Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Review - Linkin Park LIVING THINGS





Well this is a funny little situation I'm in. I haven't used this since (actively) doing my review of Linkin Park's 2010 release A Thousand Suns. Here we are 2 years later (which is EXTREMELY fast for an LP album) writing a NEW review of a NEW Linkin Park album entitled LIVING THINGS.

Now I'm extremely sure people don't wanna take MY opinion on this record and LP in general seriously. Why? Well because they think I blindly like and hype everything they do. That couldn't be further from the truth. Now sure I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt more than any other artists, but that's only because of a long deep rooted history of their music and myself. In reality though I judge the albums as I would any other album! I try to examine what makes the album tick. I slowly chip (whats that?) away till I get to what the album is really about. I am not playing favorites here. This I promise!


Coming off the heels of their VERY experimental album A Thousand Suns, Linkin Park have returned yet again with a brand new look at the last 12 years of their career.

When making ATS they wanted no signs of "old school" Linkin Park because they felt that sound was old news, which it kinda was to be honest. So they tore themselves down and built themselves back up to make ATS. The album was somewhat a concept record with a terrible personality disorder. Which made it very enjoyable. No song felt the same. Critically it was a success, but on a populace basis....not so much. Fans all over were echoing how they missed "old" Linkin Park, while others fully embraced their experimental venture, myself being one of them! Sure the album wasn't heavy on a rock/metal standpoint but then again they could do what they wanted! They have ALWAYS been a band to blend and bend genres at their will, and ATS was a perfect example of just that!

Fast forward 2 years and the band is sort of now singing a different tune about their "old" style. In almost every interview Mike Shinda (MC,Producer...and pretty much the brain of LP) has stated they have built their "toolbox" over the years with each and every record. Adding new styles and sounds to it. The heaviness of Hybrid Theory, the anger of Meteora, the stripped down rock of Minutes To Midnight, and the electronic journey of A Thousand Suns. All being added to their "toolbox". On LIVING THINGS they wanted to use ALL of those tools instead of only some. Which is exactly what they did. The lyrics are emotional and powerful. The music goes from heavy psychosis to melodic ballads, to almost straight on folk!

This is a track by track analysis. My process is as I listen to each track I write down moods, feelings and reactions as they happen. Then go back and expand on that. This is what came of that...


Track 1 - Lost In The Echo

Extremely powerful intro to this album. Features every element of LP's career. The intense angry Mike Shinoda raps, the signature Chester scream that sends chills down your spine, yet still maintaining a very melodic feel during the chorus. The music itself is a prime example of the mashup. Powerful distorted guitars, deep heavy electronic bass line, complicated yet understandable drumming. Perfect intro

Track 2 - In My Remains

Very cool sweeping elec intro. The energy of this song is unmistakable. The chorus just fills you with such force. The build up in the bridge is something taken out of ATS. Slow yet anxious build up with a HUGE release like in The Catalyst and Iridescent. "Like an army falling, one by one by one" will no doubt be chanting in your head after hearing this song.

Track 3 - Burn It Down

I have had a long time with this song being the first single. Catchy as hell. Chester sounds terrific, with a nice old style Mike rap. Full of energy and layers. Extremely anthemic and fun.

Track 4 - Lies, Greed, Misery

Again have had alot of time with this track. It was "leaked" at the end of the around the world scavanger hunt put together by LP's promotional team. Dirty deep beats with Mike just being ruthless on his raps. The song is almost Fight Club psychotic. The lyrics to the chorus are angry and revengeful, yet Chester is singing and screaming them like a happy child. Its like laughing while being punched in the face. It's creepy but in a really good way.

Track 5 - I'll Be Gone

Another anthem style song, but in no way does it become tiring. LP really seems to have an obsession with suns lol. Once the song kicks in it barely slows down even in its bridge it stays constant, which is what really makes this song shine.

