Linkin Park's Living Things: A New Life?

Linkin Park released their newest album, Living Things, to the waiting crowd, ready for the worst and the best reactions. Anticipation's been thick in the crowds, what with the tour to promote the album kicking off, a seperate Honda Civic tour with Incubus and Mutemath kicking off in September, and the release of their first single, "Burn It Down" onApril 16th. Needless to say, Linkin Park knows how to build up excitement.

News of the new album started in June of last year, when frontman Chester Bennington, lead singer of the well known band, announced that the band was working on yet another album. Excitement only piqued with pictures posted on Mike Shinoda's tumblr, blog, and Facebook, giving fans a glimpse into the studio and the beginning of what was sure to be a brand new sound.

Sure enough, in one of his many interviews discussing the band, rapper/pianist/vocalist Mike Shinoda told tale of the new album - admitting that as per usual, the sound of the album would be different than the last. In discussing the highly anticipated sequel to A Thousand Suns, their fourth and less appreciated album, Shinoda admitted that the sound of the album, like A Thousand Suns, was influenced by technology, a trait easily noticed when one listens to the tracks, which have many sound-board tunes compared to the hard bass and drum tracks of Linkin Park's first album, Hybrid Theory.

However, Living Things lives up to a better and more appreciated standard than A Thousand Suns, without as many instrumental and seemingly pointless tracks, and without the monologues and speeches. While the new album does boast one instrumental - "Tinfoil" - it falls in step with the band's two earliest albums, Hybrid Theory and Meteora, which both have an instrumental track as the eleventh track. However, unlike the two instrumental songs from their early years, "Tinfoil" is actually an intstrument-based instrumental - unlike "Session" and "Cure For the Itch," mixes by their master DJ Joe Hahn.

Without a doubt, Linkin Park has changed their sound once again - a far cry from their Hybrid Theory days. While one may not notice the difference between their two earliest albums, there is a subtle difference. However, the transition between Meteora and Minutes to Midnight, their second and third albums, with four years between their releases, a change that many people noticed without question. Still changing, Linkin Park released A Thousand Suns three years later, much to the chagrin of "old" fans, who preffered the sound of Hybrid Theory and Meteora. Look around the corner, and you might still find some "old" fans complaining about the loss of what was a good and promising band.

The transition between A Thousand Suns and Living Things is just as noticeable as the transition between Meteora and Minutes to Midnight, but with less than two years between the release dates of Linkin Park's two newest albums, one must agree that applause is in order. While their sound has not reverted to what was, there is plenty to love and like about Linkin Park's new album. And, to please some of the older fans, Linkin Park added the track "Victimized" to the Living Things track list. While only one minute and forty seven seconds long, the song boasts harsh vocals once again from front man Bennington, and a synthesizing cooldown from Mike Shinoda.

While Bennington still doesn't scream as much as his early days, his vocals still hit their mark, flowing over the track list easily with his usual rough cords. There's even the pleasant surprise when guitarist Bradford Delson makes a vocal appearance in "Until it Breaks," which includes Shinoda's rapping and the chorus from Bennington.

While the band's new sound still isn't for everyone, old fans could be pleased, and new fans will certainly be interested. If there's one thing Linkin Park has never failed to do, it's change, and change and change again they will, their signature style. I advise you, the reader, to give the new album a try - and even if it doesn't tickle your fancy the first time, you might find something you like the second time around...

Living Things tracklist:

1. Lost In The Echo
2. In My Remains
3. Burn It Down
4. Lies Greed Misery
5. I'll Be Gone
6. Castle Of Glass
7. Victemized
8. Roads Untravelled
9. Skin To Bone
10. Until It Breaks
11. Tinfoil
12. Powerless