Wow... I'm trying to remember when I last visited my own blog. That, by the way, still doesn't mean I haven't been reading my friends' blogs and other interesting ones that I stumble upon from time to time.
The reason I felt the pressing need to write something today is Linkin Park. I know you're thinking - Linkin Park? No, I'm not a groupie, nor am I a huge fan but I am known to have liked their music in younger times. Their name came up in a random conversation I was having with my friends and I was...well...quite surprised to hear that they were still around (seriously... how many bands last these days?) What is more - they are actually performing here in Singapore, sometime in November.
The answer is NO... I am not going for it but I must confess, a part of me was curious about what their music sounded like now. Were they still singing those eerie, I am alone and I want to kill the world and die myself soon after kinda songs? The answer came sooner than expected - Yesterday! I was at a mall with another friend and someone handed me a (free) copy of their newest album - Minutes to Midnight. Now, compared to their previous albums Hybrid Theory & Meteora, the name, to beging with, sounded more... domesticated. I decided to lend my ears anyway and I must say - MIXED FEELINGS!
Their music sure has matured, but it doesn't suit them. That would be one sentence to describe the new album. Some music doesn't suit some bands... PERIOD! Sometime earlier, they had come up with a song called My December, which was less noisy and actually made sense to everyday people who weren't subscribing to the prophecy about the world coming to an end. I don't think it ever made the charts - the song per se was excellent, but it just didn't go with the Linkin Park persona. Limp Bizkit tried a cover version of Behind Blue Eyes and despite Halle Berry starring in that video - how many people know about that? My guess is - Not many! What is my point? - Well, nothing really but I am now beginning to believe in formulas for success and sometimes, its better not to mess with what worked. Hat's off to them for trying!
In my opinion, the only song in the album that is still in the spirit of being Linkin Park, is What I've Done. It's yelly and screamy and is a fitting image of their old self.
Don't take my word for it - If you ever really liked their songs - Crawling, In the End and a few others, try this album out for yourself - ONLY IF YOU ARE GETTING IT FOR FREE!
The reason I felt the pressing need to write something today is Linkin Park. I know you're thinking - Linkin Park? No, I'm not a groupie, nor am I a huge fan but I am known to have liked their music in younger times. Their name came up in a random conversation I was having with my friends and I was...well...quite surprised to hear that they were still around (seriously... how many bands last these days?) What is more - they are actually performing here in Singapore, sometime in November.
The answer is NO... I am not going for it but I must confess, a part of me was curious about what their music sounded like now. Were they still singing those eerie, I am alone and I want to kill the world and die myself soon after kinda songs? The answer came sooner than expected - Yesterday! I was at a mall with another friend and someone handed me a (free) copy of their newest album - Minutes to Midnight. Now, compared to their previous albums Hybrid Theory & Meteora, the name, to beging with, sounded more... domesticated. I decided to lend my ears anyway and I must say - MIXED FEELINGS!
Their music sure has matured, but it doesn't suit them. That would be one sentence to describe the new album. Some music doesn't suit some bands... PERIOD! Sometime earlier, they had come up with a song called My December, which was less noisy and actually made sense to everyday people who weren't subscribing to the prophecy about the world coming to an end. I don't think it ever made the charts - the song per se was excellent, but it just didn't go with the Linkin Park persona. Limp Bizkit tried a cover version of Behind Blue Eyes and despite Halle Berry starring in that video - how many people know about that? My guess is - Not many! What is my point? - Well, nothing really but I am now beginning to believe in formulas for success and sometimes, its better not to mess with what worked. Hat's off to them for trying!
In my opinion, the only song in the album that is still in the spirit of being Linkin Park, is What I've Done. It's yelly and screamy and is a fitting image of their old self.
Don't take my word for it - If you ever really liked their songs - Crawling, In the End and a few others, try this album out for yourself - ONLY IF YOU ARE GETTING IT FOR FREE!