Track 6 - Castle Of Glass

This one is a real gem of a song. Mike has stated they listened to a lot of folk while recording this record and this song it is extremely apparent. It has the unmistakable acoustic guitar folk chug, and basic yet interesting drum line. Mike is also very prominent on this track as a singer not a rapper. He does a tremendous job and has come a huge way since Hybrid Theory. What makes this song so intense is how amazingly well they are able to blend folk into their styles of music. Its by far their most interesting song to date. Its daring and extremely enjoyable. This is at this point in time my favorite song on the album.

Track 7 - Victimized

This song was very much hyped as the most intense LP song ever. They weren't exactly lying, BUT not exactly telling the truth either. The song is insanely in your face. The drums are fast and heavy. Chester just screams his face off in the chorus. Its like a short taste of what LP can do if they were asked to make something extremely heavy. More of this is exactly what a lot of LP fans want, but the song does a great job and giving you it all in that short time and leaves you satisfied.

Track 8 - Roads Untraveled

A ballad song at its best. Linkin Park have almost perfected the art of making "ohhhhhh" a real lyric. The song is very emotional and very relate-able, something they have always been great at. It is very Minutes to Midnight like, in fact it very well could've fit right along on that album. Mike again makes it very known he has a terrific voice on this track. This song will no doubt be a crowd favorite if they play it live. The "ohhhh" will ring throughout the venue".

Track 9 - Skin To Bone

Ahhh now this song is a standout track. The tribal dance style is off putting and at the same time so fitting. You get this almost uncomfortable feeling like is this really supposed to be here and then shortly after you start to enjoy it. The lyrics are almost nursery rhyme-ish which makes it very fun and clever. Great song.

Track 10 - Until It Breaks

Fort Minor fans REJOICE! This is you'r track! Heavy angry Mike Shinoda raps, with a little touch of Chester. The really HUGE standout in this song is the first time vocal appearance of guitarist Brad Delson. He brings such a different sound with his voice that Mike, nor Chester could've captured. After hearing Brad on this track he really should be doing vocals a bit more in the future. He did an incredible job.

Track 11 - TINFOIL

The title was originally the working title for the next track. It's more of a bridge instrumental to bring you into the ending track. It sets you up perfectly to come.

Track 12 - Powerless

I cannot say enough about this song. The cinematic feel of this song is really something to behold. The layers just build and build and build as it progresses. Chester's intensity is second to NONE on this song! The raw emotion and energy on this track comes crashing through. As of writing this it is being used in Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, as it should be. The song has such a movie quality to it that can make any scenes seem incredibly epic and important. I can easily see this song be used in future for other films over the years. An epic ending to the record.



LIVING THINGS is by far the perfect blend of the last 12 years of Linkin Park. It features the best of all of their worlds. Old school fans and new school fans have a home in this record. It's been quoted by Rolling Stone Magazine that this album is Linkin Park's most important material since Hybrid Theory. The subject matter, the elements, and the pure landscape of the record make that statement 100% true.

Linkin Park's LIVING THINGS will be released 06/26/2012 by Warner Bros. Records

You can pre-order the album RIGHT HERE



Tim


Friday, December 31, 2010

Alan Wake....It's not a River.....What!?

So I finished Alan Wake. I really enjoyed it but there are some things that bother me.

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The controls where too much like Resident Evil, not that its a bad thing! I just felt it would help make this game be more unique if it didn't just bother mechanics and controls from other games.

I got really tired of Alan constantly losing his guns and manuscripts EVERY cut scene! It became a run on joke!

The "Taken" could be overwhelming at times but not too difficult.

Um is that a Discoball Big Daddy?

The dialogue was awful and so was some of the voice acting.

It wasn't huge difference between this and Resident Evil. All it did was bring back the horror aspect to those games.

YOU FIGHT A TORNADO!!!! *at the end I did sing a lyric from Matt Hardy's theme that said "I can slap a Tornado"*

The ending made little sense to me and the final words spoken before the credits made it seem like the game was one big joke, and those last words where the punchline. Anyone who has beaten the game will understand what I mean.


