Linkin Park - The Hunting Party (ALBUM REVIEW)

Being a nostalgic fan of their work, I have this soft spot for Linkin Park despite being generic at times. Yes, Hybrid Theory was one of the best debut rock albums ever released, it was the first album i have ever bought and have been a massive fan since. But I haven't been this impressed since Meteora. Although A Thousand Suns was something else that fans did not appreciate but an impressive album for its experimentation. This time, they created something that has brought my childhood back to mind with this latest album. Their past albums have explored various genres and it's nice for them trying to find the right direction, but their heavy nu-metal vibes within Hybrid Theory and Meteora is what garnered their huge fan base in the first place and I'm relieved that they have shown it in this album The Hunting Party.

Starting off the album with a bang, "Keys To The Kingdom" reminded me of Hybrid's heavy opener "Papercut" but Chester's raw screams have shown how heavy this album will get. "All For Nothing" was probably a surprise, as it had a memorable catchy chorus, it was fist-pumping throughout, Paige Hamilton's involvement was spot on. Rob Bourdon's punkish drumming throughout the album have been extremely energetic, mostly shown in "Guilty All The Same" and "War". "War" almost felt like a Motörhead song, so full of energy, with Chester's raw vocals complementing to its punk beats and guitar riffs. It was interesting to hear "Wastelands" as it felt like a heavy version of another track from A Thousand Suns, "Wretches and Kings" with its hip hop beats and Mike's rhythmic raps. Brad Delson's guitar riffs and solos is what impressed me the most in "Mark The Graves" which I haven't heard since his efforts in Minutes to Midnight. The anthemic "The Final Masquerade" had a catchy beat and had a chorus that fans will be chanting live. The closing "A Line in the Sand" has so much improvisation it ends the record with a high note.

Some disappointments are shown in some of its production. There is still some familiarity within the radio-friendly "Until It's Gone", with its electronic elements that has similarities to Living Things which strands away from its heaviness of the album. Tom Morello's involvement was another disappointment as I did not really notice his familiar guitar skills within "Drawbar". Same goes with Daron Malakian's involvement. Yes, his guitar involvement within "Rebellion" was impressive, showing a bit of that SOAD aggressiveness, but a bit of his vocals would've been so much better, instead of Mike's cold, almost lifeless vocals.

Overall: This album had its hit and miss, but this hasn't made it any worse than some of their previous works, in fact it is their best effort since Hybrid Theory, and I am glad they're back to their heavy roots. Linkin Park is an odd band, not really knowing what genre they want to settle, they just seem to attack every one of them. They will never be the same as the first time I listened to them, but they're just at their peak of being one of the best rock bands of all time with this album.

Check out: All For Nothing, The Final Masquerade 

8/10

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