|
|
After their hugely disappointing A Thousand Suns album of 2010, Linkin Park look set to return on 26th June with Living Things, and have preceded that release with the first single Burn It Down.
Immediately concerning is the dance/electronic melody that opens the track, almost having a Calvin Harris-esque style, suggesting another turn down the wrong creative avenue. Thankfully, the song recovers quite sharply, bringing a little more meat and power courtesy of a thudding percussion and thundering guitar work on the hook, whilst Chester’s ever-harmonic yet angsty vocals compliment both the electronic elements and the rock core well, alongside Mike’s short rapped contributions which are enjoyable and certainly leave you wanting more from him. A stronger lead single than that of the last album, fingers crossed that the album will deliver in the same vein. Stream here, and grab it on iTunes next Monday.
 3 people like this post.
Criticise Linkin Park’s recent material all you want (I certainly have), but there’s no denying that fundamentally they’re pretty talented guys. This is a wonderful example of the power Chester Bennington has in his voice, delivering a rousing acoustic rendition of the ubiquitous Adele single, and doing real justice to the original’s raw, hugely emotional vibe.
Watching someone perform in such an unfiltered manner generally makes for compelling viewing, but the performance here surpasses that particular generalisation by virtue of being hugely replayable, and is most definitely worth watch. Note the crowd claps towards the last third, and how horribly out of time they are. At least 50% of them were thinking of a different song, of that I have no doubt.
Be the first to like.
I present to you our new music video for “Iridescent,” from the movie, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. The video explores how human existence might be affected by the elements of Transformers robots and the threat of the Decepticons. What would it be like to be citizens in a decaying universe? I tried a lot of new things here, and we had a lot of fun shooting it. Hope you enjoy.
Probably the best track on their wholly disappointing A Thousand Suns album, this ethereal, galactic video makes for a nice synergy with the atmospheric audio. I’ve only ever seen about an hour in total of the Transformers films, and thankfully it doesn’t matter too much as the video’s dark style and universal scale are easy to appreciate regardless. Scenes such as the brief mirroring of The Last Supper and various examples of cosmic imagery add that grand, almost apocalpytic feel, all building into a big, energetic climax with added brightness and a flurry of motion.
Definitely worth a watch, particularly if like myself you’ve fallen out of love with LP somewhat: this video shows they can certainly still get it right.
1 person likes this post.
One of the very few shining lights on Linkin Park‘s recent A Thousand Suns album, this track is one I’m still replaying today and is set to be released as their next international single.
The video is a little cluttered to begin with, but all comes together quite nicely towards the end as it acts as a look into the various and diverse lives led by the residents of a city (or probably Earth, given the celestial nature of the album title), and how futile those differences become in the face of a cataclysmic event. It’s in this latter section that the cinematography blossoms too, with the illuminous, supernova-like effects contrasted perfectly with the dark, tinted style of the rest of the video.
This explosion and inclusion of bright lighting syncs nicely with the explosive nature of its particular audio section, adding a good visual context to that upscaling in the song. Worth a watch, especially if you were unsure of their recent work.
Be the first to like.
This is a really good look at the making of this technologically-masterful video. Whilst opinions on the audio were split, I don’t think anyone denied the quality of the video and for detail freaks like myself, it’s very interesting to have a look how it all came together.
Specifically, you get a real appreciation for the amount of post-production work that must have happened to convert each of the close-up camera shots into the morphing digital forms they became in the final product. Not just the technical side of it, but creatively to come up with such an ‘out-there’ concept and to make it very accessible is a huge accomplishment.
Also, note the camaraderie between the band: there have been endless rumours of dissention in the ranks, which thankfully seem unfounded.
1 person likes this post.
Really good video, with some superb effects throughout creating a very futuristic and eye-catching experience. Bit of a shame that the song isn’t quite up to par, as it’s nothing really beyond average. Very watchable video though, definitely worth a look.
Audio is here.
Be the first to like.
Desperate to watch this as it will be interesting at the very least, but my laptop is being overly sensitive so I’m not convinced I should risk it.
You, however, have no excuse. Watch it, enjoy yourself and then carry on with your day.
1 person likes this post.
Another leak from their upcoming album. I personally thought The Catalyst was a superb track, but do feel that this and the previous leak (Wretches And Kings) are a little lacklustre. Not bad songs by any means, but I’m not feeling much replay value in these.
Linkin Park – Waiting For The End
Be the first to like.
Murray: September 5, 2010
Some superb stuff in our August snapshot which perfectly compliments the closing of summer as we welcome autumn with open arms. We’ve mixed old school with new school to create that sound which will have you rocking out until next month’s episode. New material from the likes of Atmosphere, Usher, Fat Joe, Sage Francis, Lil Wayne and Drake all sit comfortably next to some classic older joints from Damien Rice, Linkin Park, Kanye West, and of course, Eric B and Rakim.
If you’re still clutching onto the dying days of summer then don’t worry, we’ve kept July’s snapshot available for you. But trust us, take our hands and let’s step into autumn together.
