Linkin Park: The Hunting Party Album Review

 Today I'll be reviewing Linkin Park's sixth album, that just came out today, "The Hunting Party".  I've been a fan of Linkin Park since 2005 when I saw their video for "Somewhere I Belong", even though the song was released 2 years prior.  I'll make this intro short so here's my track by track review:

1) Keys to the Kingdom: The songs starts off with Chester screaming the chorus.  Awesome way to start off the album!  The song is much harder than any of the songs from their previous album, "Living Things."  I love the guitar parts in the song.  My only negative is in two parts Chester and Mike's vocals sound a little layered in the beginning of the song and at the end of Mike's rap.  9/10

2) All for Nothing (featuring Page Hamilton): Linkin Park usually never have any features on their albums (excluding "Collision Course", "Reanimation", and "Recharged") so it was interesting to see that Page Hamilton from the band "Helmet" was featured on this song.  That being said the song is my favorite on the whole album.  Page's vocals fit perfectly with Chester's singing and Mike's rapping.  Hopefully it'll be a single in the future.  10/10

3) Guilty All the Same (featuring Rakim): The first single from the album.  The instrumental intro is awesome but I think it was a bad choice to be released as a single.  Lyrically it's awesome and while Rakim's rapping is okay but I wish Mike did that part instead.  7/10

4) The Summoning: This song is an instrumental that starts off slow but picks pretty quick before ending with a couple of people talking.  It's a pretty good though.  Because it is short I won't give it a score.

5) War: This song is a fast paced rock song.  It's an awesome song but I wish it was longer.  10/10

6) Wastelands: This song was released as the first promo single from the album.  Part of the introduction reminded me a little bit of "Victimized" from their last album.  That being said the song is awesome and I think this song should've been the first single instead of "Guilty All the Same".  10/10

7) Until It's Gone: The second single from the album.  The song is a rock ballad that reminds me of their singles, "What I've Done" and "Numb".  The song is about looking back on failed relationship.  It's one of my favorites and I'm glad it was released as a single.  10/10

8) Rebellion (featuring Daron Malakian): This song features Daron Malakian, from the band "System of a Down", playing guitar.  It was released as the second promo single from the album.  The song is okay but I think it would've been better if Chester screamed the chorus.  7/10

9) Mark the Graves: The song starts off with a long intro that reminded me a little of the ending part of "Blackout" from their fourth album, "A Thousand Suns".  The vocals and lyrics are amazing but the song makes me feel sad.  9/10

10) Drawbar (featuring Tom Morello): This song is another instrumental but this one features Tom Morello, from "Rage Against the Machine".  The instrumental is amazing and I love the piano parts.  Since it's almost 3 minutes long I will give it a score.  10/10

11) Final Masquerade: The third single from the album.  The drum part in the beginning reminded me a little bit of Evanescence's song "The Other Side".  When I first heard the song I hated but after a couple more listens I started to like it and I can't wait for it's video.  9/10

12) A Line in the Sand: At 6 minutes and 35 seconds, it is the longest song on the album and one of the longest songs that band has released.  The guitar reminded me a little bit of "Victimized".  The beginning part is a little boring but thankfully it picks up later on.  Mike sings and raps on this song.  While Mike is good at singing, his singing on this song feels unnecessary but the song is still pretty good.  6/10

 "The Hunting Party" was much more hard rock sounding than Linkin Park's last three albums.  My favorite songs on the album are: "All for Nothing (featuring Page Hamilton)", "Until It's Gone", "War", "Wastelands", "Keys to the Kingdom", "Final Masquerade", "Drawbar (featuring Tom Morello)", and "Mark the Graves".  While there are 12 songs on the album, I'll be scoring the album out 110 points instead of 120 because I didn't give a score to "The Summoning".  So out of 110 points I give the album 97 which is 88%, a B+.  Awesome.  I think this album is my third favorite Linkin Park album with "Meteora" and "Hybrid Theory" being my favorite and second favorite.  Anyway Linkin Park rules and if haven't gotten this album you should because it's awesome!

 Thanks for reading and feel free to comment on if you agree with this review, disagree with it, or if you know why the album was titled "The Hunting Party" because I still don't know why it was titled that.

