Live In Texas - Linkin Park

Shadow Zone - Static-X

So it has come to this. I've been on this planet for a little over 42 years and finally my father's words have come out of my mouth:

"It all sounds the same."

These two discs have been fermenting at the bottom of my review pile for several months now. I guess I was hoping something interesting would sprout. Every so often I'd pull one or the other out (it doesn't seem to matter which) and give it another listen. There's tons of slamming down-tuned guitar. (Gee, I should be up for that). Heavy-duty drums. (I know I like a propulsive beat).

The issue here is dynamics. What with all of the angst-filled screaming vocals, the whole experience distills down to one of pure monocromatic rage. I'm not judging these guys. Heck, maybe their lives were full of pain, misery and loneliness. And maybe this is a great way to work all of that out. It just isn't all that interesting to listen to.

This is the part of the review where I get to thinkin' about guitar solos. Would they help here? Dunno. The samples and the use of turntables don't help. Maybe if they were more forward in the mix, or were used as an integral part of the music.

Ah, who knows. Obviously, I've finally gotten to the stage where the music "that these kids listen to today" doesn't do anything for me.

The record that my dad said had tunes that all "sounded the same"? We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll - Black Sabbath. I listened to it loud every morning while getting dressed for school...for about a month straight. My folks were not happy about it.

(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)