I inadvertently missed last month’s ‘New Music Monday.’ Well sort of. I went on vacation, came back, closed on a new house, and become a soccer coach. So an entry about music was a distant thought in my clouded mind. I thought I could sneak an entry in but decided that entries about Son #1 and the house were more important.

September has been pretty busy with work around the house. It has successfully distracted me from a plethora of things. But music happens to not be one of those things. This month was a busy month; I picked up five new albums both legally and somewhat more liberally. But of all of the records, all of the music, and all of the emotion, there’s one album that stands out prominently. This is no short order considering I just attended a show of the Gaslight Anthem and knowing that Authority Zero is playing this weekend.

I’ve been listening to Linkin Park for going on a decade now. In the beginning, their albums fit a recipe and were predictable and that’s exactly what I needed. A Nu-Metal Rap-Rock genre. Mashing up rap and metal was perfect for a misunderstood young adult like I was back then. But as I’ve grown, so have these musicians. And I like the fact that they’ve used their creativity and staying power to redefine themselves.


“A Thousand Suns” came out on September 14. It’s a vast departure from the previous album, “Minutes to Midnight.” I always thought the previous album was a little too emo mixed with political motivations. These are two characteristics that Linkin Park has never been known for. Then, they went in trying to make a different record. The band succeeded but I think it was a more self indulgent action. This time around, redefining was the concept again. Rules on what Linkin Park ‘sounds like’ were cast aside in the name of creativity and exploration. What transpired during the creation of this album was something so different yet so distinct that it can not be confused for anything other than Linkin Park.

It’s sonically saturating in its existence. There’s quite a bit of stuff going on in every song. Conceptually in both music and lyrics, Linkin Park is more exploratory than they’ve ever been before. This can be good or bad depending on the band and your fan base. Typically, most die hard fans will like whatever the band puts out. However, the naysayers will question the intent of the record. Likewise, critically established bands are much more likely to be accepted for making such bold moves musically. Lesser established bands do not get the creative freedom nor are willing to potentially alienate a fan base and critics.

For a long time, Linkin Park was musically predictable until they released “Minutes to Midnight.” Trying to be politically charged is not their forte. However, the exploration of musical compilation and the cross pollination of sounds and genres charting new creative directions is right in their wheel house. “A Thousand Suns” is a concept album which explores a theme (love, life, and death brought to us by the hands of humanity and science) in continuum throughout the record. From first track to last, this is apparent. The songs tie together musically and conceptually to create a non-stop sonic experience. It’s not a rock opera like the Who or Green Day. It’s not a message like The Wall. It’s a journey through existence told by sound and music like nothing you have ever heard before.

“Burning the Skies” – Beginning so mellow and innocent, this track morphs into a driven, almost marching tempo accompanied by an electronic warfare of sounds and impeccably poetic lyrics.

“When They Come for Me” – In one word. Tribal. The rhythm is intense and hails a subcontinent type of urgency. This is LP type rap-rock synergy. However, the intense lyrics lead into something a little different. Chester Bennington singing hymn-like into a crescendo leading back into that intense tribal drumming with Hindi chanting for effect.

“Iridescent” – As this song begins, you get the sense of feeling alone and solemn. But the music and the lyrics begin to lift the soul. It’s a song about recovery and rebuilding after an apocalyptic letdown. During one section, you are treated to a harmony of voices telling you to let go of the loneliness and desperation.

It’s difficult to draw a summary from three songs on the record. Everything is so tied together that listening to the entire body of work is the key, including the creepy yet evocative intros.

This record seems so familiar in format. But listening, I couldn’t place it. I was just stoked to listen. It’s not Nu-Metal like years and albums past. It’s a reinvention along the lines of Crystal Castles meets Prodigy meets Shiny Toy Guns. There’s a similarity to “Reanimation” which came out years ago and was an ‘electronified’ remix album. And then it occurred to me…Information Society. An electronic saturation of sound in a very 1992 format without being ‘retro’ or ‘old school.’ I love Information Society so it’s no wonder that I’m drawn to “A Thousand Suns,” its music and its message. Again. This is an album like you have never heard before. It’s genre creating and is due a complete listen rather than spotty track selection out of our short-attention span existence. Beautiful and epic in its entirety. Treat yourself to the beautifully intense and destructive music of this record.