Now I really did enjoy the game. The story although predictable and sometimes dumb was still pretty good. I did find myself saying out loud "Of course I need find a nearby generator!" which became kinda annoying after a while. Which was kinda where Alan Wake suffers. It became somewhat repetitive. Start this generator, kill these taken, guard this, and solve this EXTREMELY easy puzzle. Again repetitive gameplay and the combination of Luigi's Mansion and Resident Evil 5 mechanics still made this game really good!

I strongly hope the DLC explains what the ending was all about!

Alan Wake is available now on Xbox 360.

The 2 DLC Episodes are available on the Xbox Live Marketplace for 560 MS Points each.


Tim

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Harmonix and Viacom are splitsville!

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Critically acclaimed developers Harmonix announced today they have come to terms with the split of their partners at Viacom. The split is a blessing and a curse for a few reasons. Now Harmonix aren't held down by Viacom's shackles, meaning they are back to being an independent developer, but Viacom was an extremely useful company in that they own MTV. MTV is the most powerful music company in the world. They can get a band do anything they want so if Harmonix wanted a certain artist in their games, MTV would have them in it with a snap of their proverbial fingers.

Now thats not to say Harmonix don't have any pull in the music industry, I mean even with their first games like Frequency and the completely underrated sequel Amplitude they had artists like Blink 182, Slipknot, No Doubt, Pink, Papa Roach, Run DMC, and Coal Chamber just to name a few. So after many years they've been able to nab The Beatles, Linkin Park, Green Day, John Lennon, and Metallica. It's safe to say Harmonix shouldn't have much trouble getting more artist for their supposed "future unannounced projects"

I for one am glad to see Harmonix go back to their roots. That means so much more freedom with their games. Lets just hope this doesnt compromise any future with Rock Band 3 and it's DLC.


Rock Band 3 is currently available on all major platforms with over 2,000 songs supporting it.


Tim

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tim's Best of 2010!

Well since 2010 is a few weeks from ending, we decided to make a list of what we here at Rated R Society deemed best in show of 2010!

Here is what Tim thought should be named Best of 2010!


Video Game of the Year:

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Bioshock 2

It was really close for me to pick game of the year because there where A LOT of good games this year. Bioshock 2 was just in my opinion the best. The story is captivating, it's visually stunning, and the controls where nearly perfect. I absolutely love this game!


Downloadable Game of the Year:
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Costume Quest

Funny dialogue, simple controls, and funny unique story made this game an easy pick for me.



Handheld Game of the Year:

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Angry Birds

Like that wasn't completely obvious!


Movie of the Year:
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Toy Story 3

Maybe because I grew up with these characters, or maybe because Pixar are kings of story telling but overall this movie had me laughing hysterically and crying like a baby. I mean also there wasn't really anything this year that really stood out to me. So Toy Story 3 takes the gold on this one! Well Scott Pilgrim and Inception where pretty good also.


Actor of the Year:
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Michael C Hall

For his always terrific role in Dexter.


Album of the Year:
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Linkin Park "A Thousand Suns"

No brainer I guess? Honestly I do truly love this record. Now there where a few albums that came really close to taking the gold. My Chemical Romance "Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys", How To Destroy Angel's self titled debut, HIM's "Screamworks: Love In Theory and Practice" Muse's "The Resistance", and Stone Sour's "Audio Secrecy" where all close contenders. The reason why LP took it was not because they are my favorite band but because its the most ballsy and gutsiest album this year. They took a risk and did it right so for that they win.


TV Season of the Year:
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Dexter: Season 5

Everything about this show and season was spot on. My heart was pounding every episode and at the end of each one it kept me wanting more. Notable mentions are "Eastbound and Down: Season 2", "Bored to Death: Season 2".


Internet Fad of the Year:
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Auto tuning. Whether it's Charlie Bit Me, Double Rainbow, Lincoln Park Rapist, or a lesser known but still funny Backin Up, they all where able to get millions of youtube views and spawn some extremely funny moments.


