LIVING THINGS by Linkin Park

Haters will hate, but ‘Hybrid Theory’ was an important album of my pre-pubescent life. Sure, with age, Linkin Park became something to laugh at, but for the 2000^th year from the year of our Lord, they were someone who understood every thirteen-year old across the world. ‘Reanimation’ and ‘Meteora’ were enjoyable too (‘Pts. Of Athrty’ beat the original by a mile, and then some) as an experiment with electronic-heavy hip-hop and alternative instrumentation (there should be an award for combining shakuhachi flutes and rap-rock). Thereafter, Linkin Park went down the toilet. Sure, choosing to go in a mellow, mainstream direction may have brought them greater recognition, but with ‘Living Things’, that direction has reached its inevitable cul-de-sac. They have absolutely disavowed the hard-hitting groove and edge that defined their music and worked as a template for both Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda to build around. ‘Living Things’ has synthesizer-heavy angst anthems like ‘Lost In The Echo’ which fail to deliver. Songs like ‘Burn It Down’ and ‘Skin To Bone’ have ample washes of electronica, but are much tamer than erstwhile offerings. Only ‘Lies Greed Misery’ reminds me of the old Linkin Park, with its emotive aggression pouring through. It is always nice to listen to Chester Bennington let loose, and considering how rare that has become in their newer records, even more so. ‘I’ll Be Gone’ is a solid track, straight-up alternative rock structure, melodic chord progression and a catchy refrain, but songs like ‘Roads Untraveled’ and ‘Castle of Glass’ make this album a disappointment with their tacky pseudo-ambient textures over charging drum patterns and lower-register vocals, like poorer versions of ‘Easier To Run’. Very avoidable, except for the ubiquitous brilliant art-work accompanying all Linkin Park efforts.