My brother just recently passed away. His favorite band was always Linkin Park. Before he passed away I remember asking him how he felt about the new vocalist being a female, and he was so excited. He mourned when Chester died. But he welcomed the new vocalist with open arms. He never got to see the release of this album. And I miss him so goddamn much… I’m just happy I got to see LP live with him…
The sellout arguments dating back to One More Light never made sense to me. They're _Linkin Park,_ they don't need to make safe pop music to make money lol. If all they wanted was to make money, they could do stuff like a Hybrid Theory world tour, and tickets would have sold like hot cakes. It's fine if you guys dont like their pop sound, but insinuating that they didn't have a genuine desire to make pop music doesn't hold up to me. If they make pop music, I think its because they genuinely like it.
@phothewin6019 Not to dismiss Tony's entire review, he makes a lot of good criticisms, but like a quarter of it is "some of these songs don't sound like the first two albums and that is what I expect".
@@Kyle-fy9kt Oh I wasn’t responding directly to Melon. I was just saying in general. As a Fantano fan, I don’t actually listen to his reviews. I just peep the score then begin complaining or rejoicing in the comments.
They wanted to sellout & make pop music, simple as that lol. They literally hired several well established pop song writers & producers to do most of the work, besides Mike, Chester, & Brad, the rest of the band did little to nothing
Emily Armstrong's personal controversies aside, she legitimately is an excellent singer. Chester can never be replaced, and his voice is forever iconic to the band. But I swear Emily sounds similar enough to him that you could easily picture him singing her parts, as well as adding her own unique touches. It feels and sounds like Linkin Park, And I'm really excited to see where the band goes from here.
I don't think she's trying to sound like him, just trying to emulate him. Anyone in that position would feel the need to pay tribute. But yeah, I didn't listen to any of the lead up singles. I played this on Saturday. She sounds awesome. Very powerful singer.
Just glad it's not red flannel lol. Most critics are giving it an 8, so it sorta makes sense that he gave it a 5 considering he's not a huge fan especially of the non nu-metal stuff, and this album is a mix of everything they've done. It's the perfect album for people who are into all the eras of LP and not just the first two records, and he's the latter. Personally it's a 8.5/10 and i think their most inspired record since A Thousand Suns. Zero skips for me. Not surprised that all his favorite tracks are literally all the heavy songs.
@@spyrothedragon3983 THP was inspired in a very different sense. Just not as inspired as this one imo, I think the circumstances surrounding this certainly add to it, you can feel them be creatively reinvigorated and hungry bc this is a new beginning. THP was more of a detour for the band bc they felt like they wanted to make some heavier music and pay homage to their 90s roots, and while it's a good record that does have some gems, I do think a lot of it feels sorta bland for the band and is the least them sounding album they've done. It's missing the elements that made their earlier heavy music (HT, Meteora) interesting and fresh, and wasn't as strong in a songwriting sense, whereas From Zero excels in every department. In fact, some stuff on FZ feels like if THP was more polished. The band themselves said THP was more of a detour and novelty project of sorts, they were initially working on a more indie-pop/electropop type sound before making the pivot. And once this was done they seemingly resumed the pop direction they said they were going in since that was what the next album, OML, ended up being.
@@questionquestion1 Interesting, I found this album to share the criticisms you have of that album lol, this felt bland & hollow for most of its runtime, short songs with basic song structures (THP broke this formula), the songwriting could’ve been much stronger, especially after Post Traumatic having Mike’s most poignant lyrics, they’re just competent but I wasn’t left “feeling” anything like how the depth of the songs on their first 2 albums is palpable. I get the sense that the main goal was to make catchy songs that could all be single rather than making the best or the most meaningful music they could, but the latter is what I want to see from them, so if I don’t think it’s their best I’m left seeing the wasted potential. For me it’s much better than One More Light & Living Things, but the rest are stronger works
I agree, this album is pretty solid, with my only real complaint is that its too short, but then again i only clicked this video to reinforce my theory that if its a good rock album, fantano won't give it a good score,
As a huge linkin park fan myself, i will say i feel mostly the same, though generally a little more positive about the album as a whole. I actually think the album is better off for having a track like over each other to give emily the space to kind of do her thing within the context of the band, rather than PURELY relying on nostalgia as a selling point, especially since the band and mike have repeatedly stated that if they brought anyone else into the fold, they didn't want to bring them on purely for the sake of replacing chester. I do think that this album is a decent jumping off point for them to both show that emily can hold her own in their more classic sounds as well as try some new things and not be purely caught up in the past. This next point is purely conjecture and based on my own personal reading of the songs, but i can't help but feel after reading into the lyrics of The Emptiness Machine and IGYEIH that they were sort of the band's "statements" about emily's history with scientology. Given their reputation for the AWFUL things they've done to people who have publicly spoken out about them, I can understand why emily isn't rushing to be like "yeah i fucking hate those people", and i think linkin park's usual vagueness kind of benefits her in being able to say something without outright saying something. Even if it is more of a vague vent rather than direct pointed criticism. Though i will add that their most direct/least vague album, a thousand suns, is one of, if not my favorite of theirs. I'm also aware i could be completely talking out of my ass about this and that my reading of those songs is completely off. In addition to the point i've seen several people bring up about the album title being a nod to the band's earlier name, Xero, i think the album title also pretty clearly alludes to them needing/wanting a new start (especially emily). And while i don't feel that this album quite measures up to some of their more classic albums, it does give me some hope that they can do some great things moving forward. Emily definitely has chemistry with the band and i am definitely looking forward to where they take things in the future.
Mike said he wrote The Emptiness Machine almost entirely before Emily was the singer--but I get where you're coming from. Her being willing to sing these songs, especially considering we KNOW she's seen the hate she got from people finding out about her past, it can't be 100% nothing.
If you're not an LP die-hard, all these criticisms are totally valid. But as a huge fan of the band, I was very satisfied. I think its absolutely heroic to even make an album that sounds like themselves, given all that's happened. I felt like I was listening to an LP album the entire time (with the exception of Over Each Other which sounds closer to Paramore).
Respectfully the only thing that makes it sound anything like “Bleed It Out” is the Motown drum thing, it sounds more like a very diet (and not nearly as good) “This Is How I Disappear.”
If im honest, i loved this record. I understand why people arent impressed, i get it i really do. But to me they were seeing if Emily could do Linkin Park, and she can. Now its about seeing where they go from here. It was an 8 for me and the more i listen the more fun i have with it. Maybe im just a cavewoman but idk i think its fun, well written and a blast of a time, i appreciate the fast pace of it too
Truth be told to me it feels like Linkin Park doesn't really know what direction to go with Emily YET. And this album they are putting all kinds of sound to see what all works and what all doesn't.
Maybe I'm just cynical but I thought this was less of an experimentation album and more of a "let's not rock the boat by doing anything too daring" album. Like, they're backing a massive comeback tour off this album, they know they don't want to disappoint people now
I still think they should have went the Thom Yorke route and just made a spiritual successor band like The Smile, but at the very least, I hope Linkin Park can find a fresh direction with Emily. Maybe this will be their Dio-Black Sabbath era
Kind of silly to suggest that Heavy Is The Crown should have been the first single, when the fact is that The Emptiness Machine has been a fairly sizable hit, especially for a rock song in 2024. It's been top 10 in a ton of countries, even hitting #1 on the mainstream charts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Portugal.
