A Thousand Suns

Linkin Park have gone a long way. A long long way… straight down. I can still remember every single lyric of In The End, I still hum the tune of Faint and play the intro of A Place For My Head as a warm up. Linkin Park were edgy, new and above all, very very original. Merging elements of rock, numetal and rap into one package was something that was never executed before. Linkin Park were pioneers, where as now they are simply prisoners of the pop industry. A Thousand Suns will go down in history as one of the worst albums ever produced by a once successful band. The one thing the album does do well is end quickly.

It appears as though Linkin Park have lost all the creative integrity they once possessed and replaced it with a computer… probably a Mac. No part of this album reflects what this band is.. or rather was capable of. Instead, it seems all band members have been replaced by drum machines and synths with the exception of vocals, which appear to have been recorded at the local mental asylum. The sharp logical lyrics of Chester Bennington have been replaced with squeals and screeches accompanied by inane lyrics that no sane person could possibly decript. I mean somebody tell me what the fuck “God save us everyone. Will we burn inside the fires of a thousand suns? “ actually means. If he is actually questioning whether we will burn under the unimaginable heat of a thousand suns, he has many more problems than I first predicted. “God save us everyone” isn’t much better. I can’t quite comprehend what this actually means. Probably makes sense to him I suppose. The opening track “Blackout” really serves as a warning for the rubbish that is to come. The worst part of it is, is that “Blackout” is probably the best track on the album, and from that point on, it is a steep steep trip down.

While most of Linkin Parks previous releases have all been meticulously put together, and calculated to the enth degree, A Thousand Suns seems to be put together by a toddler with far too many crayons in his collection. Everything is just thrown together in a messy pile, with the hope it would just kind of sort itself out, which evidently doesn’t happen. Sure it’s a “concept” album, but the thing about a concept album, is that you actually NEED a concept. Sure it’s all very apocalyptic, and very 2012, mixed with a lot of feelings, but it’s not really a concept is it. I can see they are trying to make a statement about global warming at what not, but the only thing the album achieves in doing is becoming just as trying as listening to Al Gore harp on about losing the election. Alas, I digress.

Bad choice upon bad choice, the album doesn’t redeem itself once. The once competent Linkin Park has lost their touch, and as a result, have gone so deep into the corridors of denial, they have convinced themselves they are still “musicians”. Injecting drum and bass breakdowns, and splicing rock anthems is never, and will never be a good idea. I would prefer to be a part of a hostage situation, or experience the Texas Chainsaw Massacre first hand than listen to this album ever again. Simply simply dreadful. Much like the incredibly emo whingings of kOrn, I cannot help to think that this whole Nu-metal thing isn’t quite over yet. Here lies the once great Linkin Park, may they rest in piece… or preferably many little festering pieces.

Hipsters.

No sub-culture since emo has generated quite as much hate as Hipsters. If you're not familiar with what a hipster is, have a glance at www.latfh.com.

Everything has to be fucking ironic when you're a hipster, and nothing can be mainstream. You're a conformist if you indulge in most modern popular pleasures. Hipsters have an irrational superiority complex that leads them to believe they are part of some superior sub-culture that transcends all other sub-cultures, and the majority of the human race. However, when you get down to the core of the issue, it's mostly just pretenious rich kids, with nothing better to do with their time, apart from play synth, and scour 'Good Sammy's' for "Ironic non-conformist items of cloth thread" or some shit like that.

You actually cannot take these people seriously. They are ignorant to the point of insanity. Don't even fucking get me started on the whole fad of vintage either. I cannot stress enough that THINGS THAT WENT OUT OF FASHION IN THE 70'S WENT OUT OF FASHION FOR A REASON.

because it looks fucking stupid.

The attitude of a hipster really makes me grind my teeth though. Cast your mind back 5 years, to the era of the Emo. Now cut the fringe, take away the hair dye, and repair the wrists, burn the clothing, and chuck on a pair of ray bans, and you have a hipster. The contempt a hipster has for the world cannot help but remind you of a filthy emo. The nonchalance is almost sickening.

