Recharged - Linkin Park

The excitement I'm currently experiencing is pretty fantastic; getting to review new Linkin Park, remix album or not, is something I've been looking forward to since I started my blog. While it isn't a studio album, which hopefully there will be one next year, it still includes a brand new song, and a slew of fantastic remixes from their last studio album, Living Things. This is the second remix album they've done, with Reanimation in 2002 containing remixes of songs from their first album, Hybrid Theory.

All of the songs but "A Light That Never Comes" are remixes, and so I thought to talk about the original song first before getting into the others. This song has a big dance vibe, due mainly to the collaboration with Steve Aoki, who is a rising DJ. While some fans may complain about the band "going mainstream", remember that this song, and the entire album, is geared towards remixes, which nowadays are mainly dance and EDM oriented. A driving beat really pushes this song, overlaid with some gritty and smooth synths, Mike's raps, and Chester's vocals. It also stays away from the more expected dubstep sounds, and sticks to a club anthem type of vibe. This may sound weird for Linkin Park, but they are always dying to try out new and exciting sounds, and incorporate them into their repertoire. This song does not mean that they are going to become a dance/EDM group, but that it might show up within their ever evolving sound.

Now, the remixes. There's a wide variety of sounds within the songs, and it makes for some great contrasts as you listen through the album. There's a few guest spots from some great rappers, such as Pusha T, Bun B, Cody B. Ware, and Ryu, some of whom I've heard before and some I haven't. They all had good features on their respective songs, and brought a hip-hop element to a dance heavy crowd. "I'll Be Gone (Vice Remix)" was a great example of this, taking a rock-based song and giving it a some serious rap vibes. It worked fantastically, with not only Pusha T providing some great rhymes, but Mike writing a new rap for the song as well, which came off as hard and aggressive, something he does very well. The booming kick drum and the tight-hitting drums helped to complete the hip-hop orientation. "Roads Untraveled (Rad Omen Remix)" did this partially, keeping the more emotional drive that the original version contained, but adding some dance and hip-hop vibes to create an entirely new feel for  the song, especially in the chorus, where Chester's vocals are interwoven with huge hitting sounds and thumping drums. Bun B, a rapper I had never heard of before, fit perfectly on the track, throwing lines down as the song shifted into a true hip-hop nature. The crowning jewel of the songs with guest artists, however, has to go to the "Skin To Bone (Nick Catchdubs Remix)" which takes one of the most different sounding songs on the original album and turning it into a fast-hitting, insanely catchy track that incorporates some wobbly synths and electronic distortion. The raps are the centerpiece of the song, starting with Cody B. Ware's opening rhymes, building in intensity with Ryu's, and ending with another new set of rhymes from Mike. I've heard Ryu before from Fort Minor, and Mike's rap further revealed his mastery over words and his ability to come up with fantastic lines.

While these songs were heavy on the hip-hop, most of the others leaned more towards the dance and dubstep areas. "Lost In The Echo (Killsonik Remix)", for example, throws in some epic and grinding dubstep wobbles that make me excited every time I listen. The drop is so in your face and unexpected, and I absolutely love it. It's a great fit, and matches the intensity of the original song. The beauty is that it repeats the drop again in the song, letting the listener enjoy the awesomeness of it again. This and the "Until It Breaks (Datsik Remix)" are really the only two that venture into dubstep, with the later not nearly as obviously wobble oriented as the former. The wobbles in "Until It Breaks" are not so in your face, but still add to the intensity of the song. Another song that delves into dubstep influences is the "Lies Greed Misery (Dirtyphonics Remix)", which gets gritty, loud, and picks up the pace. It has some fantastic moments, especially during the second drop, where the beat switches to half time but the synths continue at the same rate, creating a syncopation that gets me every single time; I can't get enough of it. Chester's screams also are incorporated very well into this remix, fitting the face-melting vibe given off by the monstrous synths.

Dubstep does not dominate, however; the dancing vibes are prominent throughout the album. Songs like "Burn It Down (Tom Swoon Remix)", "Powerless (Enferno Remix)", and "I'll Be Gone (Schoolboy Remix)" all could be played at clubs and raves and fit right in."Burn It Down" had a dance/pop feel to begin with, the the transition to dance was no big surprise. It works really well, with the existing synth lines making great hooks, and Chester's vocals working perfectly with the mood. "Powerless" was a surprising twist, going from a more somber and moody tune to an upbeat and almost cheery song. The high-soaring synths, steady beats, and driving nature turned this song into a huge and epic sounding song. "I'll Be Gone" was remixed again, but this time with a dance flare. The pulsing beat and distorted synths give it a lighter feel, but it is still able to retain a bit of darkness that the original contained. Now, while these remixes were well done, I personally felt that they were a bit lackluster. They were't bad, but I preferred some of the other remixes on the album.

As I mentioned earlier, Mike contributed a few new raps for some of the songs; that wasn't all he did for the album thought. He also remixed two songs himself, being "Castle Of Glass" and "Victimized". Both were very different songs to begin with, and became even more different after being remixed. "Castle Of Glass" took on a dance vibe, with a lot more synths and electronic drums leading the way. The song ebbs and flows, with moments of pausing and moments of building into epic, pulsating sounds. "Victimized", on the other hand, became even more intense than the original, thanks to huge, booming beats and an even faster tempo. There is an immense presence of sounds on this song, creating an in your face feel.  Chester's screams from the original song integrates very well with this mix of sounds as well, feeding the intensity even more.

Lastly, there's two more remixes that were, interesting, to say the least. One of them, "Until It Breaks (Money Mark Headphone Remix)", was a collection of weird and odd sounds that worked much better than I would have thought. It goes from moments of heavy electronic influence to a classic rock sound, to even a western sound that works, surprisingly. It wasn't my favorite track, but makes for an interesting listening experience for sure. The last song on the album is "A Light That Never Comes (Rick Rubin Reboot)", which just didn't do it for me. It comepletely changes from the original, taking on a tribal beat in the beginning that is mixed with a little bass guitar and some piano chords. It doesn't have the same intensity that the original had, and I think that is where it lost it for me. It wasn't bad, but just not the best.

All in all, I was very excited for this album, and was not disappointed. There was a lot of really well done remixes, and gave fans something to listen to while they wait for the next studio album. 4.5/5

Track-list:
A Light That Never Comes (feat Steve Aoki) - 3:49 (5/5)
Castle Of Glass (Mike Shinoda Remix) - 6:20 (5/5)
Lost In The Echo (Killsonik Remix) - 5:09 (5/5)
Victimized (Mike Shinoda Remix)  - 3:00 (5/5)
I'll Be Gone (Vice Remix) [feat. Pusha T] - 4:01 (5/5)
Lies Greed Misery (Dirtyphonics Remix) - 4:51 (5/5)
Roads Untraveled (Rad Omen Remix) [feat Bun B] - 5:28 (5/5)
Powerless (Enferno Remix) - 6:08 (4/5)
Burn It Down (Tom Swoon Remix) - 4:46 (4/5)
Until It Breaks (Datsik Remix) - 6:01 (4/5)
Skin To Bone (Nick Catchdubs Remix) [feat. Cody B. Ware & Ryu] -3:54 (5/5)
I'll Be Gone (Schoolboy Remix) - 6:12 (4/5)
Until It Breaks (Money Mark Headphone Remix) - 4:30 (4/5)
A Light That Never Comes (Rick Rubin Reboot) - 4:40 (4/5)