Review: Linkin Park, Living Things Tour

When we first bought tickets to go see Linkin Park Live I was sceptical. Having actually heard the Living Things album, the name-sake of the tour, left me with dread as I thought the tour would be a promotion of the latest and not-so-greatest album. Let’s face it, Living Things is the biggest tragedy to happen in 2012, possibly 2011 too. In my eyes Linkin Park went from fantastic to vomit.

 

Now you are probably wondering why the hell I then bothered to buy concert tickets then? I have only one reason – it is Linkin Park, the band that saved me from the dark clutches of glitter balls, short skirts and fake tans that dominates the Pop world. 

 

So yes, I was both excited and devastated that Linkin Park was heading to South Africa. 

 

A little glimmer of hope emerged after their Cape Town show – the show was labelled brilliant and sources said that they played all their old stuff, the good stuff. 

 

I will happily admit that my fears were unjustified, Linkin Park still knows how to rock. Yes, it was brilliant – fucking brilliant. A friend commented that Chester is a monster, I agree. The man has a voice that will leave demons quivering in their boots. 

 

My only regret is not getting the Golden Circle tickets. I sincerely hope that Linkin Park enjoyed their trip to our South African shores enough to return, because next time around I’ll be in the Golden Circle. 

 

What did not go unnoticed was, that despite that the tour was named after the last album, Linkin Park only sang four tracks off of said album, three of which I deemed listenable in my review. To add, I must question why Mike Shinoda even bothered to ask the crowd how many Living Things fans were out there. Have they realised that the new sound simply isn’t working? Only the next album will tell.

Review: Linkin Park, Living Things Album

Hidden in my perfectly alphabetised CD collection, under the letter “B”, are all the Backstreet Boys albums. Yip, back in the day I was quite the pop princess, not something I like to admit, but we all have our dark secrets. 

My taste in music changed one day in 2001. I was lazing in front of the telly, like most matriculants do, watching MTV, when on came a band called Linkin Park. I loved the combination of the screaming vocals and rap, not to mention the sound of the electric guitar.

What started out with Linkin Park progressed to Korn, Rob Zombie, Slipknot, Disturbed, Apocalyptica and Amon Amarth – to name a few bands known by the average person.

While I was introduced to a world of wonderful bands, Linkin Park held a special place for me and I remained a great fan. Hybrid Theory and Meteora benchmarked Linkin Park as a nu-metal band, taking music to a new level with their brilliant and unique sound. 

Then came Minutes To Midnight. While the album wasn’t a complete disaster, it wasn’t the band’s best attempt either. But, I reasoned, no band can bring out masterpieces all the time. Korn’s Korn III: Remember Who You Are and Marilyn Manson’s High End Of The Low are good examples. 

However, the release of A Thousand Suns was like an asteroid the size of Texas hitting Earth. Enough said. 

Living Things review
When I first heard Linkin Park was bring out a new album I cringed ever so slightly.

One of my favourite online music webzine, Music Review, reviewed the album and gave it 85/100, stating that “LIVING THINGS is the band at its finest in years…”. The reviewer included that the group has (constantly) reaffirmed that they’ve moved away from the nu-metal sound. So I wasn’t expecting the Linkin Park that was.

The first three songs were listenable and it gave me the hope that I would be clicking on the ‘Like’ button on Linkin Park’s Facebook page. The tracks that followed made me realise that never again will I click that ‘Like’ button. 

A complete overkill on the electronic sounds, which drowns out Chester Bennington’s vocals on some parts, made me want to bounce the ball in mockery. Other songs made me want to take out the album and recheck that it really is Linkin Park and not some boy band from my previous life. Perhaps Linkin Park should contact Wade Robson to choreograph some synchronised moves for them during their next tour.

Both Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda have insanely brilliant voices. Mr Hahn clearly still got the moves and Rob, Brad and Phoenix are still masters in their respective instruments. The lyrics to the songs are still deep and meaningful, but the sound is awful.

I remember the last time I bought a Backstreet Boys album. I listened to the first two songs then shoved it in my CD collection and forgot about it. The same will happen to Linkin Park, the exception being that I listened to Living Things twice (all the way through).

Living Things is a sad reminder of a band that was and will never be again – and I can’t get over it.

Listenable tracks: Lost In Echo, In My Remains, Burn It Down – skip to track 7 – Victimized – eject CD.