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I thank our lord savior this horrendous era is finally over!!! What the band need is a five year hiatus but I doubt it'll happen. All my predictions post Viva turned out to be quite accurate and I'm sensing we'll be getting an album by early 2020. The whole album could be collaborations, with Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Harry Styles certain to appear. I think they'll incorporate more R&B and electronic vibes with minimum guitars and piano. Anything experimental, edgy or rock-sounding is out of the picture so I'm expecting more of the same. Something between Take That, Nicki Minaj and Imagine Dragons.

It's one of those hard-to-accept truths that the majority of their current fanbase have never heard of Prospekt's March. Every song on that was a jewel and too good for the band to not release the EP. In regards to whatever came after, what you said is exactly the general consensus on this thread. Almost ten years since Prospekt's March and Oldplayers only have three or four songs we somewhat like.

I discovered Keane around a year after Coldplay when they released the Everybody's Changing music video. I felt a very strong connection with their music and fell in love with them instantly. I wouldn't call them the "2nd best band in the world" but they're one of my top absolute favorites. I rate their output and musicianship much much higher than Coldplay and their songs are just a lot more emotionally charged. It's one of my biggest regrets that I never experienced them live and I feel very sad at how Tom's whole situation ruined everything. I do hope they get together for one last try, but I doubt it will happen soon. All their songs had a huge impact on me but "Bedshaped" and "Atlantic" are my favorites. I generally like the darker ones a lot more. If people haven't checked out Keane's music in its entirety I definitely recommend it.

I'd like to point out I had absolutely no part to play in the wars that ensued following :viva:! I promise! I do really miss those days though. The Coldplay fire was very much alive in all Oldpayers but my friends all moved on fortunately, or unfortunately! I feel like my seat on this train is now rotten and should be replaced for someone younger and more enthusiastic about the band, but I still lurk around looking to see if I can piss off more people or force the band into early retirement! Lucky you! I'm literally unable to do that. I put on I Ran Away and the image of Chris comes into my head sword-fighting Rihanna and then it just ruins the whole thing. I've experienced the evolution of a lot of bands but Coldplay's was too bitter I guess. '97 Radiohead and U2 are still the same band to me today.

Dreadful song; if you can call it one. It's criminal to compare it with Don Quixote. My god the end of the tour can't come soon enough! As his fans we've always believed in his genius and I actually think he will get even better. His behavior and psyche is definitely off though and there's no doubt he's an utter moron. Maybe things will get better after his inevitable divorce from the bum lady.

I've actually had this thought for a while now. I remain adamant that I'll never attend another one of their shows (my last one was in 09) but if they ever pull out a Joshua Tree and tour Parachutes or AROBTTH I'll be the first in the queue attending multiple shows!!! The Joshua Tree Tour actually brought a huge number of the older fans out the closet which was a spectacle! The earlier songs carry with them a purity and elegance that the need for confetti and all the disney bullshit goes out the window. Just the boys on their instruments without silly costumes.

No, once is enough! Have you ever given a blowjob to Kim Jong-un?

Couldn't have put it better. I'd like to add that nostalgia also plays a big part for me personally. But in terms of sheer quality and musicianship X&Y is absolutely amazing and compared to the band's output since 2008 it stands as a record to cherish and remember. And the B-sides are just beautiful. And the music world has only recently realized how many of the band's greatest songs are on that album. Square One, Fix You, Talk, Til Kingdom Come etc.

I personally think 60 is way too high of an average score. I'd give it less than 40 myself. It doesn't matter how much you love or dislike the EP, the score on meta will always reflect how the release stands against all other work of music and specifically Coldplay's other efforts. If AROBTTH gets a near 90 score then surely Kaleidoscope and AHFOD should be much much lower. Some critics are idiots, some not. Most of the notable and respected ones have long gone past the hate-Coldplay phase and give fair and detailed reviews of what they actually think is good or meretricious. Those who bash without detailed analysis aren't even worthy of paying any attention to.

