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Messages - raptors

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1
Music / Re: Staind
« on: September 14, 2011, 05:57:59 pm »
I'm listening to the new album now. I'll see if I can port the albums tonight!

2
Television / Re: The Roasting of Charlie Sheen - Comedy Central
« on: September 13, 2011, 02:00:50 pm »
Nope, I'll pretty much be avoiding this. Charlie Sheen is an old joke that keeps rearing its head. I'll admit it was funny for a week, but now it's just sad. This guy needs real help. People buying his "Winning" shirts and supporting his crazy antics is only gonna hurt him sometime down the road. I'll only watch it if this show was advertised as a roast, only to find out it's a real intervention.

3
Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 10, 2011, 11:53:25 am »
Numb is a good song, I just don't think it works as an album closer. It's not quite strong enough compared to their other album's finales.

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DVD's & Blu-rays / Re: Death Proof (2007)
« on: September 06, 2011, 07:26:06 pm »
This one felt more like an actual grindhouse film than Death Proof. Grindhouse films didn't have the budget for many explosions and special effects. So, to fill the runtime, they loaded the films with dialog, most of the times about trivial things like Tarantino does here. Plus, he uses zero CGI in this, using real cars, real crashes at really high speeds.

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DVD's & Blu-rays / Re: Inception (2010)
« on: September 06, 2011, 05:51:13 pm »
Source Code is a completely different kind of movie. I thought both were very excellent, but there is really no comparing the two.

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Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:43:03 pm »
The original review was written 2 days after the album came out. It's been about a year now, and my opinion is the same, if not a little stronger.

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Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:36:10 pm »
My love for this band couldn't contain itself!

I added to A Thousand Suns!

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Now Playing: Movies / Re: Contagion (2011)
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:34:00 pm »
Early word on this movie is VERY good.

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Music / Re: Discography Threads (Band and Singer Reviews)
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:30:59 pm »
Fu<K yeah!

10
Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:27:07 pm »
7. A Thousand Suns -2010



Its official: LP has officially killed off most of their fanbase. With Minutes to Midnight, they created a semi-concept album revolving somewhat around the Doomsday Clock. Here, its a full on concept album about nuclear war and the end of days. This isn't a collection of songs you can play at random. It has a full thread of consistency, and every song is connected. Playing just one song wont have the same effect as listening to the whole album.

This album is Lp's Year Zero. Not only in concept, but in sound. Linkin Park has almost ditched rock all together and moved on to industrial, although there are influences in reggae, eastern, tribal, and trance. This is a 100% departure. Guitars are used sparingly, and turntables are used again. The tempo is slower than usual, and it works. That's what I love about this album. It literally has the world against it, yet it still delivers in every way imaginable.

When MtM came out, some people complained about the lack of Mike on the record. They fix that with this album. Even though he raps on 2 songs, he is the primary singer. That's not to say Chester isn't a presence on the album. He gets to do a scream rap hybrid that is really fun to listen to.

Out of the 15 tracks, there are 6 seques. Some are instrumentals, others are speech samples from Oppenheimer, Martin Luther King Jr, and Mario Savio, with industrial noise behind it. At first I thought it was a bad idea, but it really works in connecting the songs together. Also, the album closer, The Messenger; is one of the best album closers in a long time. Chester singing "when life leaves us blind, love keeps us kind" accompanied only by an acoustic guitar and piano. Its optimism at its finest.

I have listened to this 5 times already, and I can hardly find fault with it. They created something very unique, and not something you would hear on the radio. Is it as good as MtM? I'm not sure yet. Only time will tell. But I can tell you that its a worthy follow up, and a great ride.
__________________
NOTE: (09/06/2011)
I have listened to this album more times than I care to admit at this point. I absolutely love this album. I got some of my friends to listen to it, and while they initially hated it because it didn't sound like Hybrid Theory (which in my mind, is one of the worst criticisms ever), they really warmed up to it the more they listened to it. So if you listen to it, and don't like it so much, listen to it again. Listen to it with a good pair of headphones or a decent sound system. Listen to it with an open mind. Please?

11
Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:16:24 pm »
6. Minutes to Midnight -2007




This album, in my opinion, is one of the most misunderstood albums of all time. The band could have gone two ways:

1. Continue making the same sound they mastered on Hybrid Theory and Meteora, producing a safe, commercial album.

or

2. Create an album they want to create, express their artistic growth, and experiment with new sounds.

Thankfully, they went with option 2. When the album was released, some critics liked it, but most of the fans condemned it, giving up on the band all together. (One 'misstep' in their books means giving up on the band? And they call themselves fans...) For me, it was love at first sight (listen, whatever!).

Linkin Park knew that the sound they helped revolutionize in the late '90s/early '00s died a slow death. They did all they could to keep it alive. It was time to move on. With the help of Rick Rubin, they went to the studio and created over 200 demos (or 'seeds' as they call them) and voted which ones sucked, and which ones they wanted to work on. What really helped, though, is the lack of studio intervention. They sold more than enough records to finally do what they wanted. The 4 years it took to write and record this album was more than worth the wait.

