Linkin Park Live in Manila This August 13, 2013!

After almost nine years since their Meteora World Tour, Chester Bennington, Mike Shinoda, Joe Hahn, and the rest of Nu Metal-cum-Electronic Rock band Linkin Park will be coming to Manila for a one-night only concert as part of their Living Things World Tour. 

Since their seminal debut album Hybrid Theory, Linkin Park has managed to build a massive following among mainstream and underground rock fans alike. While snobbish rock purists would dismiss Linkin Park‘s Nu Metal genre  as an amalgamated, mainstream-pleasing effort that has served its time, the densely layered music in Hybrid Theory and Meteora are worthy of praise, immersing the listener to a balanced musical experience.

If there is any overpowering element in Linkin Park‘s music, it would be the melodic turbulence of Chester Bennington‘s voice. That voice is just surreal. And while a lot of Linkin Park fans tout “One Step Closer” and “In the End” as the magnum opi in Hybrid Theory, it was in “Crawling” that I first appreciated the full range of Bennington‘s vocal powers. “One Step Closer” is not a bad piece at all. Brad Delson is no Herman Li; but in their breakout single he proved that his rhythm playing was technically sound, something he would remind us time and again with releases like “Figure.09” and “Given Up”. 

This is not a glory piece, however: Minutes to Midnight is an album that did not stay for long in my playlist. “Shadow of the Day” was too similar to U2‘s “With or Without You” to enjoy without eliciting images of Bono in black and white; and while “What I’ve Done” was initially enjoyable, an extended, more dense “New Divide” easily trumps its radio-friendly-length older brother. In this ballad-driven album, “Given Up” sounded like a track that didn’t make the cut in Meteora and landed in Minutes to Midnight instead. Overall, Linkin Park‘s third album fell prey, whether intentionally or unwittingly, to becoming a mainstream sellout.

Their fourth album, A Thousand Suns, was a respectable move in their evolution as musicians. Graduating from Nu Metal and embracing the greater role of Electronica in their music, the political undertones of the whole album made A Thousand Suns more coherent than its predecessor. The move away from their Nu Metal roots is something every Hybrid Theory-Meteora era fan had to struggle with. As a self-professed fan of all progressive music, trying a different sound at the risk of their fans’ ire is the same “I don’t give a f*ck” mentality I appreciate in the bands I listen to. And finally, Living Things, released last 2012 is touted as a balanced album of the old and new Linkin Park. 

Nine years ago, I was young and lacking in extra lunch money to attend Linkin Park‘s Meteora tour. So forgive me if my wishlist contains more “old Linkin Park“. I know you prefer the same. But with three more studio albums added to their belt, 2013 is perhaps the best time to listen to Chester Bennington belt it out with a more diverse Linkin Park musical repertoire. 

When In Manila’s Wishlist

Linkin Park Live in Manila 2013

One Step Closer

Crawling

Papercut

A Place For My Head

Somewhere I Belong

Faint

Figure.09

Numb/Encore

Given Up

New Divide

Burning in the Skies

Iridescent

Burn It Down

Lies Greed Misery

When In Manila, get ready to rock with Linkin Park Live in Manila Living Things World Tour. We’ll be bringing you more updates as an official media partner of Linkin Park Live in Manila. Support us by checking out our concert reviews. This concert is brought to you by Scala Events. Grab your tickets via www.smtickets.com before they sell out!

Linkin Park Manila Living Things World Tour Philippines Ticket Prices:

Linkin Park Live in Manila 2013: Crawling-in-My-Skin Excited for Living Things World Tour