 | Tracklist:
1. The Requiem
2. The Radiance
3. Burning In The Skies
4. Empty Spaces
5. When They Come For Me
6. Robot Boy
7. Jornada Del Muerto
8. Waiting For The End
9. Blackout
10. Wretches And Kings
11. Wisdom, Justice, And Love
12. Iridescent
13. Fallout
14. The Catalyst
15. The Messenger
Release Date: 2010 | |
| | other reviews | NickDuffy (5)
An album that will have your emotions change as every track passes.... | Will C. (4.5)
Linkin Park has undertaken a major step forward in their career, from the vast lands o... | Emson652 (4)
"It seems ugly, but it could get worse, 'Cause even a blueprint is a gift and a curse. 'Cause once y... | Andrew Cannon (4)
... | CasualListen (4)
This is the band's first concept album. Musically, it is still not superior to the band's debut rec... | Irving Tan Zhi Mian CONTRIBUTOR (4)
The essence of a 2000-year old sacred Hindu scripture...presented in nu-metal form.... | TheMushuPork (4)
Linkin Park gets experimental, and goes into unexplored territory. The result? An album that is a ve... | David James Young (3.5)
Several steps closer to the edge, Linkin Park jump off into the unknown.... | Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration (3)
Is it Hybrid Theory 3? No. Is it worth listening to? If you’re willing to overlook fact #1, then y... | Peter K. Mark (3)
Linkin Park are on a pill that's tough to swallow.... | rekrdskratcher (2.5)
A funeral for Hybrid Theory/Meteora-era Linkin Park that began with Minutes to Midnight ends with la... | Chevy182 (2)
Some potential found but that doesn’t justify this album, because of the sequence or mesh it follo... | AndrewLawson (2)
Linkin Park has lost all of their original appeal in favor of a boring droning, electronic sound.... | Jared P. EMERITUS (1.5)
Rest in peace... | NapalmDe4th (1.5)
Linkin Park's most experimental album yet ends up proving just how incompetent the band is, rather t... | MrTrashyTheTrashCan (1)
"A Thousand Suns" is a wreck from the beginning to the end. Like the album's song "Waiting for the E... |
On 49 Lists
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| Summary: An extremely well-crafted rock album from a band whose (self-directed) anger is, for once, well placed. |
A Thousand Suns isn’t quite the return to the magic of debut album Hybrid Theory, as it has been billed in some quarters, but neither is it a straight re-enactment of the turgid attempt at a stadium-filler that was 2007’s Minutes to Midnight.
Producer (or, more accurately, Executive Producer) Rick Rubin has been retained from the previous album, as has been the general tendency towards melody rather than harsh vocals and distorted guitars, but in many other senses it’s a more true representation of the group’s origins: meshing heavy rock with old school hip hop in the tradition of Rage Against the Machine and (briefly) Public Enemy. Indeed, the revolutionary political posturing that Rage perfected almost two decades ago is briefly replicated on a couple of tracks here – explicitly so on pre-release track ‘Wretches and Kings,’ on which a speech sample inspires us to rebel against our role in “the machine.”
For the most part, A Thousand Suns is nothing more or less than a return to form for the California six-piece. ‘Burning of the Skies’ sees lead singer Chester Bennington wallow in the territory that best suits him, self-pity, as he sings: “I’m swimming in the smoke / Of bridges I have burned / So don’t apologise / I’m losing what I don’t deserve.” By contrast, rapper Mike Shinoda shows his best side early on too, rapping on ‘When They Come For Me’ that: “I’m not a robot / I’m not a monkey / I will not dance even if the beat is funky.” There’s no common thread as such, just two sides of the same coin: Chester, the sensitive, persecuted soul and Mike, the abrasive front for the same feelings.
Musically, A Thousand Suns is more intricately put together than any of the band’s previous releases, even the ultimately superior Hybrid Theory. ‘When They Come For Me’ sees the band incorporate Eastern influences, with a bassy acoustic drum beat and a fluid, Indian-sounding vocal line underpinning the rapped chorus. ‘Waiting for the End’ is a throwback to the ‘90s, landing somewhere between the reggae stylings of 311 and bubblegum rap group Sugar Ray, while the enigmatic ‘Wretches and Kings’ boasts an unmistakable dub influence.