I was expecting Anthony to give it a strong 5 to a light 7, so not too far off. It's basically a best of albums of sorts recycling elements from their first four, absolutely not earth-shattering but very curated IMHO. They played it safe
I don't really get the criticism of "they played it safe" (for anything to be clear, not just this). It just doesn't make sense to me. Is it good or not? Safe or risky is irrelevant. And I don't get what is "safe" or what is "risky". The definition seems arbitrary.
@@TheGeorgeD13 it's not necessarily a criticism, but you need to put yourself in the critic's mindset: the fun factor here doesn't need to be what scratches your itch, but what makes you curious. If it's not interesting like ATS was compared their previous albums, you're bound to make something that already exists and isn't as rewarding to engage in. You can expand on a concept before you start living in the shadow of your previous work, HT and Meteora in this case, albums whose lyrics the fans already know by heart. A big part of Linkin Park is also change, and you can easily argue you don't see too much of it here.
Dont expect much of an aut who cant understand a simple metaphor. He couldnt get even the most cohesive song lyrically in this album. But its fair, he thinks a lesbian woman should speak against a criminal sect that destroy lifes just because he cant take a step back on his pretentious criticism.
I grew up with Linkin Park, being a '97 kid. They were my favorite band all the way up through high school. I loved everything LP, and losing Chester was heartbreaking. I wish them the best
While I agree with most of the things said here, I completely disagree on The Emptiness Machine's lyrics. I think if you look into who Emily is as a person and what her backstory is, Emptiness Machine ends up being one of the most lyrically interesting. There are so many aspects of it that could be interpreted as an indirect criticism of her time in scientology, pretending to be somebody else because the group around her is trying to force her into a cult that demands complete servitude and whittles you down. She went in as a normal person and watched so many people go in as normal people, only to come out empty, just a shell for scientology to use whenever they see fit. Edit: id also like to add that a lot of rumors have been going around about Emily lately, and a lot of it originates from a place of misogyny. I'm not saying everybody who believes these rumors is misogynistic, just that that's where the rumors came from. It's a lot easier to get fans of Linkin Park to hate her for the scientology stuff so they make things up because it's a lot harder to get fans of Linkin Park to just hate her because she's a woman. Linkin Park has a history of acceptance and welcoming social outcasts and the mentally ill and abused. for anyone reading this, remember that a young emily armstrong was coerced into defending a rapist, but that doesn't define her or lessen the things she faced. You don't know what happened behind closed doors
or you know she’s simply a queer person that went through it since a teen. all these ‘music heads’ or as i like to call them, incels, just use the scientology as an excuse but, yeah, it’s basically just misogyny (bummer). makes for great modern rap and screaming pop bangers though.
Mike Shinoda has been on record as saying that he wrote The Emptiness Machine before Emily was a part of the band. There's a lot of misogyny getting directed her way, that much is obvious, but the general vibe of the song, an examination of the lyrical content, and how the band themselves treat the song all seem to support fantano's interpretation here.
definitely see that subtext for her, while also being a larger context for the general listener - there's even rich subtext for moments when she sings numb, even though it had been written years and years before it would've been conceivable that anyone else would sing that song
Funny, I actually started playing the album for around the fifth or sixth time when I got the notification for this video, LOL! Anyway, I'm a bit surprised at your mixed review of the record, as I thought you were gonna really tear into it. Personally, as a longtime LP fan who was devastated when Chester passed, I love this album! Sure, it goes back and forth between harder and softer songs, but I think that works to its favor. Think about it: this is their first album in seven years. Not only are they reintroducing themselves to the world, but they're also introducing themselves to a new generation of rock and metal fans. That's why I think it was a smart decision to have it kind of be a hodgepodge of all seven of their previous albums. And even then, it flows a lot better than it could've otherwise. I think a lot of your criticisms of this album are valid, and I do agree that it's their best record in quite some time. I'm excited for this new era!
Eminem & Linkin Park getting not so bad reviews & scores from Fantano while every music outlet is shitting on their new stuff is something i wasn't expecting in 2024
Honestly, exactly what I expected for the rating. Obviously not their best work with some pretty major shortcomings, but the effort is there and honestly I was expecting it to be worse. If nothing else the album at least surpassed my low expectations lol.
yea fantano is still in the same page of 3 months ago, dude is very slow and egocentric. He cant accept the fact a person cant raise voice against a criminal sect that destroy the life of ex-members
As a major linkin park fan I enjoyed it a lot but also get some of the criticisms. If nothing else, it has a few bangers and made me happy for a bit, and like you said could have turned out a lot worse
One minute of silence. The melonhead was not able to understand that "hard to laugh when im the joke" is a metaphor and could mean anything like "hard to accept something when im the target/object", which relates to the entire lyrics.
I agree with a lot of your points. I disagree on your critiques of Overflow and Good Things So. I love both those songs and they were stand outs to me. Especially overflow. I love the transcendent feeling Overflow gets me. A lot of the songs on this album have parts where I either like Emily’s part and am indifferent about Mike’s part or vice versa. Aside from Overflow and Good Things go, I do feel they picked their strongest track to release as singles. Cut the Bridge is okay. I’ve never been the biggest fan of LPs short, aggressive songs like Victimized and War. I don’t dislike them, but I don’t love them. Casualty is the same. Stained is alright. I like the lyrics but it was a bit too poppy for me. Igyeih grew on me after a few listens. The falling down the stairs line was a weaker lyric. I was also not a fan of the “wrapped around my neck like a tentacle” line. Overall, I’d give it a 7 right now.
i was definitely not expecting this review, i gotta say i agree with a lot of this stuff, i wasn’t too big on the album since the first single, but i gotta say, it’s sorta growing on me, probably not gonna be a constant repeat, but also not gonna just get forgotten
While it is a pretty bland sounding song, I personally like the lyrics of The Emptiness Machine and see them as a direct reflection of where they are as a band. The "Emptiness Machine" being the music industry/fans that demand honest art and in return give nothing but hatred and expressions of failure for not living up to their expectations.
Rarely agree with you. Thought maybe it deserves a 6 or 7 but solid review brother. I’m just glad they’re back. Got mass Hybrid Theory vibes from this one, don’t hate it.
It's funny how Hybrid Theory is only 6 minutes longer, and yet that feels more like an LP LP, and From Zero feels like an LP EP.... though ultimately that just means I've even more easily had this album on repeat 😅
I think they chose a really unique and sophisticated way to move on. Their choice for the new Park to be a different gender singer was a good way to help give direction for Linkin's new music but keeps the flame of the classics that Linkin Park made together burning bright, while not having the problem of having to compare Park with Park, who of course can never be replaced in truth. I think other bands ran into this issue like when Chains passed and Alice decided to get someone who could copy Chains really well but it can't bring back the original Alice in Chains magic. I suspect that "in" had a lot of input and influence over Alice to make that decision, especially since Chains and in had drama and fell out with Alice for a while when Alice went solo. I hope Linkin will keep making great music together with Park and people won't just be into Linkin or Park but actually appreciate Linkin and Park as they evolve to the next stage of Linkin Park. Linkin description
I was relieved that they played it safe with this album. Let them retread old ground so they can familiarise themselves with what their good at, so a future album can be longer and stronger. At least I hope that's what happens. This feels like a sampler of what might be to come.