OTU’s August Snapshot
Confused? Find out more here.
2 people like this post.
Old school Linkin Park fans rejoice: this is that vintage Linkin Park sound. There was a concern amongst longtime fans that Linkin Park had gone techno, as The Catalyst (whilst a very good song) seemed to abandon their rockier edge.
This will dispel those fears. The track opens up with one of those hard, rough and edgy guitar riffs that hark back to their much-heralded debut album. Things keep getting better as Mike comes through with his first proper rapped verse in a long time and Joe Hahn throws in those trademark scratches, fully utilising that rock and hip-hop connection that really drew people to LP.
Having said all of that I probably still prefer The Catalyst, as I feel the production and vocals lend give the track much more replayability than this one will. It’s still a good track of course, and will definitely appease the older fans looking for a return to the original style, but feels a little outdated in the wake of their previous album/newest single.
Linkin Park-Wretches and Kings
1 person likes this post.
The first single from A Thousand Suns gets some very fitting and captivating visuals.
Having an apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic feel to the video definitely embellishes the audio, and includes some well-placed special effects on the visuals. Some videos can overdo it with effects, but they’re used appropriately in this one. Even if you weren’t convinced by the song itself, you should be able to appreciate the video.
Audio can be grabbed here.
1 person likes this post.
You know whenever I’m on duty for SCC I’m going to bring something a little different and given LPs recent re-emergence, this feels like an appropriate time to revisit a truly classic collabo.
A lot of the original Linkin Park fans were put off by the idea of a (hip-hop oriented) remixed version of the classic debut Hybrid Theory, and subsequently missed out on this album, or hastily criticised it. I personally loved it, although funnily enough the highlight for me was the least hip-hop sounding effort, the remix of Crawling.
Keeping the original vocals, the remix reworks the guitar-driven, jagged original into a progressive orchestral production, only bringing back the melody from the original in its climax. This along with a haunting cameo from the unmistakable voice of Aaron Lewis makes for a genuine highlight of LPs back catalogue, and one of my all-time favourite songs.
Linkin Park-Krwlng ft. Aaron Lewis
2 people like this post.
Edit: Post updated with official/better audio and revised thoughts.
Firstly, that picture is the artwork for their upcoming A Thousand Suns album, not some sort of image error.
The track: very good. The first thing you’ll notice is the heavy electronic influence on the production, and removal of many of the heavier guitar elements that their earlier work was famed for. It works for me, and even if it is only Chester’s brilliant vocals that retain that classic LP sound, it’s refreshing to know that even major bands are willing to try new things. Highlight: the progressive build in the last third of the song, and consequential deliverance of an epic climax.
Linkin Park-The Catalyst (updated with official, longer, better version)
1 person likes this post.
This leaked a little while ago, but I forgot that these guys still existed. However, news broke that their first single from A Thousand Suns is due to be released tomorrow (called The Catalyst) and hence I’ve been back on the hunt for their music. Came across this one, and thought it only right to share.
Really enjoying this track, and it sounds just like some of the great material from Minutes to Midnight. Pretty sombre stuff, but with a nice edge to it that gives it some depth. Definitely one that will tie fans over until tomorrow!
Linkin Park-Blackbirds
Be the first to like.
Due to unforeseen circumstances I was out of action all of yesterday and hence why no Classic Collabo appeared before your eyes, apologies. Anyway, as hinted at last week – this weeks classic collabo takes a look at Young Buck and a track that featured on his Buck The World album, which came out around 3 years ago. Featuring the lead singer of Linkin Park, this is a track that can be appreciated by fans of either artist or genre. It shows a different, far more introspective side to Buck, with lyrics that actually mean something to this world and not the typical ‘gangster/money/b*tches’ that is associated a lot with hip-hop. With that in mind, the track itself reminds me an awful lot of Tupac’s amazing song, Brenda’s Got a Baby – which is a very good thing.
As I mentioned, it’s a song that’ll appeal to a lot of you, so I definitely recommend you downloading this below, even if you’re not even massively into Young Buck or hip-hop.
Young Buck – Slow Ya Roll ft. Chester Bennington
1 person likes this post.
Video for this superb track from the Download to Donate for Haiti project. That compilation album was actually really good and some of the tracks on there were awesome, which made a nice surprise as some artists get a bit lazy if they aren’t making money from the music.
Great song though, and this was definitely one of the stronger ones from that compilation. If you haven’t got this album and donated already, be sure to do so now.
Be the first to like.
Cracking idea. A host of massive names in music get together to compile a 10-track album of unreleased music to support the victims of the Haiti earthquake.
The widget here allows you to play all of the tracks, and if you click the link below you can get the whole album. It is a voluntary donation for the album, but to be honest if any of you are heartless enough to take an album aimed at such a good cause without donating even the smallest amount, you’re an absolute waste of space. Seriously.
Music For Relief Album
Be the first to like.
|
Upcoming OTU Live Events None right now!
|
Recent Comments