WWE Superstar of the Year:
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Wade Barrett

The man has come out of nowhere and has out done almost half the current WWE roster in mic skills and in ring ability.


DVD of the Year:
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Chris Jericho: Breaking the Code

Hands down one of the best WWE Documentary DVDs ever done. Great matches and an extremely interesting and informative documentary film. WWE nailed it with this one. More need to be like this.


Musical Act of the Year:
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Linkin Park

Pushing the envelope yet again of what defines rock music. Linkin Park have managed to break down walls that no one thought a rock band could, and still be good at it!


News Story of the Year:
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Trapped Chilean Miners

Come on! They where fine! They had PSPs and food!


Sports Team of the Year:

Uh......I don't know.....


The "Who Gives a Fuck?!" Moment of the Year:
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The Beatles being on iTunes

WHY THE FUCK WAS THIS A BIG DEAL!?!?!?!?!?!?



Well this has been my choices for Best of 2010! I hope you all enjoyed! I cannot wait to see what 2011 will bring us! Will Thor be any good? Is it possible Linkin Park is releasing a follow up so soon? Who becomes the shining star in the WWE? Will people realize the Beatles are horribly over rated? WHO KNOWS!?



Tim

Lead singer of Slipknot wishes you a Merry Xmas!

Frontman for Slipknot and Stone Sour, Core Taylor has decided to spread some Christmas cheer this holiday season with a song called "X-M@$". According to an interview with Corey he wrote this song last year while listening to people "bitch" about the holidays. He himself loves the holidays but being the goofball he is decided to write this song.

All the proceeds from "X-M@$" will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust. Reasons being is Corey's grandmother is a cancer survivor, but he also feels teenage cancer is somewhat over-looked.

So don't go and illegally download this song. Pick up on iTunes or any other legit music downloading site.

Corey also stated if the songs hit Number 1 on the charts he'll have a big surprise for his fans! What could it be? Something Slipknot related (Who plan on hitting the festival stage this summer) or Stone Sour related? The only way to find out is to make this song number 1.

Maggots get out there and make it happen!




Tim

Trust us Job Hunting is HELL!!!

Well it's been a while since we posted anything! A lot of that has to do with the people involved. Some of us are a bit busy, but we are returning very shortly! So before we make a full blown return I'd like to show you guys something super interesting and funny!

So a friend of mine named Joe Corallo is trying to get a TV show comedy/scifi off the ground. The show is titled The Horrors of Job Hunting: With Kevin and Randy.

Now you may be thinking...what does this have to do with you? Well he needs YOUR help to get this project off the ground and running! He has started something called a Kickstarter which is basically an internet version of PBS. You donate money to the project and when it reaches its goal you get something in return. You could get anything from digital copies of the series to having yourself as an extra in a future episode!

All donation info and a nice introduction background info video is all in the link below!

The Horrors of Job Hunting: With Kevin and Randy

I highly recommend everyone check this project out. Joe is a very funny and gifted person and a unique show idea like this deserves a chance! I mean if mindless trash like Jersey Shore can be a big hit why can't this?!

Bottom line...donate to something that deserves a fighting chance! You never know how big this show can get, and when it does you can say "Hey I totally helped this show get to this point!". Also Joe will be eternally grateful (just picture the Toy Story alien with Joe's face...its kinda like that)


Tim

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Roast King Greg Giraldo passes away.

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The king of the Roast Greg Giraldo (age 44) passed away today after being hospitalized earlier this week.

Jim Norton who is a good friend of Greg reported on the Sirius/XM radio "The Opie and Anthony Show" that he was hospitalized due to accidental overdose.

Greg Giraldo was an extremely funny comedian and was well known for his brilliant roasting skills on the popular Comedy Central Roasts series.

We at Rated R Society send our condolences to Gregs family and friends.

RIP Greg Giraldo