Fort Minor... You'll remember the name (The Rising Tied - Fort Minor)

Member Name: herbie__53

Product:	The Rising Tied - Fort Minor
Date:	06/04/09 (44 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great lyrics, as we would expect from Shinoda.

Disadvantages: A few of the tracks sound similar.

Fort Minor is a side project of Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park fame. This album has been around for a few years now, being released in 2005, but it is still being discovered by new listeners who usually stumble across it by accident (like I did). The music is quite like the style of Linkin Park, although this is inevitable given the unique quality of Shinoda's voice. I find this album to have more thoughtful and meaningful lyrics, as I believe Shinoda to be an excellent lyricist and you can really see this through all the songs he has featured on, both Linkin Park and Fort Minor.

Here's my track - by - track rundown....

1. Introduction. Being only 43 seconds long, this really is a short introduction! It's mainly instrumental, with a few lyrics insterspersed over a marching beat.

2. Remember The Name. This is the most well known track off the album, and you can see why. Its got a catchy strings riff over a strong beat. This fetures Styles of Beyond, which adds a bit of variety to Shinoda's voice all the way through every track. This song has very meaningful lyrics, it tells of Shinoda's rise through the rap ranks. This song is excellent, I loved it from the first listen. A great beat - one for the workout playlist if you have one!!

3. Right Now. This features Styles of Beyond again and also Black Thoughts of The Roots. This begins with a piano melody over a heavy beat, and then the lyrics start. If I could describe this song compared to a Linkin Park song, I would say its more "dark" - it portrays some gritty images. A catchy chorus completes the song perfectly. The delicate piano riff that continues through the song contrasts with the dark subject matter very well.

4. Petrified. Shinoda alone again. A very heavy beat again to this one, and the rap has a lot more bounce to it. This track seems to be a lot different to the first three, its in a completely different style. The chorus I think lets it down a bit, the lyrics are a bit repetitive and this isn't what we are used to from Shinoda.

5. Feel Like Home. Another one featuring Styles of Beyond! A catchy beat to this track, and yet more gritty lyrics dealing with sombre issues such as homelessness and despair.

6. Where'd You Go. This track features Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga, and this is the first mellow track on the album. A relaxing tune with wispy high female lyrics starts this one off, before the heavy but slow beat kicks in. Shinoda's vocals are more slow paced here, and they seem more emotional than other lyrics in the fact that they deal with missing the ones you love and the feelings associated with this.

7. In Stereo. A very funky bass line to this track! This track reminds me of Eminem, it sounds very much like his style and it could have easily be sung by him. Not overly impressed with this song, the vocals feel like they drag over the beat a bit.

8. Back Home. Featuring Styles of Beyond and Common. A bit more lively here, with a laid back guitar riff throughout. A more laid back track - the variation in voices add interest to this song, which I think could have been a bit dull if it was all sung by the same person.

9. Cigarettes. We are getting to the point where all the songs are starting to sound a bit similar, but the lyrics do impress every time. The beat to this song is a bit slow and sparse, and the rhythm of the vocals doesn't quite seem to gel, but the lyrics are good.

10. Believe Me. Featuring Bobo and Styles of Beyond. The piano is back for this one, but that's not suprising given that Shinoda is a pianist. A more lively beat and vocal rhythm, this track is an improvement on the last. The lyrics really paint a picture and move along at a good pace over the beat. A catchy chorus, but again I'm thinking this sounds a lot like a song that Eminem did....

11. Get Me Gone. This track comes in at under two minutes long, and starts off with conversation. It tells the story of Shinoda becoming a rapper, how there were a lot of people wanting to "Get Him Gone", that he should just play the keyboard as their band already had a singer. He makes a point of mentioning that his lyrics are intelligent and meaningful. I think the lyrics of this song are the best on the album.

12. High Road. A piano accompaniment again here, very bouncy which compliments the vocals perfectly. The chorus in this song is sung rather than rapped, which intertwines with the rapped verses really well.

13. Kenji. We slow down a bit here, for the story of a Japanese man called Kenji. The lyrics on this song are amazing, they are really thought provoking. They follow the life of Japanese Kenji who is trying to make his home in America after the war, when the Japanese were hated. A very emotional song which deals with some horrific issues. One of the best songs on the album.

14. Red To Black. A very funky bass line here, this song features Kenna, Jonah Matranga and Styles of Beyond. Nice variation in the voices, and a good story about someone's hard life.

15. The Battle - This is a little skit of a rap battle, only 32 seconds long. Self explanatory really!

16. Slip Out The Back. This final track features Mr Hahn (also of Linkin Park fame). A piano accompaniment again, with thoughtful lyrics from his experiences again. A good realxed beat to this one, with a nice rhythm. A great song to finish the album with.

Overall I think this is a brilliant album - though there are a few tracks that sound similar. You cannot beat his skill for lyrics though, and Shinoda deals with some dark subjects - a refreshing change from lyrics about rich rappers getting shot and doing drugs!

If you like Linkin Park or Eminem, I would definitely give this album a go.

Summary: Definitely worth a listen.