which isn't a good thing. Not a good thing at all.

Album Rating: 1.5

"Let’s get one thing straight first: Linkin Park is – and has always been – a pop band."

I mean, no.

I'd say they've always had a pop element to them, but there's always been more to their music than that... that is, until now.

Album Rating: 3.7

Not in a literal sense but definitely *at heart*

Album Rating: 1.5

The phrasing is a bit weird to me, but they definitely were huge contributors to making nu metal mainstream and added more pop elements into their music than their contemporaries.

The phrase "pop band" has always irked me for some reason. Not sure why. Maybe it's just that pop is generally associated with solo artists rather than bands

Album Rating: 3.7

I mean there's plenty of pop bands out there for sure. Maybe "bands that make pop music" sounds more normal...either way, that's what Linkin Park is on this record. While I don't condone it as their permanent direction, it works well here as a one-and-done indulgence.

Album Rating: 1.7

when they had audible guitars, bass, drums and harsh vocals

excellent read, sowing
i'll begrudgingly check this out because it can't be worse than new lil yachty and i gave that the time of day

It's an interesting notion that Linkin Park were always a pop band in some sense.

However, if that were the case... they went from creating pop to plagiarizing pop. It's easy to get caught up in labels but "pop" isn't a synonym of "bad". When I hear songs like Invisible and Nobody Can Save Me it sounds like Linkin Park trying to capture someone else's sound. A far cry from the feeling I get when I hear songs like Breaking the Habit and Somewhere I Belong.

I'm only pointing out those songs because that's when I was into Linkin Park. Even if we go further into their discography, I can't see how any song on this album could be compared favorably to stuff like Castle Of Glass or Leave Out All The Rest. Those songs are still distinctly Linkin Park. They may have been trying to remain relevant by infusing electronic or more mainstream sounds into their music but it was still their music. This... this could be anyone else in the mainstream right now.

One More Light is probably the only track that stands out for me. It's not amazing but hearing it live definitely does it some favors.

Album Rating: 1.5 | Sound Off

"However, if that were the case... they went from creating pop to plagiarizing pop."



Well said.

Album Rating: 2.0 | Sound Off

Soo.. joke rating or...?



I don't think anyone's really complaining it's pop, just that it's shitty pop. I remember no such complaints with Waiting for the End, Burn It Down or Leave Out All The Rest and the plethora of polished to the core, crafted for radio 'epics' they had cranked out for years prior.



I've yet to see a single positive (or 'halfway sympathetic', at least) review that doesn't instantly presume a listener who didn't like the album is instantly basing a negative opinion on "Ew, icky pop shit! That's for the preps and the jocks, me like metal!". I think some of the most brutal write-ups have actually been from people who readily admit they like a lot of pop music.

Album Rating: 1.0 | Sound Off

making pop isn't the problem

making really shitty bland and uninteresting pop music is the problem

i have absolutely no problem if a band wanted to pump out pop music, as long as they knew what they were doing and were able to put together music that's actually great despite the change in genre (paramore did this perfectly)

that's the exact opposite of what's going on here

i legit couldn't sit through this the first listen i was so bored out of my mind, which is probably the biggest sin pop music can commit

Album Rating: 1.5

Sorry guys but they were never a "pop band at heart".

Album Rating: 3.0

Really glad you did this review mate, I've been trying to pen one myself all week but work has completely taken over and just haven't had time.



Agree with pretty much everything you had to say and glad someone has finally said it. Even back when In The End and Breaking The Habit were released, they're not exactly a million miles away from the sound of this album, just with different instrumentation and less angst. It's not a perfect record, but Sharp Edges and One More Light are fantastic, and Talking to Myself is gorgeous. There's some great music here, just needs listening to.

Album Rating: 2.0

Agreed with everyone Paintball said. Thats why I take issue with the review's line of argument.



It also feels a little condescending in continually stating the obvious as if it weren't obvious (we know LP have always had a mainstream hat on and adopted underlying pop sensibilities), and its continuous generalisations of 'well, the LP fan would think X', which I find unrepresentative and presumptuous (no I did not want LP to make another record about break-ups and teenage angst (does anyone who grew up with the band really want that?), no I did not go into this with a negative predisposition, and no I do not oppose the idea of LP embracing its pop elements (as Paintball said, I just oppose them doing so in the sloppy and uninteresting way they did here)).



Also its statements that LPs efforts to make heavier music have been disingenuous or pretences seem debatable; far from it, I think they were very much genuine (and successful) heavier LP efforts, certainly feeling more inspired and genuine than this imo.



Having said all that, (as per usual) good on you for sticking with your opinion in the face of the masses, its a quality I appreciate; however, less good on you for protecting your perception of the masses onto the masses as a method of strengthening your arguments when such projections are pretty hard to substantiate or maintain

Album Rating: 1.0

Nah man, these guys have always been a very commercial band and "selling out" is really not the problem at all. As you yourself state in more directely in the review. I mean I can dig that you try to go against the bandwagoning, but this is some will.i.am. lvl shit on here.

Album Rating: 2.5

not gonna lie, despite the gap in ratings, I connect with this review more than the 1s

Album Rating: 4.0

Thank you Sowing Season for this review and for managing to remain respectful of everybody. The review doesn't sound like a rant more like a "reaction."



"In reviewing One More Light, I feel like a public defendant who is assigned to someone too poor and obviously guilty to assemble their own legal team."

Hi hi hi. It's not far from the truth.