Continuing their slow crawl toward middle age, Linkin Park opt for moody over metallic on A Thousand Suns, their fifth album. A clear continuation of 2007’s Minutes to Midnight, A Thousand Suns also trades aggression for contemplation, burying the guitars under washes of chilly synthesizers -- a sound suited for a rap-metal band that no longer plays metal but hasn’t shaken off the angst, choosing to channel inward instead of outward. So few rap-metal bands have chosen to embrace their age -- they fight against it, deepening their technical chops while recycling ideas -- that it’s easy to admire Linkin Park’s decision not to shy away from it, even if their mega-success gives them the luxury to pursue musical risks. The problem is, the subdued rhythms, riffs, and raps of A Thousand Suns wind up monochromatic, an impression not erased by the brief bridges between songs, sampled speeches, and easy segues, every element retaining moodiness without offering distinction. Brooding is a better vehicle for angst than rage for a group whose members are well into their thirties, but an album created on a grayscale is less than compelling for anybody lacking the patience to squint and discern the minute details.
A Thousand Suns
Linkin Park
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A Thousand Suns Review
by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Track Listing
Title/Composer | Performer | Time | Stream | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Linkin Park | 02:01 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
2 | Linkin Park | 00:57 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
3 | Linkin Park | 04:13 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
4 | Linkin Park | 00:18 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
5 | Linkin Park | 04:55 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
6 | Linkin Park | 04:28 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
7 | Linkin Park | 01:34 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
8 | Linkin Park | 03:51 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
9 | Linkin Park | 04:39 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
10 | Linkin Park | 04:15 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
11 | Linkin Park | 01:38 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
12 | Linkin Park | 04:56 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
13 | Linkin Park | 01:23 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
14 | Linkin Park | 05:39 | SpotifyAmazon | |||
15 | Linkin Park | 03:01 | SpotifyAmazon |