Minutes to Midnight feels like an Unplugged album at times. The instrumentals are stripped down on most songs. The rapping is minimal (only 2 songs feature Mike rapping.) Instead of rapping, Mike tries singing here, and it is damn good. When recording "In Between", both Chester and Mike recorded versions. Chester hated his version, and said Mike's was definitely better. I agree. Mr. Hahn (the DJ) is mostly in the background. The guitarist has room for guitar solos. Basically, this album is a group effort. Everyone did what they wanted to do, and what they thought sounded like their best. But thats not to say they completely ditched the rap/rock feel. "Bleed it Out" is a fantastic party song with some great verses from Mike and a chorus expertly delivered by Chester.

They took influences from bands all over the map- Coldplay, U2, and even Nine Inch Nails. The subject matter shifts from the internal conflicts from Hybrid Theory and Meteora and shifts to external conflicts like politics and Hurricane Katrina (Little Things Give You Away is the best song LP has ever recorded, so far). Also, they are allowed to swear. It isn't as gratuitous as you would think. Also, Chester does an 18 second long, uninterrupted scream. It is the longest scream I have ever heard on record.

I have to admit something here. I love this album so much, sometimes I get withdrawals if I dont have at least 1 spin per week. Its pathetic, I know, but its true. I just love this album so damn much. I recommend you picking this up, and listen to it knowing that the band set out to release something different and close to heart.

In my book, they succeeded.

12
Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:14:20 pm »
5. Collision Course -2004




It's only a meager 21 minutes, but it packs a punch. Linkin Park's heavy metal sound blends perfectly with Jay-Z's hip-hop. What started out as an idea MTV had to have a concert with the fan-made mashups ended up being a project Jay Z and Mike Shinoda took up in-studio to re-work vocals and tempos. The final outcome does not disappoint. The songs here sound great, and there is a fun, party like atmosphere to it that is worth the price alone. The DVD is nice too, documenting the studio process and 2 different concerts. Not bad for a $10 price tag.

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Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:12:45 pm »
4. Meteora -2003



Linkin Park officially got past the sophomore slump with their 2nd studio album. It was a "safe" release, though. It's more like Hybrid Theory pt. 2. Thats not an issue, though. Although the formula is the same, they made some changes in the style. The guitars are heavier. "Faint" has a beat count so high it makes anything on Hybrid Theory blush. Japanese flutes and Spanish guitars are used. Overall, the sound is the best part of this album. Lyrically, it is a little stronger than Hybrid Theory, but still feels held back. That changes with their next studio album. The deluxe edition package is great. 40 page book with commentary on every track, plus a bonus dvd on making the album. The box is top notch.

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Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:11:09 pm »
3. Reanimation -2001



This isn't a typical remix album. It feels like a natural extension to Hybrid Theory. What I like most is that Linkin Park, who just rose to fame, decided to share some of that by letting some underground groups remix their stuff. What came out of that is a very diverse, yet connected experience that enhances every song from Hybrid Theory, and one from their "EP", "High Voltage", plus a few other tracks made for this album. Reanimation takes just about all of the rock elements out and replaces them with a dark, hip-hop sound that is fun to play loud. Aaron Lewis( of Staind) and Jonathan Davis (of KoRn), are the most well known artists on here, and they have the best tracks. Jonathan's track, "1stp Klosr", takes the fast paced intensity of the original song and replaces it with a longer, more heavier ballad. They saved the best for last with Aaron's version of "KRWLNG". Cellos open the track, along with Aaron singing the chorus solo. Aaron and Chester duet later in the song, which brings chills to my spine. Two of my favorite modern singers on one track? Hell yes.
If I had one problem with this album, it's that some tracks are edited, and there is no uncensored versions of these songs (yet).

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Music / Re: Linkin Park- Discography
« on: September 06, 2011, 12:07:24 pm »
2. Hybrid Theory -2000



This is the album that launched Linkin Park into the mainstream. And that's exactly what this album is: mainstream. Gone is most of the electronica, and the hip-hop elements are toned down a bit. But what is here is a really solid rocker that doesnt really slow down until it the album stops. Mike's rapping is excellent in songs like "Papercut", which is a great song to introduce their sound. Chester's singing, for the most part, is at a growl. He gets to show his softer side on "Crawling", "In The End", and if you have the bonus track, "My December", it is a great showcase for what his voice can accomplish. It is beautiful and haunting. When he screams though, you have his full attention. See "One Step Closer" for example. I was in 8th grade when the video debuted, and it rocked my world back then. Its still fun to spaz out to. The DJ, "Mr." Hahn, gets a track, "Cure For the Itch", to show off his skills. It is a fun instrumental.

Over all, it is a very strong debut, with a little less studio interference, it could have been excellent.


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