Girls Aloud: The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits (Limited Edition Bonus Disc) Mini-Album Review

 Hello everyone! It's been awhile since I did a review and I thought I'd do a little mini review. It's obvious that I'm a huge fan of Girls Aloud and that I'm annoyed that they broke up last year. I already did a review of the original version of "The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits" so today I'm doing a mini review of the limited edition bonus disk which included different versions of songs as well as unreleased songs from the group. Here's my track by track review:

1) No Good Advice (Explicit Version): This version is nearly identical to the original version of the song. The only difference is the line "shut mouth because it might show" is changed to "shut your mouth because your s*** might show." The song's still good though. 10/10

2) Wake Me Up (Alternate Version): The whole first verse is different. The lyrics are different from the original and Cheryl sings more of the first verse than Sarah, whereas on the version that was released it's the other way around. 10/10

3) I Predict a Riot (Live from Wembley): This song is a cover, originally performed by "Kaiser Chiefs", that the group performed on their "Chemistry Tour". This song was also put on the "St. Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold Soundtrack" for the film which Sarah stared in. I find the track to be kinda boring. 5/10

4) Sound of The Underground (Extended Version): "Sound of The Underground" is my favorite song from the group and I was curious how the extended version would sound. There isn't much of a difference except for a new guitar part added after the chorus is sung the second time. Either way I still love the song. 10/10

5) Hanging on the Telephone: Another cover song. This song was originally recorded by Blondie. While I give the band credit for taking a risk by covering Blondie, I not really into their version of the song. 5/10

6) Loving Is Easy: This song was b-side for the single, "Wake Me Up". It's a little different from their stuff and it's still growing on me. 5/10

7) Singapore: This song is an unreleased song from the group's third album, "Chemistry". Why it wasn't on the album, I 'll never know. It should've been though since it's better than most of the stuff on that album. It's an amazing somewhat uptempo ballad. I really like it. 10/10

8) Sacred Trust: Yes, Girls Aloud released their own version of this song. This song was sung by "One True Voice" who competed against Girls Aloud for the Christmas number one with this song but Girls Aloud won with "Sound of The Underground". Nadine sings lead on this song and while her voice is amazing, as always, I don't really like it. 5/10


My favorite songs on this are: "Singapore", "Sound of The Underground (Extended Version), "Wake Me Up (Alternate Version), and "No Good Advice (Explicit Version). Out of 80 points I give the album 60 points which is 75%, a C+. I know this review was short and I promise I'll do a longer review later this month. Thank you for reading!

Girls Aloud: Out of Control Album Review

 Today I'm reviewing Girls Aloud's fifth studio album, sixth over, "Out of Control".  The album is the last album to feature all new material from the group.  Before the album's release, the album was close to being called "Girls Aloud: Revolution" after one of the songs on this album.  Here's my track by track review:

1) The Promise: The first single from the album.  It has 1960's vibe to it.  The song almost wasn't the first single from the album.  The group had to fight to get it to be the first single.  In the end it hit number 1 in the UK and became one of their biggest hits.  The video was amazing and the song itself won the group a BRIT award.  10/10

2) The Loving Kind: The second single from the album.  This is my favorite song on the album.  The song got comparisons to their single "Call the Shots", that's understandable but both songs are great.  Cheryl and Nadine got injured shooting the video, but the video turned out perfect in the end.  The song became their twentieth consecutive top ten single in the UK.  10/10

3) Rolling Back the Rivers in Time: This song was almost called "50s Sweetheart".  It's a catchy ballad and was one the group's favorites on the album.  It's a pretty good ballad.  9/10

4) Love Is The Key: The song starts off with a dark intro and later turns into a pop song with hints of country in it.  Kimberly write the bridge of this song.  It was also used to promote their special, "The Girls Aloud Party".  A remixed version of the song was also in the special.  10/10

5) Turn to Stone: Not a fan of this song.  The chorus is so bland and boring, plus the production isn't that good either.  The verses are okay though.  5/10