I often don't agree but this was a fair analysis. The album has some decent tracks but also a few skippable ones. Music style and quality is quite uneven across the album. Still, it's better than their last two albums and I have some cautious optimism for Linkin Park going forward. Emily's vocals are great too, it's just the songwriting which seems to be a letdown at times.
Two Faced a "Deep Cut" WTF, it was literally the last single to be released with a video, before the full album, but then again for being a "music nerd", fantano does a good job sounding like he knows what he's talking about vs actually doing so.
From listening to interviews with Mike and Emily, it sounded like they were going to proceed without a new vocalist for awhile. The songs were 90% done when Emily got brought into the fold. This also reinforces my belief that Mike's production and songwriting is a large part of the band that got punched up by the the other members.
I think The Emptiness Machine is a good lead single because Mike sings the first verse and chorus. It's probably the most 'familiar' opening to a track they have on this album as a result, but then we get introduced to Emily who sings it an octave higher, really belting out the chorus in contrast to Mike's softer rendition of it. It eases people into the new vocalist a bit better. I think the album is overall pretty forgettable, although all of the songs are enjoyable and radio friendly. They played it safe, which is understandable. To me it's like another Minutes to Midnight sorta deal, where the band were going through a transitional period and hadn't yet found their feet. However, that was followed by A Thousand Suns which is their most creative output and my personal favourite, so I'm hoping that they're going to do the same on the next album, now that they've done the obligatory "Hey, we're still the same LP you know and love" effort.
Amazing how everyone that criticizes "overflow" says the same thing... "Oh look guitars and screams, cool... Overflow sounds weird" always the "oh i like NOISE" dudes. Amazing
It was a fun album. It wasn’t anything special, and it doesn’t hold a candle to Linkin Park’s old stuff, but it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was extremely decent.
I’d give this a 7, not their best clearly but not their worst either. Lacks cohesion, the highs are very high but the lows are very low as well. We’ll have to see what the future holds, but for now their new live shows have been killer so far.
Without CB it's Linkin Park in name only. He meant too much. I know Mike is the mastermind (and is equally as irreplaceable) but renaming the band would've been apt.
Best project since minutes to midnight. Some tracks are straight up timeless like Heavy is the crown and Two Faced. The only song that i objectively dislike is cut the bridge. It's insanely corny. All the others are just GREAT. IGYEIH is a prime example, that song SLAPS. Just wish they would go into the hybrid theory which they honestly didn't, the closest we got to that was Two Faced. I wish they went to Papercut town once again, but that's not really a complaint. Btw : Emily is GREAT. she is NOT in her prime anymore, hence why expecting her to fit the role of prime Chester is nonsensical, just google how old she is. If you have any doubts about her, google Faint in live from texas and then hers. That will speak more than i even need to. She's good, that's my point.
I was shocked on how much I liked this album. Cut the bridge is my least favorite also. I love stained and two face. A solid album and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
No way is this better than A Thousand Suns or The Hunting Party musically/creatively, but you can like it better if that’s how you feel. Emily is a great singer, but her screams are pretty awful, they probably should have found a vocalist who is in their prime
@@spyrothedragon3983 sorry but there's no use for an album to be "good" and have zero banger tracks, hunting party was just shallow, unfortunately. And as for her screams, my point from live in texas stands. Linkin Park live is tricky. My final argument.
No no they arent trying to SELL us on anything. its the new era. people just need to either get with it or get off to just enjoy what LP was not what they are now. ffs why WHY does everything with people like LP becomes a thing.
It's the Linkin Park equivalent of The Force Awakens. Gives you a lot of what you were missing from the original albums, doesn't offer a whole lot new but it wasn't really trying to. I really enjoyed the album a lot, but Hybrid Theory, Meteora and Minutes to Midnight are untouchable for me
I saw them live for their comeback concerts and she honestly did sound good live on their old songs. And it was nice to see the rest of the band having so much fun performing again. As far as the album goes, idk it doesn't really do it for me, the singles are good and I like a few of the other tracks, but I'm definitely glad I went to see them when they were performing all their old songs.
Honestly it's a higher rating than I expected from you. I somewhat see this record as a loveletter to the fans with most of the songs being partly callbacks to previous records. Not mindblowing but I'd say it's like a 7.
@@JackSkellington__ Chester couldn’t sing half the songs anymore by 2012. They put out Hunting Party and never performed like half the songs because he couldn’t. They put out OML bc that’s what his voice could handle. Crawling was played on piano for their last tour to save his voice. The old songs are still there for you to listen to. You never have to attend an LP concert if you don’t want to. But this is absolutely still Linkin Park. The vibes are the same. She sounds awesome on the old stuff. She’s doing songs live that Chester never did. Chester wanted LP to outlive him or any member. Chester also was literally a replacement singer for a band. It’s okay if it takes you time to come to terms with this, but you don’t need to be a dick about it to people who enjoy it.
So when it comes to Two Faced and they sound like Linkin Park - "oh, that's too much cliche" When it comes to other songs - "oh, that's not Linkin Park".
I like it, it's I'd say a light 7. But almost every song is catchy and listenable. Not much innovation, but LP has always been this. Listenable, highly relatable and catchy.
I thought you would trash it but I completely agree. Passable, sometimes quality, but nothing that impactful or impressive when compared with their previous work. Drama aside, it’s fine I guess but pretty uninspired. Will continue checking out their stuff post-reunion but this was a mild letdown when expectations were already relatively middling to start
He's mentioned in the past that some of the tracks have grown on him iirc, but that was a couple years ago now. Probably wouldn't change much. But he probably wouldn't do it anyways given his current beef with a certain subset of Kanye stans.
Yeah, that's about how I expected this review to go down. And I agree with the general idea that this album's more of a reintroduction with a new singer rather than a step forward. That all said, as a Thousand Suns fan it's funny that you smashed my favorite (Overflow) and least favorite (Cut The Bridge) together in a negative light. I also loved the closing track. Still, I think this is an album that's content to be a career retrospective grab bag for fans to cherry pick their favorites from based on whatever era they like the most. Not all songs here are for everyone, but all songs here are for someone.
He keeps going on about how this is a short album… every Linkin Park record falls between the 30-50 minute mark anyways. As if he doesn’t realise that.
After a while it became obvious the album was intended to take their sounds over the years and morph it into one comeback run, so they could leave a good impression while building a setlist that doesn't permanently have Emily singing stuff crafted around Chester. Like yeah they can play some of the older stuff live every now and then, but the past era can't stay the theme of the present era.
personally i think the choice of emily as a “sounds similar enough to chester” replacement was the worst decision linkin park could have made. all the controversy surrounding her aside. either they should have reinvented themselves, with a new sound, possibly even a new name and at most a few reminders here and there of what the band used to be. or, they could have continued the band without directly replacing chester and, as after chester's death, they could have brought in singers from other bands for their tracks, in the sense of a legacy continuation of the band. unfortunately, to my ears, the whole album just sounds like a bad copy of what the band used to be and scratches the image of what's left
You brought up some pretty good criticisms bro. I absolutely agree that this album is meant to be a way of bringing back the band and touring for a bit. I do think people are way too harsh with Emily filling the vocal role and I’m glad you acknowledge that. In my opinion she does a great job, of course not as good as the GOAT Chester, but she absolutely brings that vibe. As a huge Linkin Park fan, I really enjoyed this album a lot (I personally give it an 8) and hope this isn’t the end!
