Linkin Park: love them or hate them ? (Part 2)

PHOTO from lpfancorner.com

Finding that ‘middle ground’

For a number of years, it looked like Linkin Park found themselves in a dilemma no other bands would want to be in. And it was not because they are not talented musicians because, in fact, they are. It was that they could not get their detractors “off their backs” who, for nothing better to do, were wont to find “mistakes” in the direction of the band’s sound.

And that was one of the main reasons why for years, it would seem Linkin Park just couldn’t find that “middle ground” so that longtime fans would still be excited to buy their albums and the band could have made new fans as well in the process.

Frustration was starting to set in with the members of Linkin Park in trying  to figure out which creative route they should take without their album being “jinxed” by all the negativity they had perpetually been receiving.

Now, it has finally reached that point in their careers that the band will just have to do things their way.

Enough of being dictated upon and trying to please everyone. Enough of hoping to flow with current trends. Enough of being distracted away by detractors from their original sound.

High time for them they trusted their own judgment and be true to themselves–and that is, to go back to their aggressive rock roots.

And they have realized this because they are no longer the same group that had started out when they were only in their 20s. Now, they are all in their late 30s and they are seeing that the window of opportunity for the band to return to their early musical roots is beginning to close on them already.

So, this time Chester Bennington and company have decided to do things completely their way and are taking no prisoners in their latest studio-release “The Hunting Party.”

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PHOTO from lpfancorner.com

“The Hunting Party” will put all doubts to rest in people’s minds for those who are familiar to Linkin Park’s music. This is the album that you could easily compare side-by-side with their landmark albums like “Hybrid Theory” and “Meteora.”

“The Hunting Party” will help longtime fans forget the misstep the band took with their 2010 release “A Thousand Suns” which had Linkin Park experimenting heavily with Electronic influences which only resulted in alienating a huge bulk of their loyal fans in the process.

Some had wondered if we would ever see again the Linkin Park that we were first exposed to in the year 2000 in one form or another?

Now, that question can be laid to rest. I was blown away when I got to hear a few of the tracks taken from their outstanding latest effort “The Hunting Party.” It has everything that you would expect from the Linkin Park of the yesteryear, and even more that you had thought you would never hear the band sound like.

Almost everything is here. You’ve got the aggression back in Bennington’s voice. You’ve got the smooth lyrical flow of Mike Shinoda rap verses. And you’ve got the band finally sounding like a real and full band again.

Not some EDM act.

By all means, purchase this album.