A L I E N S is by far the greatest song on the EP and in fact one of the best since X&Y.

I've been really struggling these past two days to the extent I can't get any sleep. He was someone very special to me and I feel immense pain when thinking about all that happened in his life and how he couldn't overcome the battle even though he experienced so much that was positive ever since he had his first child. I think all of us LP fans need to unite as a community to highlight his tremendous achievements and the fact he moved, changed and saved millions of people with his artistic outpouring and commitment to the betterment of all those he touched. Lets keep his legacy alive forever and help fight mental illness and depression. It's what he would have wanted.

And me to yours. I was planning to post it in our thread to avoid the you know what but it'll be on the main KEP thread!

1. A L I E N S 2. All I Can Think About is You 3. Hypnotised 4. Miracles (Someone Special) 5. Something Just Like This (Tokyo Remix) Oldplayer in-depth review incoming

I'm surprised people are surprised. Coldplay's fan base aren't a niche group of people anymore. Not since 2006. When you turn into a boyband act you're already knees deep in attracting the larger audience who naturally vary vastly in intelligence and education levels. We should also accept that those hateful comments perfectly represent the western civilization at this moment in time. We can be sure they are the voice of the majority. I have not yet seen one comment on the video trying to explain why refugees are fleeing their homes and what countries/governments whose people vote them in are responsible. Ignorance is not a bliss! People's voices have been heard in a democratic process throughout the west and we all have to deal with it. The US/UK/Austria/Netherlands are just the beginning. There'll come a day when Hitler will look like a playground bully. That song would have been amazing. If that whole batch of songs weren't leaked we might have heard a final version of Bloodless Revolution one day!

So you already know how harshly critical and removed I've been toward the band these past few years, Ghost Story and Major Minus being the only two tracks that I go back to since VLV. But this song along with All I Can Think About Is You could potentially save their career, and I'm not dramatizing. I'll save the in-depth review once the EP is out but lets just say the song is perfect in every sense and a proper return to form. The instrumentation and production in particular are a huge leap forward. Brian Eno comes to the rescue once again. Oldplayers have certainly taken notice! Edit: The song has also provided a great new platform to filter the nastier Coldplay fans, the last time being that whole Palestine issue years ago.

That was just terrible! At least on the live version the song is somehow saved by Jonny and Will towards the end but everything gets buried again just like the rest of AHFOD. This EP is shaping up just as I expected. Definitely their worst EP and collection of b-sides to date. For fucks sake when does this era end?!!

An okay song totally ruined by the mix and production, once again! What a terrible result!

Released only a few days ago and its already a personal soundtrack for me. They are of unparalleled talent and creativity so not very comparable with Coldplay. But this is actually how they would have sounded if they took a more mature direction after AROBTTH/X&Y.

I'll take this. I'd actually prefer to have just Chris on the piano with Jonny coming in later in the song for a solo. It sounds very reminiscent of AROBTTH and definitely a lot more oldplay than Hypnotised. I love how pure and haunting it feels. Finally I have something to look forward to with Coldplay!!

It's definitely going to be Ariana Grande or Taylor Swift. The likes of Adele or Lana Del Rey will never work with Coldplay. I can't wait for their collaboration with Pitbull on LP8. I predicted it years ago!