One minute of silence. The melonhead was not able to understand that "hard to laugh when im the joke" is a metaphor and could mean anything like "hard to accept something when im the target/object", which relates to the entire lyrics.
@@markc266 Yeah, I agree & I think his review is consistent with the take that there’s just some decent bangers on here but it could’ve been much better, I see comments here cursing his existence just for giving it a 5 😂
i really love the album, from a old fan, she really fits LP and to think these songs where recorded before she went on tour, so her singing has got a lot better, the songs defiantly sounds like each song is from each one of their albums, it was sad that its only 10 songs, would of been nice to be 12 or 15 but im so happy they are back, cant wait to see what they make next
Yea I was thinking a light 6 or a 5 for this one with how hard Casualty goes and a couple of the other songs. I think once they ease out the growing pains of having her as the new member and find their chops, they're gonna make some awesome music. And please, no more 30 minute albums... lol
It’s theorised that she doesn’t associate with scientology anymore because of some lyrics on Dead Sara that may suggest Emily is critical of them (she was born into it) but since this cult is fucking insane, it would be dangerous for her to publicly shit talk them. Or she’s just still into lol who knows
@@runnerhigh Isn’t the other guitarist for Dead Sara a proven Scientologist? If she was out, it would be known, Aaron from Growning Up In Scientology would hear something
I will say one thing, it's clear that Shinoda wanted to be the main singer, instead of the back and forth between him and Chester, he has taken over both of these parts, and she has become basically the back up singer to hit the refrains and Chester scream parts. Better than I thought it would be, but she doesn't fill his shoes, she fills HALF his shoes and Shinoda fills the other half. Pay attention to the proportion of each song she sings on.
Fair score, quality criticisms. Unsubscribed.
most sane person on the internet
It be like that sometimes
Same bro
Original comment
😂😂😂
In the Park, Straight up Linkin' it
I'm Linkin my Park rn
what do you mean by "it?"
@@Surfinflea heh, and by “it” i mean my parkits
@@Surfinfleahaha well let's justr say my cheetos
@@Jumsut_ Sounds like an MC Ride bar
If they named the album “From 5” you would’ve given it a 10
@@DragonPhlegm ok this one's actually funny. Probably the funniest one of these jokes I've seen in really long
This one is actually funny 🤣
It really isn't.
The only "if it was named x you would've given it a 10" joke that deserves a like
goddamn it lol
from the 0 to the 5 to the pen to the king
should’ve been to the lin to the kin
From the hero to the hive to mc ren to the 98' cash money bling
so that's why the crown is heavy uh
@@3Ggian Golden opportunity missed
KSI. Respect! ✊🏿
going from a NOT GOOD to a 5 is honestly not that bad tbh
They went from zero to five.
At this rate they'll be getting a 20/10 in a matter of years
Missed opportunity bud
@@HugoRBMarquesNo. Not good to 5.
I think because of that lyrics "my homies lick my D that's normal" it got a bad score
My brother just recently passed away. His favorite band was always Linkin Park. Before he passed away I remember asking him how he felt about the new vocalist being a female, and he was so excited. He mourned when Chester died. But he welcomed the new vocalist with open arms. He never got to see the release of this album. And I miss him so goddamn much… I’m just happy I got to see LP live with him…
I'm so sorry for your loss. Jam double hard for him. ❤
I wish I died before being able to witness this dogshit album. Lucky him.
Sorry for loss man ❤
I’m sorry for your loss bro, my condolences ❤️❤️❤️
@@diazchristopherm so sorry for your loss.
The sellout arguments dating back to One More Light never made sense to me.
They're _Linkin Park,_ they don't need to make safe pop music to make money lol. If all they wanted was to make money, they could do stuff like a Hybrid Theory world tour, and tickets would have sold like hot cakes.
It's fine if you guys dont like their pop sound, but insinuating that they didn't have a genuine desire to make pop music doesn't hold up to me. If they make pop music, I think its because they genuinely like it.
@phothewin6019 Not to dismiss Tony's entire review, he makes a lot of good criticisms, but like a quarter of it is "some of these songs don't sound like the first two albums and that is what I expect".
Exactly, if they wanted to “sell out” they would have went pop with Meteora, not wait 20 years
@@Kyle-fy9kt Oh I wasn’t responding directly to Melon. I was just saying in general.
As a Fantano fan, I don’t actually listen to his reviews. I just peep the score then begin complaining or rejoicing in the comments.
@@phothewin6019lmao
They wanted to sellout & make pop music, simple as that lol. They literally hired several well established pop song writers & producers to do most of the work, besides Mike, Chester, & Brad, the rest of the band did little to nothing
I predict there will be about 5,000 comments regarding the number zero
Is not a prediction if the thing you predicted has already happened
@@SynthfulDuck it is a prediction considering I posted this 1 minute after upload
Fair enough, it better be 5k comments then or else it still isn't a prefiction
0
5001
Emily Armstrong's personal controversies aside, she legitimately is an excellent singer. Chester can never be replaced, and his voice is forever iconic to the band. But I swear Emily sounds similar enough to him that you could easily picture him singing her parts, as well as adding her own unique touches. It feels and sounds like Linkin Park, And I'm really excited to see where the band goes from here.
I don't think she's trying to sound like him, just trying to emulate him. Anyone in that position would feel the need to pay tribute. But yeah, I didn't listen to any of the lead up singles. I played this on Saturday. She sounds awesome. Very powerful singer.
She’s a Scientologist. Can’t be supporting them
This sums things up very well
Just glad it's not red flannel lol. Most critics are giving it an 8, so it sorta makes sense that he gave it a 5 considering he's not a huge fan especially of the non nu-metal stuff, and this album is a mix of everything they've done. It's the perfect album for people who are into all the eras of LP and not just the first two records, and he's the latter. Personally it's a 8.5/10 and i think their most inspired record since A Thousand Suns. Zero skips for me.
Not surprised that all his favorite tracks are literally all the heavy songs.
How was this more inspired than the hunting party? They actually did new things on that album
@@spyrothedragon3983 THP was inspired in a very different sense. Just not as inspired as this one imo, I think the circumstances surrounding this certainly add to it, you can feel them be creatively reinvigorated and hungry bc this is a new beginning.
THP was more of a detour for the band bc they felt like they wanted to make some heavier music and pay homage to their 90s roots, and while it's a good record that does have some gems, I do think a lot of it feels sorta bland for the band and is the least them sounding album they've done. It's missing the elements that made their earlier heavy music (HT, Meteora) interesting and fresh, and wasn't as strong in a songwriting sense, whereas From Zero excels in every department. In fact, some stuff on FZ feels like if THP was more polished. The band themselves said THP was more of a detour and novelty project of sorts, they were initially working on a more indie-pop/electropop type sound before making the pivot. And once this was done they seemingly resumed the pop direction they said they were going in since that was what the next album, OML, ended up being.
