00's REVIVAL : Where Are These Bands Now?
It's probably been a long time since I last blogged,but to be absolutely honest,I had pretty much no original ideas hitting me (and I'm not a fan of blogging half-heartedly or uninspired).
While listening to some old favourites last night ,it struck me that I don't listen to Bullet For My Valentine or System Of A Down as much as I used to in my early teens.I used to be so obsessed.SO obsessed.Okay,I'll stop.
So,I figured this could be the topic for my new post.
What's up with my old faves now?Let's find out.
Linkin Park:
It's only fair I start with Chester and Co. because they are probably the first band I worshipped like a mad person.
When I say I miss the 2000's , I mean I miss the music scene that was there then.There was specially a boom in the Nu Metal genre brought into the limelight by them and other bands like Korn.MTV showcased good music.Real music,unlike extra commercial pop stars with limited talent today(I'm not naming).
With the release of Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park became the first band to mix up rap elements with rock.It is till date their best album.Their second album,Meteora,was no less.People genuinely appreciated a fresh sound,that was non-existent before them.With their third album,Minutes to Midnight,they switched things up a bit and not all of their songs were heavy like the two previous albums.This received mixed criticism ( more towards negative),but I personally feel change is vital for evolving and showing people how versatile they can be.
After releasing their fourth album,A Thousand Suns,the band lost a part of their fan base which was drawn to them based solely on their heavy sound.People did not give this album the credit it deserved.In my opinion,this album was a masterpiece,unfolding like a story as one song played after another.From the trippy starting to the clean ending ,Linkin Park slayed.This was a risky move,but completely worth it in my eyes.Their fifth album,Living Things saw another major transformation.They experimented with electronic music along with their already present rap-rock structure.This probably backfired because they were moving too fast and experimenting too much,which most could not handle,but it does not mean this was an average album.Not as kick-ass as their previous ones but certainly not too bad either.What made me a little sad about this album is the highly commercial nature of it.Their sound was one-of-a-kind and they did not need to go so electro to match the hyped thing of the time.In 2014 they made a comeback with The Hunting Party,which they stated would be kind of a prequel to Hybrid Theory.I was anxiously waiting for it to drop because of not only this ,but also since they featured many (amazinggg) guest artists such as Tom Morello and Daron Malakian.When the first single,Guilty All The Same,featuring rapper Rakim was out, I had my hopes insanely up for the new record.The track had a nice guitar intro with the signature LP sound,a great verse by Rakim and a nice overall structure.The two downsides were 1.) Mike could have added a verse of his own,since we fans really missed him ; 2.) Chester's voice sounded a little strained ,but that is normal I guess.One cannot be at their peak throughout their career.I still dig his unique voice fiercely and to me he will forever be the one who screams like a demon and sings like an angel!However,the rest of the album did disappoint.Their quality of music seemed to have been fading.Guest artists were not used to their strengths like we expected (Eg- In Rebellion,Daron Malakian's solo was great but he has done much better!AND they should have let him sing.I mean,come on!Daron effing Malakian has a goddamned beautiful voice!)There were still a few pretty cool tracks,which I had on loop.Overall though-kind of a let down.Hopefully,they will still make a few more albums because I still have lots of faith in Linkin Park.I'm sure many of us do!Listed below are some lesser known songs by their members.
- Part of me
- Qwerty (live)
- No roads left
- Blackbirds
- Wish (Nine Inch Nails COVER)
- High Voltage
- I have not begun
- Pretend to be
- What we don't know
- Step up
Evanescence:
Another one-of-a-kind band with a more Gothic sound,fronted by Amy Lee,whose voice you cannot get enough of.See why the 21st Century had such a good start?
Their first album, Fallen ,was so beautiful that even they could not make another album that perfect!However,they made two more albums,which were pretty close
(The Open Door and Evanescence ) .The band saw a lot of changes in the line-up ,which is probably why they have been on hiatus since their last self-titled album (2011).I can definitely say there are millions who question if they will make an album any time soon.They did not fall out of flavour or fade away like most bands,but just went AWOL.So,hopefully they are working on some new material secretly.Until then,catch up on everything they have put forward so far.
Lamb of God:
Now getting things heavy in here..
Randy Blythe is AWESOME and Lamb of God is another band that had impacted me deeply.Seven albums so far,but none after 2012.Once again,let us hope stuff is on the way.
Listed below are my personal faves.Headbang away to:
BADASS.From the wicked costumes and masks to the wicked sound,Slipknot was,is,and will hopefully continue to be badass.With Corey Taylor on vocals,this band from Iowa never fails to deliver good,heavy music.After four albums and a prolonged hiatus,they returned with their new album,The Gray Chapter in 2014.The new album did not hit me hard though.Old ones still have the upper hand.Make sure you check out The negative one and Custer among new releases.
Among old ones,tune in to the following:
That will be all for the time being,and it might be quite some time until I blog again (sorry!) since my college starts sometime next month.
Get nostalgic after listening to this good stuff and subscribe for more.
Thank you and see you!