6) Untouchable: The third and final sing from the album.  The song is almost 7 minutes long and apparently it was Hell for the girls to record it because it had a lot of different keys.  When it was released as a single, it remixed and made shorter.  The song had a space themed video.  While it is a strong pop song it is most known for being the group's first single not to hit the top 10 in the UK since it peaked at number 11.  It's still an amazing song.  10/10

7) Fix Me Up: The song was initially called "Grange" and has a very strange auto-tuned intro.  It's very forward and different from what you'd expect from the group but it's still a pretty good song.  9/10

8) Love Is Pain: How do you go from saying "Love Is The Key" to "Love Is Pain"?  Well it makes sense because love is strange like that.  Cheryl's solo at the end is amazing, especially when she dealing with so much from the tabloids about her then husband cheating on her.  The song overall however gets kinda boring after awhile.  7/10

9) Miss You Bow Wow: The title of this song is strange.  That being said it's really good song.  It was one of the songs that the band co-wrote.  I tried to ignore the song because of the title but I cannot deny it's awesomeness.  9/10

10) Revolution in the Head: This song was the reason the album was almost called "Girls Aloud: Revolution".  The song talks about people having dreams and aspirations but not going through with them.  It reminds me of "Real Life" from their second album.  I wish this song was the fourth single from the album, but at least they performed the song on tour.  The song was also co-written by the group.  10/10

11) Live in the Country: While the second verse is awesome, the rest of the song is strange.  It's a drum and bass song that was co-written by the group.  The song has been growing on me and I like it a lot more now but I still think the animal noises at the end of the song are weird.  9/10

12) We Wanna Party: This song was initially recorded for their second album but it didn't fit on that album.  It was later recorded for this album.  The song is okay and is still growing on me.  8/10

 "Out of Control" ended up being the group's highest charting album by debuting at number 1.  My favorite songs on the album are: "The Loving Kind", "Revolution in the Head", "Untouchable", "The Promise", "Miss You Bow Wow", and "Love Is The Key".  Out of 120 points I give the album 106 which is 88%, B+.  88%, that's 6 percent higher than "Sound of the Underground".  This is the last review of the month.  I'm still shocked I was able to do a review everyday this month.  Thank you all for reading this review as well as all of the other ones I've posted!  Also you can comment on this review or any of my other ones to say if you liked it, hated it, agreed with it, ir had a different opinion on the album.  Thanks for reading!

Girls Aloud: Tangled Up Album Review

 Today I'm reviewing Girls Aloud's fourth studio album, fifth overall, "Tangled Up".  "Tangled Up" was released a year after the group's first greatest hits album, "The Sound of Girls Aloud: The Greatest Hits".  I'll make this intro short, so here's my track by track review:

1) Call the Shots: The second single from the album.  I said in my review for "Ten" that I didn't like the song much, but since that review I've listened to it a lot and think it's an amazing ballad.  The video was also very beautiful.  The song was the band's favorite on the album.  10/10

2) Close to Love: I can see this song be played in clubs because it's an upbeat dance-pop song.  The album's title comes from a lyric in this song.  In fact sometimes I think the song's titled "Tangled Up" until I look again.  Great song especially the part, "Now my only bet is take a plane ride west, cause I can't regret what I ain't done yet."  The song was also rumored to bee the third single from the album at one point.  10/10

3) Sexy! No No No...: The first single from the album.  It was one of the two songs that the band co-wrote.  While the beginning is dark with Cheryl singing lead with auto-tuned layered vocals, but it picks up into an awesome that makes you get off your chair and dance like an idiot.  Or maybe that's just me.  10/10

4) Girl Overboard: I said in my review for "Ten" that I didn't like the track, but after listening to it a few more times it's grown on me.  Like, "Close to Love" it was almost the third single and I know I said that I was glad it wasn't released as a single from the album but after seeing a youtube video of them performing the song, it changed my opinion of the song.  9/10

5) Can't Speak French: The third and final single from the album.  I said that this was one of my least favorite singles on the "Ten" review and I'm starting to regret saying that.  While I wouldn't have picked it as a single, it's grown a lot on me and I think it's good now.  Florence and the Machine did a cover of the song as well.  9/10