@@questionquestion1 Interesting, I found this album to share the criticisms you have of that album lol, this felt bland & hollow for most of its runtime, short songs with basic song structures (THP broke this formula), the songwriting could’ve been much stronger, especially after Post Traumatic having Mike’s most poignant lyrics, they’re just competent but I wasn’t left “feeling” anything like how the depth of the songs on their first 2 albums is palpable. I get the sense that the main goal was to make catchy songs that could all be single rather than making the best or the most meaningful music they could, but the latter is what I want to see from them, so if I don’t think it’s their best I’m left seeing the wasted potential. For me it’s much better than One More Light & Living Things, but the rest are stronger works
Hey Mike, how you doin
I agree, this album is pretty solid, with my only real complaint is that its too short, but then again i only clicked this video to reinforce my theory that if its a good rock album, fantano won't give it a good score,
Fun fact: Before Linkin Park was "Linkin Park," they went by the name "Xero." I imagine that plays a part in the album title
That's what Mike's kid was getting at in the intro track
And Xero was before Chester
@@SolidusLightning777 Mike’s kid couldn’t even make it to the NBA. This is one reason why LeBron > Jordan.
From Xero to Xenu
@@phothewin6019 who asked lmao
As a huge linkin park fan myself, i will say i feel mostly the same, though generally a little more positive about the album as a whole. I actually think the album is better off for having a track like over each other to give emily the space to kind of do her thing within the context of the band, rather than PURELY relying on nostalgia as a selling point, especially since the band and mike have repeatedly stated that if they brought anyone else into the fold, they didn't want to bring them on purely for the sake of replacing chester. I do think that this album is a decent jumping off point for them to both show that emily can hold her own in their more classic sounds as well as try some new things and not be purely caught up in the past.
This next point is purely conjecture and based on my own personal reading of the songs, but i can't help but feel after reading into the lyrics of The Emptiness Machine and IGYEIH that they were sort of the band's "statements" about emily's history with scientology. Given their reputation for the AWFUL things they've done to people who have publicly spoken out about them, I can understand why emily isn't rushing to be like "yeah i fucking hate those people", and i think linkin park's usual vagueness kind of benefits her in being able to say something without outright saying something. Even if it is more of a vague vent rather than direct pointed criticism. Though i will add that their most direct/least vague album, a thousand suns, is one of, if not my favorite of theirs. I'm also aware i could be completely talking out of my ass about this and that my reading of those songs is completely off.
In addition to the point i've seen several people bring up about the album title being a nod to the band's earlier name, Xero, i think the album title also pretty clearly alludes to them needing/wanting a new start (especially emily). And while i don't feel that this album quite measures up to some of their more classic albums, it does give me some hope that they can do some great things moving forward. Emily definitely has chemistry with the band and i am definitely looking forward to where they take things in the future.
Mike said he wrote The Emptiness Machine almost entirely before Emily was the singer--but I get where you're coming from. Her being willing to sing these songs, especially considering we KNOW she's seen the hate she got from people finding out about her past, it can't be 100% nothing.
@@breakthespell22lol you actually read all that gibberish??
Imagine being this passionate about linkin park💀
@@Porcuspine360damn look at the edge lord, being cool and all
@@Porcuspine360Imagine being able to pen a comment that long, let alone read it. Oh wait.
Ok wow, that's shocking. I was not expecting that high from you. Some quality criticism too
he actually listened to it lol nostalgia isn't necessarily a bad thing - it just can't be the only thing
This is easily their best album since One More Light.
Not saying much lmao
@elijahgrossman8223 You don't say, Elijah?
@@elijahgrossman8223I know right😭 I have no humor either
@@elijahgrossman8223 oh really?
personall OML beats this
If you're not an LP die-hard, all these criticisms are totally valid.
But as a huge fan of the band, I was very satisfied. I think its absolutely heroic to even make an album that sounds like themselves, given all that's happened. I felt like I was listening to an LP album the entire time (with the exception of Over Each Other which sounds closer to Paramore).
@@NeonRadarMusic nah, imo Over Each Other sounds like Until It's Gone from The Hunting Party.
Im so glad im not crazy, i feel the same way, i love this album and ive been lowkey addicted since it released 😅
Two Faced chorus sounds a lot like Paramore's song Caught in the Middle lol
@zackzallie8735 wow I just heard the Paramore song its basically an interpolation lol
@@NeonRadarMusic LP FANBOYS will never understand how LP FANS can like the band and criticize it, at the same time.
This is the most positive 5 Fantano has ever dealt.
Certainly one of the most positive light fives for sure
positive in that it had to be pried from fantano's grip haha
No mention of IGYEIH?
he lists it as one of the favorite tracks in the descriptions i guess
That's what I thought 😭😭
Best track and not even mentioning it
If this album was called To Link A Parkinfly you’d have given it a 10
OMG SO FUNNY HAHAHAHAHXDDDDD NEVER SAW THAT ONE COMING LEMAUUUU
now this is a good one.
nah...
I Will never get enough of this type of joke ahahahhaha
i usually hate this joke format, but "link a parkinfly" is actually rly funny
5 is 5 points higher than I expected
The most positive sounding Fantano's 5-score review compared to his other reviews of higher scores. This is the new normal lol
Because he liked the album but he needs to keep his pretentious image, so he cant score it 6+
@@VASILY.IsMyLoV-rn9kj my guy what
@@VASILY.IsMyLoV-rn9kjhe gave Sexyy Redd an 8 I think he's beating the pretentious allegations VERY handily
@@extraterrestrial8888 it is crazy to give her an 8 and this a 5
@@adexplorersit really isn’t. It’s the same stupid argument that was made when he gave Lil Pump a 7.
Lincoln cut down a tree in the Park with a strong 7” handle on an axe. A light crash was heard as the tree fell.
Crazy how he mentioned Cut The Bridge seemed like “unfamiliar territory” yet failed to mention it sounded just like Bleed it Out off their MTM album 🤔
he is a clown
Respectfully the only thing that makes it sound anything like “Bleed It Out” is the Motown drum thing, it sounds more like a very diet (and not nearly as good) “This Is How I Disappear.”
Meh I respectfully disagree.
If im honest, i loved this record. I understand why people arent impressed, i get it i really do. But to me they were seeing if Emily could do Linkin Park, and she can. Now its about seeing where they go from here. It was an 8 for me and the more i listen the more fun i have with it. Maybe im just a cavewoman but idk i think its fun, well written and a blast of a time, i appreciate the fast pace of it too
I agree, I'm so looking forward to the Emily era with this as a solid catchy start. I give the album a 8 and I even cried.
Y’all glazing her she’s not that good. If the band had a different name nobody would care about them.
I'd have preferred it personally if they figured out what to do with a new singer *before* releasing an album full of Hybrid Theory ripoff spam farts
Truth be told to me it feels like Linkin Park doesn't really know what direction to go with Emily YET. And this album they are putting all kinds of sound to see what all works and what all doesn't.
Maybe I'm just cynical but I thought this was less of an experimentation album and more of a "let's not rock the boat by doing anything too daring" album. Like, they're backing a massive comeback tour off this album, they know they don't want to disappoint people now
@@Billiamwoods yeah but I do appreciate a strong theme or a message though an album and a consistent direction. Otherwise it becomes too forgettable
I still think they should have went the Thom Yorke route and just made a spiritual successor band like The Smile, but at the very least, I hope Linkin Park can find a fresh direction with Emily. Maybe this will be their Dio-Black Sabbath era
Watchu mean, she sounds amazig in all the tracks
@ not THEIR best, yeah it’s better than maybe OML but that’s not saying a lot
Kind of silly to suggest that Heavy Is The Crown should have been the first single, when the fact is that The Emptiness Machine has been a fairly sizable hit, especially for a rock song in 2024. It's been top 10 in a ton of countries, even hitting #1 on the mainstream charts in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg and Portugal.
