I was like everyone else, still lingering to the old Hybrid Theory. And over the years of mixing the same old material, I have lost interest to Linkin Park. So, like everyone else, this album was missed by me because of the dubious of previous albums.
I wasn't aware of their coming to Indonesia this year. But, with two Transformer movies using them as soundtracks, I think there was something going on in their music. Btw, I love Björk and alike music and there are so many samples in this album that resound like that music. Wow!
Btw, what urge me to buy the album was because of "Waiting for the end". I watched it in Youtube and I felt that it wasn't enough for me to just play it in Youtube over and over. Of course, there are other songs that affect me like "The Catalyst".
I was surprised that the album cover is like being photocopied. I guess the Warner Music Indonesia hologram in the cover is the only prove that I have a real album. I mean, wow, I thought I have been scammed. But, I think I know why it was like that. And, after googling around, here's the reason.
The album begins with "The Requiem", a song sampled with voice of J. Robert Oppenheimer's commentary after witnessing the first atomic bomb in Mexico. A fragment from his commentary that not mentioned in the album thus becoming this album's name.
I can only say well done, Linkin Park!
If you are an avid rock listener, btw I am not, you would see that rock used to be a genre of protest. It would protested against many aspects of life. It would protested against the capitalism, the government, the way people ordering other people around and other things.
That's why the music would filled with annoyance, anger, anarchy and sometimes escalating into satanic. They were trying to rebel against the way the world now and demanding a revolution. It was there.
Here in Indonesia, rock band like Godbless, charismatic singer like Iwan Fals, and so on brought their songs with empiric messages of protesting the government with rock spirit. That was what make classic rock so beautifully crafted. Sadly, those sounds are gone with mere cheating GF/BF or just self-pitied or just any useless babbling to make the album seems rock.
This album's song is not 'pure rock', but the message is clear: about war, faith and humanity. And I think, what the message is about what the original rock was about. This album is talking about the sense of danger of modern warfare could become.
The war would destroy us. Not of the atomic bombs. But, it would destroy all of our ideology. It would made us rethink of God. Either we would becoming more obsessed with God, or the worst, we lose our faith.
We would becoming so patriotic chauvinistic that we would blindly go into the war and killing people. We would love to do that without ever considering that we are humans. Pride would wipe away the prosperity, understanding and compassion.
And how about humanity? Will there a place of that in war?
I could go on and on about what I love about their music. But, here's my review: if you just love to hear music without knowing the meaning about it, this album definitely not for you. Just listen to other pop or cheesy or formulaic songs.
What's so special about the album is that I think it can't be played only based on tracks. It should be played from the first song to the last song consecutively. Or else, we would lose the meaning of the song.
I love this album.
Btw, because of the content, I think I could perceive why the album is like a photocopied leaflets. Well, this is the propaganda by Linkin Park: there is this a movement going on where widows and orphans created. That movement is war and we got to stop it.
The song itself is a rebel against injustice and hates. Back to our ways of life to be civilized and peaceful where people rights are permitted. That's what rock music all about. Good album.
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