Review Summary: A stunning album that takes Linkin Park in a whole new direction and really shows off the creative skills of Shinoda, Bennington and crew. Brilliant - just brilliant!
I am going to keep this review short and sweet and am not going to wax lyrical on Linkin Park's change in direction.
As a fan of their nu-metal days I was intrigued by the comments before the release of A Thousand Suns as to what kind of record it would be. I'm a big fan of bands trying something outside their comfort zone/usual forte and A Thousand Suns is about as radical a departure as you can get from Hybrid Theory and Meteora.
Gone are the overdriven chugging guitar riffs and in their place are carefully layered synth, drums, intricate guitar licks and little musical nuances that have been put together with such care and thought.
Interwoven with haunting effects and some of the most powerful speeches/quotes ever delivered, A Thousand Suns is a masterful album. From the Robert Oppenheimer "now I am become death" speech at the Manhattan Project atomic testing to Mario Savio's "bodies on the gears" speech to Martin Luther King's "Wisdom, justice and love" speech - each track on the album has a sort of chilling/foreboding presence.
It may be that the long term Linkin Park fan who has been so used to their nu-metal beginnings is put off by the radical change of direction and each fan is perfectly entitled to their opinion. But I just want to say that this fan loves the difference in musicianship and the passion that has gone into A Thousand Suns.
Album highlights for me have to be (apart from the three brilliant speeches) - Waiting For The End, Robot Boy, Iridescent, Blackout and The Catalyst. I know a lot of people will disagree with my next and final statement - but I'm going to say it anyway.
A Thousand Suns is the best work to date by a wonderfully creative and flexible band who are at the top of their game.