We're only talking about real countries. Get out of here, extraterrestrial
Any first single would still be #1, it would’ve been their comeback song regardless
@ doubtful. It’s not like they’ve had many big hits since Numb.
@@TheRealBlueSwan lolwhat
@@TheRealBlueSwan ??? that is so objectively not true lmao
7:05 missed opportunity to say "the weakest link in the park"
Casualty might be the hardest song they’ve ever written, and it might legitimately be my favorite song on the album. Two Faced is also really great.
I was expecting Anthony to give it a strong 5 to a light 7, so not too far off. It's basically a best of albums of sorts recycling elements from their first four, absolutely not earth-shattering but very curated IMHO. They played it safe
I don't really get the criticism of "they played it safe" (for anything to be clear, not just this). It just doesn't make sense to me. Is it good or not? Safe or risky is irrelevant. And I don't get what is "safe" or what is "risky". The definition seems arbitrary.
@@TheGeorgeD13 "Safe" is arbitrary
@@TheGeorgeD13 it's not necessarily a criticism, but you need to put yourself in the critic's mindset: the fun factor here doesn't need to be what scratches your itch, but what makes you curious. If it's not interesting like ATS was compared their previous albums, you're bound to make something that already exists and isn't as rewarding to engage in. You can expand on a concept before you start living in the shadow of your previous work, HT and Meteora in this case, albums whose lyrics the fans already know by heart. A big part of Linkin Park is also change, and you can easily argue you don't see too much of it here.
Dont expect much of an aut who cant understand a simple metaphor. He couldnt get even the most cohesive song lyrically in this album. But its fair, he thinks a lesbian woman should speak against a criminal sect that destroy lifes just because he cant take a step back on his pretentious criticism.
@@lostblue5651 who hurt u
All jokes aside, this is probably their best slbum since a thousand suns
I rate it just below LIVING THINGS which is one of my fav albums of theirs
I would say second best, The Hunting Party was amazing imo, this ranks just below it for me.
it IS the best album since a thousand suns
living things and one more light laugh
I grew up with Linkin Park, being a '97 kid. They were my favorite band all the way up through high school. I loved everything LP, and losing Chester was heartbreaking. I wish them the best
While I agree with most of the things said here, I completely disagree on The Emptiness Machine's lyrics. I think if you look into who Emily is as a person and what her backstory is, Emptiness Machine ends up being one of the most lyrically interesting. There are so many aspects of it that could be interpreted as an indirect criticism of her time in scientology, pretending to be somebody else because the group around her is trying to force her into a cult that demands complete servitude and whittles you down. She went in as a normal person and watched so many people go in as normal people, only to come out empty, just a shell for scientology to use whenever they see fit.
Edit: id also like to add that a lot of rumors have been going around about Emily lately, and a lot of it originates from a place of misogyny. I'm not saying everybody who believes these rumors is misogynistic, just that that's where the rumors came from. It's a lot easier to get fans of Linkin Park to hate her for the scientology stuff so they make things up because it's a lot harder to get fans of Linkin Park to just hate her because she's a woman. Linkin Park has a history of acceptance and welcoming social outcasts and the mentally ill and abused. for anyone reading this, remember that a young emily armstrong was coerced into defending a rapist, but that doesn't define her or lessen the things she faced. You don't know what happened behind closed doors
completely agree
or you know she’s simply a queer person that went through it since a teen.
all these ‘music heads’ or as i like to call them, incels, just use the scientology as an excuse but, yeah, it’s basically just misogyny (bummer).
makes for great modern rap and screaming pop bangers though.
Mike Shinoda has been on record as saying that he wrote The Emptiness Machine before Emily was a part of the band. There's a lot of misogyny getting directed her way, that much is obvious, but the general vibe of the song, an examination of the lyrical content, and how the band themselves treat the song all seem to support fantano's interpretation here.
@ supports the notion that they’re still hurt from the fallout from chester’s passing
definitely see that subtext for her, while also being a larger context for the general listener - there's even rich subtext for moments when she sings numb, even though it had been written years and years before it would've been conceivable that anyone else would sing that song
Funny, I actually started playing the album for around the fifth or sixth time when I got the notification for this video, LOL! Anyway, I'm a bit surprised at your mixed review of the record, as I thought you were gonna really tear into it. Personally, as a longtime LP fan who was devastated when Chester passed, I love this album! Sure, it goes back and forth between harder and softer songs, but I think that works to its favor. Think about it: this is their first album in seven years. Not only are they reintroducing themselves to the world, but they're also introducing themselves to a new generation of rock and metal fans. That's why I think it was a smart decision to have it kind of be a hodgepodge of all seven of their previous albums. And even then, it flows a lot better than it could've otherwise. I think a lot of your criticisms of this album are valid, and I do agree that it's their best record in quite some time. I'm excited for this new era!
Honestly, I thought it was a good album, enjoyable, 6-7/10
i give it a 7.5 - a few moments hit 8 or 9, but nothing really reaches the same peaks of hybrid theory / meteora
The synths on Overflow immediately reminded my of "Everything In Its Right Place" by Radiohead
Eminem & Linkin Park getting not so bad reviews & scores from Fantano while every music outlet is shitting on their new stuff is something i wasn't expecting in 2024
From Zero is their best rated album on metacritic as of now tho
LP's album is on track to be their best reviewed album ever rightfully so
Fantano's review of Halsey was a fail though
@@yudhabagaskara98 that album was truly awful tho
A 5s not breaking any walls down
Honestly, exactly what I expected for the rating. Obviously not their best work with some pretty major shortcomings, but the effort is there and honestly I was expecting it to be worse. If nothing else the album at least surpassed my low expectations lol.
yea fantano is still in the same page of 3 months ago, dude is very slow and egocentric. He cant accept the fact a person cant raise voice against a criminal sect that destroy the life of ex-members
As a major linkin park fan I enjoyed it a lot but also get some of the criticisms. If nothing else, it has a few bangers and made me happy for a bit, and like you said could have turned out a lot worse
One minute of silence. The melonhead was not able to understand that "hard to laugh when im the joke" is a metaphor and could mean anything like "hard to accept something when im the target/object", which relates to the entire lyrics.
Tbh I wasn’t expecting Emily to sound so grating when she screams, easily some of the worst female harsh vocals I’ve ever heard
Casualty now being part of their repertoire made this whole album worth it honestly
I agree with a lot of your points. I disagree on your critiques of Overflow and Good Things So. I love both those songs and they were stand outs to me. Especially overflow. I love the transcendent feeling Overflow gets me.
A lot of the songs on this album have parts where I either like Emily’s part and am indifferent about Mike’s part or vice versa. Aside from Overflow and Good Things go, I do feel they picked their strongest track to release as singles. Cut the Bridge is okay. I’ve never been the biggest fan of LPs short, aggressive songs like Victimized and War. I don’t dislike them, but I don’t love them. Casualty is the same. Stained is alright. I like the lyrics but it was a bit too poppy for me. Igyeih grew on me after a few listens. The falling down the stairs line was a weaker lyric. I was also not a fan of the “wrapped around my neck like a tentacle” line.
Overall, I’d give it a 7 right now.