I'm sick of whinging, so to finish things off, here's a quote from "Unencyclopedia"

"A hipster is a person that tries to be cool by being fucking stupid."

i'm done, fuck you all

Grey Britian - Gallows

Gallows, the rats of "London town", are one of the most outspoken, energetic and successful “hardcore punk” bands of the 21st century. After their first release "Orchestra of Wolves", Gallows signed to Warner, and subsequently released “Grey Britain” in 2009. As a result of this record deal, “Grey Britain” is a more polished album, with a clear theme, and a much bigger budget driving production. “Grey Britain” is an exposure of modern day Britain; a cesspool of degeneracy, ruled by violent youth, fuelled by sex, alcohol, and drugs.

The album opens with "The Riverbank", an apt foreshadowing of the album to come. The drone of a siren, followed by the sounds of a riverbank combined with the low hum of an orchestra, which is possibly a nod to their previous album, "Orchestra of Wolves". At about 1.30 we hear the presence of a guitar, which explodes into the song 10 or so seconds later. Frank Carter then approaches the microphone. Frank Carter's voice is an acquired taste. At first, the majority of listeners will screw up their faces to the harsh, violent, angry shrieks, but after a while, listeners find themselves understanding the subtext of these shrieks, and eventually appreciating them. Britain is told to be crumbling, the crown losing its touch, and depicts a disturbingly morbid scene of death, destruction, and the pleading for suicide.

"London Is the Reason" begins with a slow paced drum beat, which draws comparisons to “Black Flag”, and a whiney guitar track, reminiscent of bands such “Ghost of a Thousand” and “Hexes”. The first verse portrays a dytopian view of future London, a theme that occurs right throughout the song. Bodies piled so high they fill the rivers, and the streets becoming a feeding ground for a grotesque human race. The song portrays London as a cancer on the back of Britain, and if this cancer is not cut out, Britain will crumble and die.

Gallows have openly condemned religion for the way it manipulates through fear, glorifies the weak, and promotes lies and liars. "Leeches" is an open attack on Catholicism, with such lines as, "A million Hail Mary's won't save you now. We're burning all your churches down.". "Leeches" shows off Gallows' pissed off attitude more than any other song on the record. The track is ruled my vocals and Steph Carter's eerie pulsating guitar. "Leeches" has the most melody of all the songs on the record, and from this point on, Gallows really start to bare their teeth.
"Black Eyes" takes firm aim at politics in Britain, and in particular Tony Blair. In an interview, Frank Carter stated that, in his mind, when politicians tell lies, their eyes bleed black, hence the song title. Lee Dorrian truly excels in this song, and displays the best piece of drumming in the album, and should really be applauded for it.

"I Dread the Night" explodes the mindset of alcoholism, and the way alcohol is used as an escape from the daily grind, and allows people to feel free in such a restrictive world. "I Dread the Night" continues the same type of swaggering riffs present throughout the album, though introduces many more break beats and breakdowns than previous songs. In my opinion, musically, this is one of the finer moments on “Grey Britain”.

Frank Carter really shows his chops in "Death Voices". Not only is it perfect executed, but lyrically, it is the catchiest song on the album, and has since become a crowd favourite. Instrumentally, the song follows the same formula as the previous songs, a formula that continues to work effectively.
"The Vulture" is the most surprising song on the record. Frank Carter shows his prowess as a singer, by singing three verses of passable clean vocals. It becomes apparent about half way through the track, that it has been greatly influenced by Metallica, echoing songs such as “Master of Puppets” and “One”. This track, clean vocals aside, is one of the lowest points of the album, and feels more like an experiment than a finished track.

From here on out, there is only really one more stand out track, “Misery”. “Misery” begins with a piano solo, which is interrupted at about one minute, by a filthy bass line, and one of Frank Carter’s most aggressive vocal introductions, really showing off his talent as a front man. All in all, “Grey Britain” is one of the finest punk records that you will ever hear, really tapping into the raw energy of bands such as “Black Flag” and “Dead Kennedys”, while drawing from contemporary bands such as “Cancer Bats”, “Hexes” and “Ghost of a Thousand”. “Grey Britain” truly is a shining light in an industry dominated by horrendous music, and was one of the top releases of 2009.