Most intriguing of all, however, is perhaps the most straightforward piece on the entire record. ‘Robot Boy’ is the simplest composition on the record, and probably the most affecting, but I’m loath to actually describe it, because ‘Robot Boy’ is about as close to boyband territory as heavy metal will ever get. The tight harmonised vocal melody falls somewhere between East 17 and Enrique Iglesias (all the Es): the former because it’s so casually laid-back and the latter because it fades out with ‘Journada del Muerto’ (Journey of the Dead), a Spanish-language version of the main melody.
‘Iridescent’ is a straight singing duet that sees Shinoda and Bennington alternately share and trade lines, while the relatively mundane arrangement comes close to emulating the bargain basement-U2 feel of the last record. Delay-soaked guitar and keys loom large before giving way to a distorted lead and gang vocals that are reminiscent of the Killers’ ‘All these Things that I’ve Done’ – a little hackneyed at this stage, but nevertheless well-executed. Lead single ‘The Catalyst’ recalls Sing the Sorrow-era AFI with aggressive gang vocals and creeping electronics, while closer ‘The Messenger’ is an overproduced attempt to emulate an acoustic Tom Gabel track.
All in all, A Thousand Suns is a dramatic and welcome turnaround in fortune for a band that were destined for obscurity after getting it so badly, badly wrong on their last record. Granted, they’ve always maintained a steady level of popularity, but in musical terms they had become a non-entity. Whether Rubin held faith in them, or they kept faith in Rubin, or both, the marriage has finally begun to reap dividends and, though imperfect, A Thousand Suns is an extremely well-crafted rock album from a band whose (self-directed) anger is, for once, well placed.
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omg. .... so this is good?
Digging: Plebeian Grandstand - How Hate is Hard to Define Digging: Plebeian Grandstand - How Hate is Hard to Define
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seriously if there's any traces of Faith No More here I'd be really, really surprised
edit: haha now the review's edited and i look stupid
| | | Album Rating: 2
Rick Rubin is on this? I love that guy.
Digging: Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight Digging: Joe Bonamassa - Driving Towards The Daylight | | | Album Rating: 3
What? I'm suprised to see such a high rating. I need to hear this....
Digging: Marilyn Manson - Born Villain Digging: Marilyn Manson - Born Villain | | |
inspires us rebel against our role in “the machine.”
inspires us to rebel *
good review, but LP aren't that good, in my opinion, but I've listened to all of their albums, so I might as well pick this one up too.
Digging: Between the Buried and Me - Colors Digging: Between the Buried and Me - Colors
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Now you have me interested
Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala Digging: Suis La Lune - Riala
| | | Album Rating: 3
"Wretches and Kings" had me curious, but this review has me even more curious.
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what is this?!
edit: enrique reference is always a plus btw
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
if this is truly a throwback to hybrid theory, i will check it out
Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music Digging: Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music | | | Album Rating: 1.5
that album cover looks like my vision when i'm really drunk.
Digging: Grimes - Visions Digging: Grimes - Visions | | | Album Rating: 3
I'm still suprised to see such a high rating, is this really THAT much better than Minutes to Midnight?
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That song with the raggae up on the news section was the single worst thing I've heard all year, so you might excuse my skepticism.
Digging: The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends
| | | Album Rating: 1.5
Good album, i don't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Digging: Trioscapes - Separate Realities Digging: Trioscapes - Separate Realities | | | Album Rating: 1.5
that's avatar is creeping me the fuck out as much as this being called good.
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That album art is pretty bad, lol. I'm with Alex on this one, the song I heard from this didn't do much to hinder my opinion of the band.
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
did this leak or something? If it did id like a link.
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liar.
Digging: Love American - Disquiet Digging: Love American - Disquiet
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I'm content with not ever knowing what this sounds like.
Digging: The Dopamines - Vices Digging: The Dopamines - Vices
| | | Album Rating: 2.5
Surprised at the high rating, but there is no way this is as good as hybrid or meteora. I'll actually
give this a listen unlike minutes to midnight. Also, sounds like bailar will love Robot Boy.
Digging: Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I | | | Album Rating: 1.5
people at mtv need to shut up. they don't even play music anymore. the dead beats on teen mom would love this though.
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