Classic review: Hybrid Theory
@7:00 missed a good opportunity to say “not the weakest link in the park” instead of chain.
i was definitely not expecting this review, i gotta say i agree with a lot of this stuff, i wasn’t too big on the album since the first single, but i gotta say, it’s sorta growing on me, probably not gonna be a constant repeat, but also not gonna just get forgotten
While it is a pretty bland sounding song, I personally like the lyrics of The Emptiness Machine and see them as a direct reflection of where they are as a band. The "Emptiness Machine" being the music industry/fans that demand honest art and in return give nothing but hatred and expressions of failure for not living up to their expectations.
Rarely agree with you. Thought maybe it deserves a 6 or 7 but solid review brother. I’m just glad they’re back. Got mass Hybrid Theory vibes from this one, don’t hate it.
I live in a garbage can.
that's crazy
wow
So does this album
Are you a bit...grouchy?
I'm Popeye the sailor (wo)man.
It's funny how Hybrid Theory is only 6 minutes longer, and yet that feels more like an LP LP, and From Zero feels like an LP EP.... though ultimately that just means I've even more easily had this album on repeat 😅
I think they chose a really unique and sophisticated way to move on. Their choice for the new Park to be a different gender singer was a good way to help give direction for Linkin's new music but keeps the flame of the classics that Linkin Park made together burning bright, while not having the problem of having to compare Park with Park, who of course can never be replaced in truth.
I think other bands ran into this issue like when Chains passed and Alice decided to get someone who could copy Chains really well but it can't bring back the original Alice in Chains magic. I suspect that "in" had a lot of input and influence over Alice to make that decision, especially since Chains and in had drama and fell out with Alice for a while when Alice went solo.
I hope Linkin will keep making great music together with Park and people won't just be into Linkin or Park but actually appreciate Linkin and Park as they evolve to the next stage of Linkin Park.
Linkin description
I was relieved that they played it safe with this album. Let them retread old ground so they can familiarise themselves with what their good at, so a future album can be longer and stronger. At least I hope that's what happens. This feels like a sampler of what might be to come.
I often don't agree but this was a fair analysis. The album has some decent tracks but also a few skippable ones. Music style and quality is quite uneven across the album. Still, it's better than their last two albums and I have some cautious optimism for Linkin Park going forward. Emily's vocals are great too, it's just the songwriting which seems to be a letdown at times.
Two Faced a "Deep Cut" WTF, it was literally the last single to be released with a video, before the full album,
but then again for being a "music nerd", fantano does a good job sounding like he knows what he's talking about vs actually doing so.
why is he dressed like a little paper boy? his outfit makes him look like a small child
He’s not small, his head is just melon
From listening to interviews with Mike and Emily, it sounded like they were going to proceed without a new vocalist for awhile. The songs were 90% done when Emily got brought into the fold. This also reinforces my belief that Mike's production and songwriting is a large part of the band that got punched up by the the other members.
Album was an 8 for me so was expecting a 3 from baldy we take a light 5 🙏
I think The Emptiness Machine is a good lead single because Mike sings the first verse and chorus. It's probably the most 'familiar' opening to a track they have on this album as a result, but then we get introduced to Emily who sings it an octave higher, really belting out the chorus in contrast to Mike's softer rendition of it. It eases people into the new vocalist a bit better.
I think the album is overall pretty forgettable, although all of the songs are enjoyable and radio friendly. They played it safe, which is understandable. To me it's like another Minutes to Midnight sorta deal, where the band were going through a transitional period and hadn't yet found their feet. However, that was followed by A Thousand Suns which is their most creative output and my personal favourite, so I'm hoping that they're going to do the same on the next album, now that they've done the obligatory "Hey, we're still the same LP you know and love" effort.
Two albums came out at the same day, one is Linkin park trying to be Linkin park and the other is Poppy being an absolute beast
More like Poppy trying to be Bring Me the Horizon
Jordan from BMTH produced that album so of course it sounds like his production @@ehrtdaz7186
Wanna be grimes
Poppy is overrated af
@@ehrtdaz7186 produced by a former BMTH guy after all.. not a surprise there would be similar touches
Amazing how everyone that criticizes "overflow" says the same thing... "Oh look guitars and screams, cool... Overflow sounds weird" always the "oh i like NOISE" dudes. Amazing
If the band name was Melon Park, you'd have given it a 10
The lyrics sound like Mike threw all past LP lyrics into some AI program and had it regurgitate something in that style
I bet he did tbh
It was a fun album. It wasn’t anything special, and it doesn’t hold a candle to Linkin Park’s old stuff, but it also wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. It was extremely decent.
it may be fun and not horrible but i’d never come back to any of these songs or have them on a playlist/ any sort of rotation
@@e7193there’s a few bangers on there I’ll come back to in the next few months. I also think Overflow and Good Things Go are repeatable
Decent but forgettable, with the exception of Emily’s screams which are so bad they gave me a headache & I’ll remember that lol
So translation in Gen X/Z: It's the most mid album
@@e7193 i'd put a handful on shuffle just to hear something i didn't 100% recognize right away
I’d give this a 7, not their best clearly but not their worst either. Lacks cohesion, the highs are very high but the lows are very low as well. We’ll have to see what the future holds, but for now their new live shows have been killer so far.
Without CB it's Linkin Park in name only. He meant too much. I know Mike is the mastermind (and is equally as irreplaceable) but renaming the band would've been apt.
Exactly. They kept the name to keep the eyes on them
I like the newer stuff, good to have a semblance of the older style back.
Im just glad Linkin Park is back !!! Chester will forever live on in his music.
Except the new singer is a part of an abusive cult that also happens to deny mental health issues existing.
I give this one a NOT GOOD. Sometimes it's best to just let things be.
Best project since minutes to midnight. Some tracks are straight up timeless like Heavy is the crown and Two Faced. The only song that i objectively dislike is cut the bridge. It's insanely corny. All the others are just GREAT. IGYEIH is a prime example, that song SLAPS.
Just wish they would go into the hybrid theory which they honestly didn't, the closest we got to that was Two Faced. I wish they went to Papercut town once again, but that's not really a complaint.
Btw : Emily is GREAT. she is NOT in her prime anymore, hence why expecting her to fit the role of prime Chester is nonsensical, just google how old she is.
If you have any doubts about her, google Faint in live from texas and then hers. That will speak more than i even need to. She's good, that's my point.
I was shocked on how much I liked this album. Cut the bridge is my least favorite also. I love stained and two face. A solid album and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
lmao ats? thp? you're kidding me lmao
No way is this better than A Thousand Suns or The Hunting Party musically/creatively, but you can like it better if that’s how you feel. Emily is a great singer, but her screams are pretty awful, they probably should have found a vocalist who is in their prime
@@Chemicalol100%
@@spyrothedragon3983 sorry but there's no use for an album to be "good" and have zero banger tracks, hunting party was just shallow, unfortunately. And as for her screams, my point from live in texas stands. Linkin Park live is tricky. My final argument.
No no they arent trying to SELL us on anything. its the new era. people just need to either get with it or get off to just enjoy what LP was not what they are now. ffs why WHY does everything with people like LP becomes a thing.
It's the Linkin Park equivalent of The Force Awakens. Gives you a lot of what you were missing from the original albums, doesn't offer a whole lot new but it wasn't really trying to. I really enjoyed the album a lot, but Hybrid Theory, Meteora and Minutes to Midnight are untouchable for me
I saw them live for their comeback concerts and she honestly did sound good live on their old songs. And it was nice to see the rest of the band having so much fun performing again. As far as the album goes, idk it doesn't really do it for me, the singles are good and I like a few of the other tracks, but I'm definitely glad I went to see them when they were performing all their old songs.
