Waiting for the End - Linkin Park Review

It's no secret that I'm a fan of Linkin Park. I like them for their music, I like them for their art. They make my ears and eyes happy.

Well, to be honest, they made my ears happy with Hybrid Theory. My ears were still happy with Meteora (though, to be honest, Meteora was more like a continuation of Hybrid Theory). By the time Minutes to Midnight came out, Linkin Park was sounding like a cheap photocopy of their previous selves. Kind of like a band trying to sound like Linkin Park.

The artwork was still pretty cool though.

So, I've been hanging around, faking some sort of interest about their upcoming "Thousand Sands" out of some sense of fan loyalty, while all along, I've known that pretty much, I'm just hoping to get some new cool Linkin Park Artwork.

So, when I heard Waiting for the End, I cried.

Well, I didn't cry, but it made me happy enough to consider crying.

I suspect this song is going to polarize their fans. They're probably going to lose a HUGE section of their fanbase because this song contains:

1. No rap from Shinoda


2. No screamo from Chester


3. A distinctly reggaeton sound

But I love it. For the first time in a while, I feel like I'm hearing honesty from the band. They've decided to do what they want to do, and forget trying to please the fans. I guess it must be tough when your job depends on making millions of people happy. I suspect it is easy to forget what makes you happy, and get so caught up in keeping the anonymous masses (and record labels) happy.

But this song, though one of their saddest musically, and lyrically, seems to have been played with the joy of being honest about doing something they like.

So LP, thanks for being so brave.

Watch Waiting for the End here.

What Murfy Did

Friday 4th of September, Murfy's fLaW will be back on the scene after an intense 2 month hiatus.

The reason for the hiatus was noble. On October 6th, 2007, Murfy's fLaW accidentally began to take itself seriously as a band. It started with a gig we organized at the GoDown, and for the next two years, it was non-stop shows at Dass Restaurant, which funded non-stop recording at Ketebul, which led to non-stop worrying about launching the album, which led to non-stop shows to promote the album...

In other words, the band was burning out. The plan was simple: step away from the public eye, rest, bond, regroup and come up with a fresher, better, tighter Murfy's fLaW.

Shock on us.

I haven't seen this many solo projects since the Spice Girls split up.

In a bid for a testosterone fix, 9 teamed up with Guy of Syndon, and Mukasa + Toma from M2O to form supergroup Cydonia Nites. Cydonia Nites existed for a grand total of 2 shows, during which they delivered amazing a symphonic power metal sound, and gave reigning champs LYT a run for their money at the August Battle of The Bands.

Jojo joined up with psychoblues band The Beathogs, which has jokingly been referred to as the Murfy's fLaW preferred internship centre, based on the number of fLaWs that have passed through The Beathogs Band Camp.

Jozie went on to become a model in the Liz Ogumbo band. I kid you not. Singer/Model/Designer Liz Ogumbo, put together an Urban Soul All-girl band, who's primary role was to provide instrumental backing, while wearing outfits from her Dress-a-croch collection. The nights were cold, but the girls were beautiful. Freeze and shine, baby!

Punky and Reema decided to go see the world, facing many challenges along the way. Reema battled airport security and customs officers. Punky battled the hot sun, innumerable hills and various scary things in the Mara. Both returned safely.

And then... there was Vicky. The one person who actually took the break seriously. She did her drum exercises. She practiced. She drafted a band agreement for us to become a legal entity. She was there when the band members finally decided to come back and do what we'd promised the fans. (Too bad, we only got our act together 1 week to our show.)

Which brings us to today's challenge question? Can a band really take a break to strengthen the band without random members sneaking off to do their own thing? I guess if there's anything that our little break proved, it's that Murfy's fLaW is at par with the major bands. (Well, not in terms of record sales or even skill, but just like the big bands, when we stop to breathe, people go off and do their own things.)

On, October 13, Out Of Ashes, the debut album from Dead By Sunrise will be released. If you just asked who Dead by Sunrise is, slap yourself. Dead by Sunrise is Chester Bennington's side project. How selfish is that?! It's not enough to be the lead singer of Linkin Park, he has to go and create another band. But you know I love Linkin Park and you know I'm going to get myself a copy of Chester screaming his guts out in yet another band. Because, I'm sure, he's doing this, just so that he can be better when he goes back to Linkin Park. ;-)



(If you're going to click on any of the links on this post, click on the one above. If I get enough clicks on it, I stand a chance to win a guitar autographed by the members of Dead by Sunrise!)

This is the end of this extremely long post. Catch you at Dass on Friday! Experience for yourself the well-rested, newer, better, brighter, shinier Murfy's fLaW.