Blackout, from Linkin Park’s fourth studio album “A Thousand Suns”, is an artistic adrenaline ride of half-sung, half-rapped verses thrown down over a powerful backdrop of deep chords and a pounding rhythm. The chorus, featuring screamed vocals that make your skin crawl and your throat hurt, is an emotionally charged attack on self-induced ignorance. Concluding with a graceful, passionate vocal riff, Blackout grabs you like a bear trap, then sweetly reminds you that self-centred people die alone.
For those of you who don’t know, Linkin Park consists of Chester Bennington (vocals), Mike Shinoda (vocals), Brad Delson (guitar), David "Phoenix" Farrell (bass), Joe Hahn (turntablist), and Rob Bourdon (drums), and are most commonly referred to as a ‘rock’ band. However, referring to this experienced sextet simply as ‘rock’ is as equally misleading as referring to the entire universe as ‘pretty big’. Sure, instrumentally, they include elements of any rock group: electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums. But Linkin Park also features a turntable, which has been used to create unearthly, electronic beats and melodies, or enhance the other instruments by chopping them up and splicing them back together in a chaotically beautiful fusion of sound. Linkin Park are also acclaimed for blending a number of different vocal styles in their music, including singing, rapping, and screaming. And while the majority of their earlier music can be considered dark and heavy, Linkin Park have always been coveted by their fans for their ability to take an acoustic guitar or a piano and get nice and quiet, creating slower songs that are as emotionally provocative as it gets.
In 2007, Linkin Park released Minutes to Midnight, their third studio album. A very controversial album among fans and critics alike, Linkin Park began to reinvent themselves with Minutes to Midnight. 2010's A Thousand Suns was the next step in their journey of maturation. A Thousand Suns touches thematically on war, love, selfishness, fear, compassion, loneliness and accountability, among other things, while doing so with lyrics that are so easy to relate to that the album’s more deeper meanings are unique to each listener. Musically, it can hardly be defined as any one genre at all, and is aptly described by the band simply as ‘organic’. The song Blackout exemplifies both of these qualities, sporting incredibly meaningful lyrics and a sound that is as natural and earthly as it is frantically electric.
Now for the song.
At first there is only a synthesizer. A progression of two simple, ambient chords rises from silence, subtly grabbing your attention and curiosity.
Then, a lone snare drum pounded to the beat of a military march chimes in, and all of a sudden a strong sense of rhythm and structure manifests itself in the listener’s mind.
Next is a keyboard. A progression of low, almost mournful chords is layered on, introducing you to the first of many melodies. A few moments later, a higher, brighter melody, also played on a keyboard, both contrasts and harmonizes with the first, as a steady bass beat slowly rises out of the musical cloud.
These five instrumental riffs come together seamlessly to create an overall sound that is beautiful in its variety.
Then, 56 seconds into the song, it begins.
The brighter keyboard melody is abruptly replaced by Chester, entering the fray armed with a compelling mix of singing and rapping, punctuated by a growling tone. And if you like the verse, then wait until you hear the chorus. Beginning with a single syllable screamed in your general direction, “NO!!!” the front-man of Linkin Park delivers one of his most powerful vocal performances ever. Chalk full of eloquent angst, Blackout’s chorus is a violent release of more pent-up frustration than I thought possible from any less than a thousand tortured souls.
As the vocals are most certainly the main focus of both verse and chorus, the lyrics become key to understanding the message of the song. My interpretation? The lyrics are a lesson to the listener explaining that selfish action leads to the unhappiness of others, and when presented by an obviously pissed off Chester Bennington, it’s not an easy lesson to forget.
After being ravaged by the second verse and a slightly different version of the chorus, which serve to reinforce the message that’s already been delivered, things get even more interesting. A techno breakdown, including a chaotic splicing of Chester’s earlier vocals and an unnerving keyboard parts that hides in the background, pleasantly assaults the audience and acts an extremely effective segue to the last portion of the song.
The techno breakdown, ending with an echoing vocal fade, leads rights into the open arms of Mike Shinoda. Appearing for the first time on the track, Mike does something we only get the pleasure of hearing on a select few of Linkin Park’s many songs: he sings. And he does a damn good job.
As he delivers a string of poetic lyrics full of creative imagery, an instrumental crescendo raises the song up for a final few moments. Featuring a keyboard and guitar centred around a drum beat with a beautiful use of electric distortion, the build leads into a simple, completely effective vocal harmony fortified by the rest of the band. And then, as gracefully as it began, the song slowly ends, each instrument fading out until only the vocals are left.
Blackout is a unique deliverance of peace, through anger, that presents a lesson that is as timeless as it in insightful. This one’s getting 5 stars.
LYRICS
I'm stuck in this bed you made
Alone with a sinking feeling
I saw through the words you said
To the secrets you've been keeping
It's written upon your face
All the lies how they cut so deeply
You can't get enough you take
And take and take and never say
No
You've gotta get it inside
You push it back down
You push it back down
No
You'll never get it inside
Push it back down,
Blackout,
Blood in your eye
You say that it's not your fault
And swear that I am mistaken
You said it's not what it seems
No remorse for the trust you're breaking
You run but then back you fall
Suffocate in the mess you're making
You can't get enough you take
And take and take and take
Fuck it Are you listening?
No
You've gotta get it inside
You push it back down
You push it back down
No
You'll never get it inside
Push it back down
You push it back down
No
You've gotta get it inside
You push it back down
You push it back down
No
You'll never get it inside
Push it back down,
Blackout,
Blood in your eye
Floating down
As colors fill the light
We look up from the ground
In fields of paperwhite
And floating up
You pass us in the night
A future gazing out
A past to overwrite
So come down
Far below
We've been waiting to collect the things you know
Come down
Far below
We've been waiting to collect what you've let go
Come Down 'Oh
Come Down 'Oh
Come Down 'Oh
Come Down 'Oh
Come Down 'Oh...
