Minutes to Midnight = Minutes of Sheer Musical Bliss

I am raving about the new album of Linkin Park. It is just magnificent. Even the album cover rocks and they just look really hot and cool (a paradox but you get what I mean). At the beginning, listening to Wake and then Given Up, I was afraid that this album was going to be boring. As soon as I hit "Leave out all the Rest" though, the album took a turn for the better. What drew me to this album the most has to be "In Between".

During the first six notes, I was about to dread that this was simply going to sound like Somewhere I Belong, but then when Mike Shinoda started to sing with such an emotional, sad, deep voice and a simple beat joined him in, and Chester (I think) blended in with him, I immediately knew this was gonna be one of my fave Linkin Park songs. It's such a deep song, albeit the melody was simple. It just shows that less is definitely more.

I have to say that the lyrics of Valentine's Day was quite nice and poetic.

my insides all turned to ash / so slow
and blew away as i collapsed / so cold
a black wind took them away / from sight
and held the darkness over day / that night

and the clouds above move closer
looking so dissatisfied
but the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing

i used to be my own protection / but not now
cause my path had lost direction / somehow
a black wind took you away / from sight
and held the darkness over day / that night

and the clouds above move closer
looking so dissatisfied
and the ground below grew colder
as they put you down inside
but the heartless wind kept blowing, blowing

so now you're gone
and i was wrong
i never knew what it was like
to be alone

on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day
on a valentine's day

The lyrics of the song paint such a sad picture and to have such a sad scenario on a valentine's day is heart-wrenching.

Of course, "What I've done" was fantastic, no explanations needed. The whole rhythm at the beginning sets the mood of the song and it's all just musical greatness from there on.

After listening to "In Between" for 10 times straight, I listened to the whole album again and I realized that every song in this album rocked! I liked that it was different from their previous albums in that some of the songs are more mellow, instruments are a little less heavy, and yet the whole Linkin Park vibe I've loved from the very beginning was still there. The Asian influence in their sounds was still there, the haunting melodies, the great vocals of Chester and surprisingly, Mike Shinoda... Yes, Linkin Park certainly hit the jackpot with this album! For those who liked Linkin Park just the way it was before, there are still songs in this album with their signature raps and shouts and heavy instruments.

They had said in their site that they knew a lot of people were going to have mixed emotions about this album. Count me in on the Pro side.

Young Modern - the 5th #1 album of Silverchair

Silverchair has so kindly offered to put up all the songs from their new album, Young Modern for streaming to everyone. You can check it out at their official page at chairpage.com. Silverchair is living proof that a band can actually innovate and progress from their initial style and still be themselves.

Silverchair's new album has large influences from The Dissociatives, a side project of Daniel Johns. We hear a lot of funky, electronic sounds going on in their new album that resemble the sounds of the Dissociatives. Although Silverchair has come a long way from their first few songs, which were grungier and louder, it's amazing that the songs are still quite "Silverchair". I feel that they were able to accomplish this because, although they steered away from their old styles, they still retained some of their old elements (e.g. try listening to Young Modern Station and you'll see what I'm talking about). Also listen to how Young Modern Station progresses to Straight Lines. Absolutely great.


This explains why Silverchair has made music history today with the chart topping debut of their new release Young Modern. Silverchair is the first Australian band to ever have five #1 albums. I'll stop my opinions from there. Just listen to their album online and be the judge.

New Linkin Park and Silverchair album!!!

Ok, I'm being quite the prolific blogger now. For some reason, there are so many updates I can think of to write!

Linkin Park's new album is set to launch sometime May 2007. They've got a new official youtube video up here:



Speaking of new albums, Silverchair is coming up with their new album as well! Only 9 days to go! Their new single is really cool, it has a vibe like the Diorama album plus influences from Daniel's Dissociatives project. :) Love it! And Daniel looks very different. Check it out here:

Girls who really Rock

Listening to Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" made me remember one thing - there are only a few girl bands who really rock. There are a lot of talented female singers, definitely. But in the rock band scene, I can find only a few.

Don't get me wrong, Avril Lavigne is okay, but she's just a little... commercial. Watching that "Girlfriend" MTV seems to reconfirm that as I saw her doing something she has publicly detested since before - dancing. Whether she was merely making a mockery out of the pop idols she has dissed over and over again or she has suddenly "made things complicated", "acting like she's somebody else" I don't know. I'll wait till the next MTV and watch out for her dance moves and deduce by then ;).

Then there's Evanescence. They're okay. I do believe that she carries her own brand of rock music to her. She's got a good haunting voice and she's got the whole gothic feel to her. But somehow I don't find myself wanting to listen to her tracks over and over again and looking for her CD like my other bands. Plus, that stint she did with Korn was somehow a little too forced.

In my opinion, only Garbage belongs to the "Girls who really Rock" list. What's good about Garbage is that her songs are very varied and unique. It's not only the heavy instruments that makes her rock. She's got songs like "It's All Over But The Crying" and "The Trick is to Keep Breathing", which are more mellow but she still manages to rock it. Then there's her sultry voice which really fits so well with the electronic-like vibe, the lyrics, everything.

I'm looking for more female rock bands out there. If anyone knows of any, let me know.