A Thousand Suns by Linkin Park

A Thousand Suns (Linkin Park)

Sometimes it's best for a band to stick to the 'Winning Formula'


Album Rating: ** (2/5)

It’s quite safe to say that Linkin Park is one of the most recognized bands of this decade and all of their albums have been a commercial success. Similar to this trend, their new record “A Thousand Suns” (name derived from Sanskrit Text ‘Bhagavad Gita’) is on its way to top the Billboard Charts as I write. It’s quite clear after listening to this album once, that Linkin Park were trying to create an epic record (similar to Kid A or Achtung Baby) by exploring dimensions that they are not particular known for . Well, sometimes that is not the best option.

First things first, ‘A Thousand Suns’ is an ALBUM, so it is meant to be heard like one.  It has been designed to listen at one go rather than playing random tracks from the record. Being a concept album (based on warfare), it contains tons of intro and all songs start from where the last one left off.  So before you start hating or loving it, make sure you have given it a continuous listen. Having said that, this album exposes the band’s weakness to a large extent and the fragile moments simply becomes unbearable. 

If you expect this record to open with a catchy riff or bombastic of several instruments that Linkin Park expertise in, be ready to be disappointed. Few minutes into this album and you realize that this is ‘not-just-another’ Linkin Park album. “God Save Us Everyone, We will burn inside the fires of a thousand suns” forms what is called ‘The Requiem’, the opening track of this record. ‘The Radiance’ samples Oppenheimer's famous "Destroyer of Worlds" speech (again, from Gita) over industrial sounds and a rapid heartbeat. Talk about epic opening, eh?  

So, in just about three minutes two tracks end acting as preludes to “Burning in the Skies” whose beginning is heavily inspired (if not stolen) from their very own song “Shadow of the Day” and the ending sounds like, umm… well, just another Linkin Park song.  What features next is Mike Shinoda totally at his game in “When They Come For Me” but it also has weak (but addictive) programming drums.  “I will not dance even if the beat's funky” declares Shinoda, well neither shall we. “Try to catch up motherf#$%@r”.

“Robot Boy” and “Waiting for the End” (ft. awful Shinoda rapping at the end) are rock ballads (not an area that Linkin Park expertise in) which turns out to be perhaps the weakest point of the album, as if It could get any weaker.  Missing Chester screaming, are we? You’ve got “Blackout” at which he screams his lungs and minds out but no avail at creating any impression. “Wretches and Kings”, featuring Mario Savio's famous "Bodies upon the Gears" speech,  tries to act as a savior for the album restoring some conventional Linkin Park sound.  “Iridescent” is again… Guess what? A rock ballad with few explosion of instruments at the end.  “The Catalyst” around which the whole record seems to be built is six minute anthem of aggression, finally something that they are good at. All said and done, the album ends with “The Messenger” which can be compared with ‘dog wailing’ at some stages but at the same time has few (read very few) moments of decent vocals from Chester .  

BTW, if you keep count, there are 9 proper songs and 6 preludes or incomplete songs which somewhat maintains continuity but provides no respite to the listener whatsoever.  In theory, it’s always nice to see a band not recycling their old content but when your talent lies in churning clichés, it’s best to go with what you know rather going after something that you are totally incapable of doing. Wise people should know their limitations.


Key Songs: When They Come For Me, The Catalyst, Wretches and Kings.


Track Listing:


1. The Requiem (2:01)
2. The Radiance (0:57)
3. Burning in The Skies (4:13)
4. Empty Spaces (0:18)
5. When They Come For Me (4:53)
6. Robot Boy (4:29)
7. Jornada del Muerto (1:34)
8. Waiting for the End (3:51)
9. Blackout (4:39)
10. Wretches and Kings (4:10)
11. Wisdom, Justice, and Love (1:38)
12. Iridescent (4:56)
13. Fallout (1:23)
14. The Catalyst (5:42)
15. The Messenger (3:01)