Honestly it's a higher rating than I expected from you. I somewhat see this record as a loveletter to the fans with most of the songs being partly callbacks to previous records. Not mindblowing but I'd say it's like a 7.
Not even a single word about IGYEIH😭😭
honestly better than i expected
World Tour already kicked off and has been selling out massively btw
Good for her
@@daisydroid seen them twice w her and twice w Chester and it’s different but still Linkin Park and I loved it all 4x
@@POTBELLY15Chester is so much better they should’ve changed the band name
@@JackSkellington__ Chester couldn’t sing half the songs anymore by 2012. They put out Hunting Party and never performed like half the songs because he couldn’t. They put out OML bc that’s what his voice could handle. Crawling was played on piano for their last tour to save his voice.
The old songs are still there for you to listen to. You never have to attend an LP concert if you don’t want to. But this is absolutely still Linkin Park. The vibes are the same. She sounds awesome on the old stuff. She’s doing songs live that Chester never did. Chester wanted LP to outlive him or any member. Chester also was literally a replacement singer for a band. It’s okay if it takes you time to come to terms with this, but you don’t need to be a dick about it to people who enjoy it.
It is overhyped and not very good.
So when it comes to Two Faced and they sound like Linkin Park - "oh, that's too much cliche"
When it comes to other songs - "oh, that's not Linkin Park".
I like it, it's I'd say a light 7. But almost every song is catchy and listenable. Not much innovation, but LP has always been this. Listenable, highly relatable and catchy.
If there is AMV material (which there is) it’s a 10 for me. 🗣️💯🔥
I thought you would trash it but I completely agree. Passable, sometimes quality, but nothing that impactful or impressive when compared with their previous work. Drama aside, it’s fine I guess but pretty uninspired. Will continue checking out their stuff post-reunion but this was a mild letdown when expectations were already relatively middling to start
They’ve improved slightly, but there is still a very noticeable chester-shaped hole in the band
Yeezus redux review when you reach 3M please melon
you won't like what he has to say
He's mentioned in the past that some of the tracks have grown on him iirc, but that was a couple years ago now. Probably wouldn't change much. But he probably wouldn't do it anyways given his current beef with a certain subset of Kanye stans.
@@abartel6no one will
Yeah, that's about how I expected this review to go down. And I agree with the general idea that this album's more of a reintroduction with a new singer rather than a step forward. That all said, as a Thousand Suns fan it's funny that you smashed my favorite (Overflow) and least favorite (Cut The Bridge) together in a negative light. I also loved the closing track. Still, I think this is an album that's content to be a career retrospective grab bag for fans to cherry pick their favorites from based on whatever era they like the most. Not all songs here are for everyone, but all songs here are for someone.
5/10 seems about right for this one. Has its moments but you can tell they went to the well of oldies for inspirations.
He keeps going on about how this is a short album… every Linkin Park record falls between the 30-50 minute mark anyways. As if he doesn’t realise that.
it's their shortest album.
Fir... Nah I cut it out
After a while it became obvious the album was intended to take their sounds over the years and morph it into one comeback run, so they could leave a good impression while building a setlist that doesn't permanently have Emily singing stuff crafted around Chester.
Like yeah they can play some of the older stuff live every now and then, but the past era can't stay the theme of the present era.
Fair enough I guess. But linkin park fans would enjoy this album much more
personally i think the choice of emily as a “sounds similar enough to chester” replacement was the worst decision linkin park could have made. all the controversy surrounding her aside.
either they should have reinvented themselves, with a new sound, possibly even a new name and at most a few reminders here and there of what the band used to be.
or, they could have continued the band without directly replacing chester and, as after chester's death, they could have brought in singers from other bands for their tracks, in the sense of a legacy continuation of the band.
unfortunately, to my ears, the whole album just sounds like a bad copy of what the band used to be and scratches the image of what's left
I don't see a single reason why the band should address their singers personal past
just a reminder to all the linkin park fans:
KSI's last Album got the same rating
The band will never be the same without Chester 😔
Of course it won’t. No one was expecting it to be the same
You brought up some pretty good criticisms bro. I absolutely agree that this album is meant to be a way of bringing back the band and touring for a bit.
I do think people are way too harsh with Emily filling the vocal role and I’m glad you acknowledge that. In my opinion she does a great job, of course not as good as the GOAT Chester, but she absolutely brings that vibe.
As a huge Linkin Park fan, I really enjoyed this album a lot (I personally give it an 8) and hope this isn’t the end!
They named the album wrong, it should've been called From Strong Four To A Light Five
The most accurate description of this that I've seen so far is that this thing "feels more like an EP".
One minute of silence. The melonhead was not able to understand that "hard to laugh when im the joke" is a metaphor and could mean anything like "hard to accept something when im the target/object", which relates to the entire lyrics.
Im surprised Melon hasn’t done a review for Asap Ferg’s new album considering he was enjoying the lead up singles that dropped
Damn a 5? Better than I was expecting 🤣
I think he went easy on it, LP fans go psycho if you’re too negative, ARTV’s comments were a cluster 😂
@ I dunno. There’s some decent jams on it imo. A few misses too. He’s put up with Kanye fans all these years he can handle a few LP fans
@@markc266 Yeah, I agree & I think his review is consistent with the take that there’s just some decent bangers on here but it could’ve been much better, I see comments here cursing his existence just for giving it a 5 😂
@@spyrothedragon3983I think he was really biased against the album tbh, I expected a review similar to this one from him.
@@meatfrog bro everyone is biased about their opinion, he didn’t even go hard on this album like he could have
i really love the album, from a old fan, she really fits LP and to think these songs where recorded before she went on tour, so her singing has got a lot better, the songs defiantly sounds like each song is from each one of their albums, it was sad that its only 10 songs, would of been nice to be 12 or 15 but im so happy they are back, cant wait to see what they make next
This was a lot higher than I thought it would be!
Yea I was thinking a light 6 or a 5 for this one with how hard Casualty goes and a couple of the other songs. I think once they ease out the growing pains of having her as the new member and find their chops, they're gonna make some awesome music. And please, no more 30 minute albums... lol
Was the whole Scientology thing ever resolved or
It’s theorised that she doesn’t associate with scientology anymore because of some lyrics on Dead Sara that may suggest Emily is critical of them (she was born into it) but since this cult is fucking insane, it would be dangerous for her to publicly shit talk them. Or she’s just still into lol who knows
@@runnerhigh Isn’t the other guitarist for Dead Sara a proven Scientologist? If she was out, it would be known, Aaron from Growning Up In Scientology would hear something
I will say one thing, it's clear that Shinoda wanted to be the main singer, instead of the back and forth between him and Chester, he has taken over both of these parts, and she has become basically the back up singer to hit the refrains and Chester scream parts. Better than I thought it would be, but she doesn't fill his shoes, she fills HALF his shoes and Shinoda fills the other half. Pay attention to the proportion of each song she sings on.
It might have been because some of the songs were already made before she entered.
It's a shame that the only real replacement and potential equal to Chester, being Tongo, is now also gone. RIP to the big fellas.
I like to play a game of "how quickly I can predict the score for mainstream albums" just based on phrasing, energy, and gesticulation of Anthony