Review Summary: Linkin Park has undertaken a major step forward in their career, from the vast lands of depressing, angst-like lyrics they be held before, now replaced by uplifting recognition of a modern world.
Linkin Park has exposed a new side of them that is more electronica based, and offers their listeners a new chance, and a new start, and while they ultimately succeeded as mainstream rock stars, they are still able to maintain a basic composure of lyrics, and backbeats that stylize the twisted distortions perfectly. "A Thousand Suns" is Linkin Park, with less heavy riffs, and less mainstream rock style, replaced with distortions at every turn that compliment the album nicely. As time goes by, less and less people will be able to look back on this legacy as a turntable of an endearing performance that'll appeal to kids everywhere, but for now, this record speaks to everyone.
Linkin Park's success, which was derived from the classic "Hybrid Theory", has since then spiraled a bit out of control. Linkin Park doesn’t seem to be putting forth the greatest confirmation of their debut success. Mainstream isn’t the same, and Linkin Park sure as heck isn’t staying in one spot anytime soon. The only reason they haven’t failed already is because they are always offering a new change to the audience. The best example is "A Thousand Suns".
"A Thousand Suns" is inspired partially as a concept album, and more likely to be a core album of understanding of some current problems in the world, both politically, and personally. This is by no means an S.O.A.D. record, but you can at least see the angle Linkin Park is coming from, unlike the post traumatic meltdown that nearly killed the group known as "Minutes to Midnight".
The album is recorded mostly with electronica recording equipment, and a lot of piano styles and occasionally heavy rifting with the guitar, that is distorted of course. Here, nothing is as it seems. To be perfectly honest, the album is taking a huge leap for Linkin Park, and instruments are the biggest factor on here. The vocals however, are of no significance, and have not gone anywhere since "Hybrid Theory". The rapping, mainstream rock vocalist styles are just as present here as they were on all previous albums. The instruments are taking a new lead in their usual method of capturing the mood. It’s not quite as depressing as "Hybrid Theory" or "Meteora"; it’s actually more uplifting, and spontaneous. The simplicity comes, when all the instruments are put together. The drums, the beats, and the distortions are pieced together almost naturally, and allow the song to flow fabulously. The whole concept of this album is professionally designed in many spots of the album. Songs like "When They Come for Me" are instrumentally pieced like a puzzle. Every song makes some sort of high end appearance, and portrays majesty’s collection of top of the notch designing.
Linkin Park's "A Thousand Suns", while not necessarily the best album by their own standards, it is definitely one of the highest underrated albums of its time. For someone to just sit and listen to this blindly not expecting where it’s coming from is not going to earn it its well deserved rating. It is an album that requires a few listens before one can appreciate it. The album is generally very easily undertaken among modern society, and it does not receive the credit for its near perfect composure, courtesy of Linkin Park and crew. With well placed instruments that set a mood very nicely, and vocals that harmonize, instead of depress, it’s all wrapped up in one great big masterpiece. A must have for any Linkin Park fan.
