Linkin Park, "Living Things" (Warner Bros. Records)
Talk about consistency — Linkin Park has created yet another great album.
"Living Things," the group's fifth album, is pretty top-notch from its opening track, "Lost In the Echo" — which features Chester Bennington's signature screech — to its closing numbers, the Skrillex-sounding and grungy instrumental "Tinfoil," which transitions into the guitar-heavy "Powerless."
The album is dominated by anger and, at moments, disappointment and rage: "Lies Greed Misery" and "Victimized" are self-explanatory, and on "In My Remains," Bennington sings: "Falling in the cracks of every broken heart, digging through the wreckage of your disregard."
"Living Things" comes 12 years after the six-member band released its brilliant debut, "Hybrid Theory." The new album was produced by Mike Shinoda and Rick Rubin, and it's reminiscent of the rap-rock sound of the group's first two discs. The guys took a departure from that on "Minutes to Midnight" and 2010's "A Thousand Suns" — also produced by Rubin — which had psychedelic moments and featured excerpts from political speeches.
But Linkin Park never disappoints, and "Living Things" is living proof.
CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: It's simple, but Bennington's repetitive "Ohhh" on "Roads Untraveled" is oh-so-good.
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