6) Black Jacks: While my opinions of the last two songs have change, my opinion on this one hasn't.  Vocally it's great and the productions good, but is the shouting in the song really necessary?  The song was originally recorded for the group's "Chemistry" album.  7/10

7) Control of the Knife: The song has a reggae feel too it but what is up with the auto-tune parts?  I felt that it brought the song down at first but after a few more listens, I liked the song more.  8/10

8) Fling: This song is clearly talking about a one night stand.  While the interlude to the song on their "Tangled Up Tour" was good, the song is overall boring and a little stupid except Sarah's part.  6/10

9) What You Crying For: This song is my favorite song on the album.  I wish it was released as the fourth single from the album.  The song is a drum and bass track and it's different from the other songs on the album.  The song was also never performed live.  Sad when it's such a great song.  10/10

10) I'm Falling: The intro makes the song sound like it'll be a rock song, sadly that's not the case.  It has a futuristic pop vibe to it.  Production is good but lyrically is boring.  I feel it' the weakest song on the album.  5/10

11) Damn: This song probably could've been on their third album, "Chemistry".  It isn't as dance sounding as the rest of the album.  It's so close to being really good but not close enough.  6/10

12) Crocodile Tears: The song has an amazing intro.  I felt that the song sounded like a watered down ballad version of "Close to Love" but it started to grow on me little bit.  It was one of the two songs on the album that the band co-wrote.  7/10

 While "Tangled Up" didn't have four singles like the group's previous singles, the album itself was still a good album.  My favorite songs on the album are: "What You Crying For", "Sexy! No No No...", "Close to Love", "Girl Overboard", "Call the Shots", and "Can't Speak French".  Out of 120 points I give the album 97 which 80%, a B.  Much better than "Chemistry".  Thanks for reading my review.  Come back tomorrow when I review Girls Aloud's fifth album, sixth overall, "Out of Control".

Girls Aloud: Chemistry Album Review

 Today I'll be reviewing Girls Aloud's third album, "Chemistry".  I've kinda been hard on some of the songs in the past and I'm gonna be hard on this album so here's my track by track review:

1) Intro: I won't be scoring this song because it's the intro.  That being said it's a great track and I wish it was made into a full song.

2) Models: I don't know why, but I like this song.  Even the "Girls, girls, girls, girls girls" part being repeated in some parts of the song.  The song had a video in 2013 when it was used as an interlude on the group's final show of the "Ten" tour.  9/10

3) Biology: The second single from the album.  The opening paart of the song is a reference to the group almost releasing a cover of Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game", which to this day has not been released.  While the song was the highest charting single from the album, I still have no clue what it's about.  7/10

4) Wild Horses: WTF?  The intro is so strange and then the song turned into an upbeat pop track.  I don't really like it.  7/10

5) See the Day: The third single from the album.  Cheryl Cole has said she hates this song.  This would explain why it wasn't performed as much as their other songs.  The video is okay but the isn't that good.  It was a cover originally performed by Dee C. Lee.  5/10

6) Watch Me Go: Boring.  Probably the weakest song on the album.  3/10

7) Waiting: Hated this song at first, but it's growing on me.  The chorus is pretty catchy and the production is good.  8/10

8) Whole Lotta History: The fourth and final single from the album.  This is my favorite song on the album.  It's an amazing ballad both vocally and lyrically.  On the group's show "Off the Record" Sarah said that the song deserved to be in the top 3 of the charts.  I agree with her but the song still did good by peaking at number 6 on the charts.  10/10

9) Long Hot Summer: The first single from the album.  I really like this song and I don't know why Brian Higgins said that it was a disaster record.  I think it's a good song but it should've been the third single instead of the first.  9/10

10) Swinging London Town: The song is kinda a dark pop song.  I'd love the song if the group's vocals weren't buried in the song's instrumental.  6/10

11) It's Magic: This song was the only song that the group got credit for writing.  Since Nicola sings lead on the song, it is likely that she co-wrote.  Even though Nicola is an amazing singer and writer, the production brings the song down.  5/10

12) No Regret: This song is a mid-tempo ballad sung only by Nadine.  While it showcases her vocals perfectly, the song is really boring.  5/10

