By shelz.

A Thousand Suns gets an A for effort.  Linkin Park’s 4^th studio album is a combination of disparate elements that Executive Producer Rick Rubin and the once Nu-Metal crew have attempted to fashion into a loosely connected, larger- than-life concept piece about the dark hand that rules the world.  There are classic quotes about man’s inhumanity against man, thoughtful comments about dealing with the depression atrocity evokes and demands to pray … for everybody.

Within the texture of their musical rebellion are some wayward elements that give the LP a confusing character and set Linkin Park’s revolution back on its heels. There are moments when it’s obvious they are trying to create something trail-blazing, but lose it in application.

The concept is introduced with a heavy hand and dark atmospherics; setting an emotional groundwork for their new found depth. “The Requiem’s” sinister ambiance leads the album with a prayer, suggesting the sins of our fathers are cause for worry. Then it floods into “The Radiance.”  Robert Oppenheimer’s famous re-tooling of a quote from the Gita about becoming a “..destroyer of worlds” is set to an industrial rock background.  It’s obvious at this point something serious should lurk deeper in the album.

The grand set up though, leads into a hodge podge of songs that all don’t support the theme.  “Burning In the Skies” keeps the somber tone, but sounds like the aftermath of a bad relationship.  The bare production with a simple piano and electro beat plays host to Bennington’s lyrics about swimming in smoke of bridges he has burned and losing what he never deserved.  It’s not exactly what you would expect after the promise of sonic coup d’etat.  The tone of the album has officially been rattled, but the next song serves the death blow.

“When They Come For Me” is a great tribal like track that reaches into your spirit on a base level.  The sounds are layered wonderfully; the opening industrial section, the pounding drum, the wails from the background, the whisper of musical Eastern mysticism.  This song could easily induce the type of tribe psychosis necessary for throwing a young virgin into a volcano. But… and you know there would be one, Shinoda’s Hip-Hop alter ego appears here and not even the flagrant profanity can save his flow. Plus his narrative has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

There are a couple of songs that relate to the bleak non-song stuffing that fills the LP.  “Robot Boy” is a poignant look at internalizing the heaviness and using the burden as a catalyst for your dreams. It’s brooding piano and dramatic strings are nicely arranged.  “Iridescent” captures the moment when sadness, desperation and frustration converge and offers a bit of hope in a seriously top pop 40 kind of way and “The Catalyst” gives an almost sports cheer feel to a war theme song.

There is a nod to Public Enemy in the form of “Wretches and Kings” and a nod to Hybrid Theory in the form of “Blackout” which by the way has some incredible beat and vocal chops at the end, but does it fit?  Only if the album is about screaming at your significant other for breaking your trust and well… it’s not.

The closer, “The Messenger,” sounds like the acoustic breakdown of an 80’s power ballad.  If I could hear the melody above Bennington’s over singing, I would tell you if it’s good or not, but unfortunately his gargle with sand sound washes out the song.

Considering the title, A Thousand Suns has to come with some bright spots, and it does.  The production is slick and the pensive nature of the material is out of Linkin Park’s ordinary.  However, the album is far from a home run.  Shinoda has developed a ragga-drawl that’s just odd.  The interlude-y bits point you in a direction that the songs don’t follow you to and some of the elements, especially the quotes and Hindu references, seem thrown in for pretention’s sake. Linkin Park’s ambition is to be applauded nonetheless, even if all of the album can’t be.

3 Out of 5

Follow shelz. on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/shelzp

Follow Us on Twitter @ http://twitter.com/planetill

Join Us on the Planet Ill Facebook Group for more discussion

Follow us on Networked Blogs