Linkin Park, everyone’s favourite Grammy award-winning nu-metal outfit is reanimating after an achingly long hiatus with their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight. The catch? They ain’t nu-metal anymore.
A major contributing factor to Linkin Park’s success has always been their open-ended, accessible lyrics. Whether you’re a heartbroken teenager, a disillusioned employee or simply somebody who needs to let off some steam, you’re bound to find a soothingly empathic quality to both Chester Bennington’s achingly guttural shrieks and the perfectly enunciated flows of Mike Shinoda.
And as Linkin Park has proven, empathy sells. Two Grammy awards, two critically acclaimed studio albums, a collection of remix albums and countless sold-out tours later, the band that can do no wrong believes it’s time for a change with their third studio album, Minutes to Midnight.
Produced by Mike Shinoda and Grammy-award winning producer Rick Rubin, Minutes to Midnight represents an evolved Linkin Park that isn’t afraid to test the boundaries of their own creativity, and to dabble with things they wouldn’t have even considered touching a few years back.
“Rick has brought more of a stripped down, classic-rock and hip-hop kind of feel. We’re using vintage guitars and drums carved out of wood and skin for more of a tribal sound. It’s definitely not nu-metal,” explains Bennington.
“People have always tried to lump us in with the whole rap/rock stereotype, but we don’t intentionally want to be part of that scene. We’ve always had our own personality, and I think it really shows on this record,” adds Shinoda.
It seems like a minor miracle that Evanescence released their second album at all, given the behind the scenes toil and trouble that surrounded the aftermath of their 2003 debut Fallen turning into an unexpected blockbuster.
Actually, so much drama followed Evanescence that it's hardly the same band anymore. Certainly, pivotal songwriter/guitarist Ben Moody is no longer with the band, leaving not long after Fallen had become an international success, and sometime after that, they lost their bassist leaving behind Amy Lee as the indisputable leader of the band. She always was the face, voice and spirit of the band anyway dominating so that it often seemed that she was named Evanescence and not fronting a band called that but by the time the group finally released their longawaited second album The Open Door in October 2006, there was no question that it was her band, no questions asked, and she has learned well from the success of Fallen. Pushed to the background are the Toriisms that constituted a good chunk of the debut they're saved for the brooding affirmation of a closer, "Good Enough" and the churning "Lithium" which most certainly is not a cover of Nirvana's classic (that song never mentioned its title, this repeats it incessantly) and in their place are epic gothic rock (not quite the same thing as gothrock, mind you) that made Lee rock's leading witchy woman of the new millennium. And she doesn't hesitate to dig into the turmoil surrounding the band, since this truly is all about her she may artfully avoid the ugliness surrounding the lawsuit against her manager who she's alleged of sexual harassment, but she takes a few swipes against Moody, while hitting her semifamous ex Shawn Morgan of Seether directly with "Call Me When You're Sober" as blunt a dismissal as they come. To hear her tell it, she not only doesn't need anybody, she's better on her own.
Yet artists aren't always the best judge of their own work, and Lee could use somebody to help sculpt her sound into songs, the way she did when Moody was around. Not that she's flailing about necessarily "Call Me When You're Sober" not only has structure, it has hooks and momentum but far too often The Open Door is a muddle of affections, always lead by Lee's soaring voice, often supported by heavy processed guitars, usually dressed in atmospheric synths, sometimes gussied up with ludicrous vocal choirs, with the occasional toy piano thrown into the mix. Sonically, it captures the Evanescence mythos better and more consistently than the first after all, Lee now has no apologies of being the thinking man's numetal chick, not after she's a star but without the songs, it doesn't resonate. These are the all the tracks provided in The Open Door album :
Fergie is not a new name in the music arena but this lady who work with the Black Eyed Peas has stepped out into the limelight by herself in the solo album "The Dutchess".
This album was produced by fellow Pea and producer extraordinaire Will.I.Am that includes the hot list singles 'London Bridge', 'Fergalicious', 'Glamorous' plus 2 UK Bonus Tracks 'Get Your Hands Up', and 'Wake Up'.
The Dutchess kicks off with "Fergalicious," a self-congratulatory rap extravaganza borrowing a wicked groove from JJ Fad's seminal hit "Supersonic." Just as you finish chanting D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S with guest will.i.am, "Clumsy" rolls in mixing up the "Girl can't help it" chant from Little Richard's classic with a Casio keyboard line and Fergie's recitation of clumsiness in falling in love. Much of the album goes this way. Clever use of familiar samples and riffs from classics of pop music history, mash-ups across time periods and styles, all presided over by Fergie and her tough, independent, sometimes vulnerable, and often quite funny persona. Fergie is truly one of the few pop performers today who can pull off an ode to "Mary Jane Shoes" backed by Rita Marley and the I-Threes over the groove from Bob Marley's "No Woman, No Cry."
Here Fergie proves herself a skilled entertainer that can make you dance, laugh, nearly cry, and just have a really good time. This is one solo project well worth the effort.Well done to her..
This is my first blog and still in renovation progress but i hope anyone will enjoy it..If there's any comments or ideas about this blog, just let me know and i'll check it out later a.s.a.p..Hope to get much support from all of you..Thanks..Music Time Zone