13) Racy Lacey: This song talks about a woman who sleeps with men so she can live the perfect lifestyle.  While the song is different from other songs that the group have sang, it's actually one of the best songs on the album.  I wonder why it wasn't a single.  9/10

 It's kind obvious from looking at this review that "Chemistry" is my least favorite Girls Aloud album.  My favorite songs on the album are: "Whole Lotta History", "Racy Lacey", "Long Hot Summer", "Models" "Waiting", and "Intro".  Out of 120 points I give the album 83 points which is 69%, a D+.  Thanks for reading this review, come back tomorrow when I review Girls Aloud's fourth album, "Tangled Up"!

Girls Aloud: What Will the Neighbors Say Album Review

 I figure with there only being a few more days until the month is over, I'd just let the rest of the reviews for the month be Girls Aloud albums.  Today I'll be reviewing their second album, "What Will the Neighbors Say".  Here's my track by track review:

1) The Show: The first single from the album.  While the video is funny, I think the song was too safe to release as the first single from the album.  I like it, but I think it should've been the fourth single from the album instead.  8/10

2) Love Machine: The second single from the album.  The album title comes from a lyric in this song.  It's pretty funny how the group didn't want this song released as a single and yet it was successful on the charts.  It's a very catchy song that's fun to dance to.  8/10

3) I'll Stand by You: The third single from the album.  I think it's a good cover with a good video.  I don't know why the group always got negative reviews when they did cover songs.  The song became their second number 1 in the UK.  9/10

4) Jump: Didn't I just review this song yesterday?  This is the fourth time I've reviewed it, so I'll make it short.  It's a good song.  10/10

5) Wake Me Up: The fourth and final single from the album.  I like how this song is more edgier than the previous four songs.  I wish it was the first single from the album.  I didn't think Nicola had a solo on this song until I saw the video and saw the she had the first part of the second verse.  I was surprised because her voice is low in this song unlike the rest of the group's songs and singles.  10/10

6) Deadlines & Diets: The group wanted this song to be the second single from the album instead of "Love Machine", kinda glad that didn't happen.  The production is good and it's an okay ballad but it feels like one of those songs that you've heard a million times before.  5/10

7) Big Brother: This song was co-written by Cheryl Cole.  While the production is great, the overall sounds weak.  2/10

8) Hear Me Out: This song was co-written by Sarah Harding.  It's a mid-tempo ballad that feels boring at first but after a couple of listens, it's pretty good.  6/10

9) Graffiti My Soul: This is my favorite song on the album.  It was supposed to be given to Britney Spears but I'm so glad it went to Girls Aloud.  The song was going to be the fifth and final single from the album, but it was cancelled so the group could record, "Chemistry".  It sucks that this song wasn't a single when it's so good.  Cheryl Cole even wished the band released this song as a single.  10/10

10) Real Life: From Sarah and Kimberly singing the chorus in the beginning to the ending, this song is awesome.  The lyrics are awesome and the song is really good.  Wonder why it wasn't a single.  10/10

11) Here We Go: This song is a cover, it was originally recorded by Moonbaby a.k.a. Miranda Cooper who has co-written a majority of the band's songs with Brian Higgins.  This is probably the only cover song the band has done that has got mainly positive reviews.  The song is pretty good, especially the chorus.  10/10

12) Thank Me Daddy: Kimberley Walsh co-wrote this song.  I kinda feel it's boring.  3/10

13) I Say a Prayer for You: Nicola Roberts co-wrote as well as sang this song by herself.  While her vocals are amazing, I forget about this song a lot.  6/10

14) 100 Different Ways: Nadine Coyle co-wrote and sang lead on this song.  It's a good ballad and her vocals are great.  It's still growing on me.  5/10

 "What Will the Neighbors Say" continued the group's success with four top 5 hits in the UK.  My favorite songs on the album are: "Graffiti My Soul", "Wake Me Up", "Real Life", "Jump", "I'll Stand by You", and "Here We Go".  Out of 140 points I give the album 112 which is 80%, a B.  Thanks for reading my review and come back tomorrow to read my review of their third album, "Chemistry"!

Girls Aloud: Sound of the Underground Re-Release Album Review

 I initially planned on reviewing a totally different album and artist, but I've been listening to so much Girls Aloud music that I thought it made sense to review another one of their albums.  This time I'll be reviewing the re-released version of their first album, "Sound of the Underground".  For those wondering how I got into listening to Girls Aloud when none of their music was released in the U.S., this is how: I had that B*Witched, who had hit with "C'est la Vie" in the U.S., were reuniting on a show called "The Big Reunion".  Atomic Kitten were also reuniting on that show.  I looked that band up and one that group's previous members was Heidi Range from the Sugababes, who did a cover of "Walk this Way" with Girls Aloud.  Just thought I'd throw that out there.  Now here's my track by track review:

1) Sound of the Underground: The first single and title track from this album, as well as the group's debut single.  It's still a really cool pop/rock song and my favorite song from them.  It's really fun to dance like a fool to.  This chorus is my favorite part of the song.  10/10

2) No Good Advice: The second single from the album.  Apparently the group had to re-record the song because it had some explicit words in it.  That being said, the song is still good and relatable with a cool video.  10/10

3) Life Got Cold: The third single from the album.  The song was one of the last one's recorded for the album.  The line, "I don't believe in Romeo's and heroes anymore" always sticks out to me for some reason.  It's a very dark ballad that shows a different side to the group.  10/10

4) Jump: The fourth and final single from the album.  This song was one of the new songs put on the re-release.  It was also more happy sounding than the group's first three singles.  It's an upbeat, fun pop song to "jump" and dance to.  10/10

5) Some Kind of Miracle: This version of the song is a new version that was supposed to be released as the fourth single.  But it scrapped in favor of "Jump".  The original version of the song was going to be the third single, but "Life Got Cold" replaced it.  This song can't catch a break.  I love both versions and I was surprised to find out that the song was co-written by Edele Lynch from "B*Witched".  10/10

6) All I Need (All I Don't): A dance-pop song that feels like it could've been on a Kylie Minogue album.  It's good at first but it does get tiring after awhile.  6/10

7) Mars Attack: I'm curious why the title of the song is "Mars Attack" when the title is never said at all in the song.  Like "All I Need (All I Don't)", it's a dance-pop song but it's better than the other in my opinion.  8/10

8) You Freak Me Out: This song was recorded specifically for the film, "Freaky Friday".  It was also supposed to be a single, but the release was canceled so the group could record their second album, "What Will the Neighbors Say".  I just started listening to this song a few days ago and I think it's pretty good.  10/10

9) Girls Allowed: Interesting song title when the group is also called "Girls Aloud", just with different spelling.  The song was co-written by Brian McFadden.  It's a really cool song to dance like a fool to.  10/10

10) Forever and a Night: A beautiful ballad that sounds like it could've been released as a single for Christmas.  I don't listen to the song much but I still like it, especially the chorus.  8/10

11) Love/Hate: I don't really listen to this song that much.  I like the chorus, but the song isn't very memorable.  6/10

12) Boogie Down Love: The strangest title for a song on this album.  The song is also really weird and to me it's the weakest song on the album.  4/10

13) Stop: Nadine Coyle sings the whole song, except the chorus, by herself.  While her vocals are amazing, this song is pretty forgettable.  6/10

14) White Lies: This song is about how your partner keeps lying and keeping secrets from you and you've had enough of it.  I love the song and you can feel the emotion of the song in the group's vocals.  Perfect song.  10/10

15) Girls on Film: This song is a cover.  The song was originally recorded by the band, Duran Duran.  This song was also a b-side of the group's single, "Life Got Cold".  I think it's okay but I don't listen to it much.  5/10

 "Sound of the Underground" was a huge success for the group and one of two of their albums to have all the singles peak into the top 5 in the UK charts.  My favorite songs on the album are: "Sound of the Underground", "Some Kind of Miracle", "Life Got Cold", "White Lies", "Jump", "No Good Advice", "Girls Allowed", and "You Freak Me Out".  Out of 150 points I give the album 123 points which is 82%, a B.  Awesome.  Thanks for reading my review and I hope you liked it.