That's a very good question. As you know bands have a drastically different approach to their work compared to other occupations, engineers for example. Their whole survivability depends on creative output and that depends on every element they're exposed to at any time. When bands continuously make music for lets say a decade, they usually fall into the habit of looking at the whole process as a day job. This is more evident in bands who have a main driving force who dictates all aspects of their sound and pretty much sets the direction and the tone. Coldplay are a definitive example of this. So were Keane and a lot of other bands, even PF before Waters left. Not so much with Linkin Park or Anathema for instance where every single member of the band is pretty much a songwriter and so everyone is considerably more responsible and involved from the get-go. We all know how Coldplay works. Chris comes up with a melody or rhythm, sometimes with disjointed lyrics and often with a whole song, and the rest of the band try to compliment the sound with their individual input. From MX onward I feel like they've become session musicians more or less, just following whatever Chris has in mind. This is why Viva was such a great album. A true masterpiece. Eno came in and broke that chain, giving space to others so they can explore and discover. It sounded fresh and original, unlike anything they or any other alternative band had done. A hiatus is extremely healthy as the band take a break from all group activity for a long time and are no longer artistically involved in a joint activity. It breaks the chain and allows them to take a step back and reflect on their output. They will question the quality of their records and how they stand in the greater scheme of things and examine the band dynamics. Most importantly it helps them develop critical thinking when it comes to making music as a group and in most bands leads to experimentation. Coldplay are a very happy band now, completely indifferent to what you and I think or like or where they stand in the music industry or if they're actually producing music worth listening to. They've fallen into the trap of thinking chart success is an indication of their capability as musicians but they couldn't be more wrong. Charts are about glorified entertainers and no worthy artist in history has ever cared about enduring commercial presence. Coldplay aren't like other bands though and I can't guarantee you a hiatus could work. They might go on holiday and come back after 3 years as if nothing changed. I think Chris is too much of a dominant lead and the others are unable or unwilling to challenge him or present fresh ideas for experimentation. And this is as bad as it gets for a rock band!

I'm tremendously joyous you like it. The more people like it the happier I am, especially among the oldplayer crowd. We're all here for a reason and that is to be moved by the music and enjoy it. I'm glad I'm in the minority on this one! I desperately hope you're right!

The music video is excellent. Best they've done since Ghost Story. Love it :)

So I held back from posting anything about Hypnotised for a while. A lot of you guys seemed to like it and I didn't want to be a douche. Though it was mostly because I was trying desperately to like it, forcefully even, and I just can't. I listen to it three or four times a day just searching for a glimmer of light, but my god is it boring. It's the dullest song they've done along with Amazing Day. The song just doesn't go anywhere for six minutes and it's nowhere near as emotionally charged as their early work. I simply don't understand the comparison with anything pre-Viva. A painfully slow song doesn't automatically equate to early Coldplay. And I still dislike the production. The bells are synthed and not real, the drums are electric and Jonny's solo is drowned in a sea of synth white noise and uncomplimentary strings (The Pink Floyd comparisons almost killed me. I think sir Gilmour might shoot himself too if he read this!) The piano rhythm is way too slow and could have been written by a preschooler with a keyboard, and don't even get me stared on the lyrics. Once you compare it with O, All Your Friends or Up with the Birds the weaknesses really start to show. Overall I'm neither sad nor disappointed, just rather bewildered, with the band seemingly unable to capture the magic of what made them great in the first place, even though they evidently tried their hardest to do so. Kaleidoscope will be a dreadful end to an era that can't come soon enough. I still hold on to my belief that Ghost Story and Atlas are the most original Coldplay songs post-Viva. Both songs masterfully written and crafted. Songs that fill your head with a lot of what ifs... In fact Coldplay's career these past 10 years is filled with what ifs. The older members will know I've called for the band to go on a prolonged hiatus since Viva only to be more disappointed with every release year after year . Hopefully in 2017 the time will come.

So I held back from posting anything about Hypnotised for a while. A lot of you guys seemed to like it and I didn't want to be a douche. Though it was mostly because I was trying desperately to like it, forcefully even, and I just can't. I listen to it three or four times a day just searching for a glimmer of light, but my god is it boring. It's the dullest song they've done along with Amazing Day. The song just doesn't go anywhere for six minutes and it's nowhere near as emotionally charged as their early work. I simply don't understand the comparison with anything pre-Viva. A painfully slow song doesn't automatically equate to early Coldplay. And I still dislike the production. The bells are synthed and not real, the drums are electric and Jonny's solo is drowned in a sea of synth white noise and uncomplimentary strings (The Pink Floyd comparisons almost killed me. I think sir Gilmour might shoot himself too if he read this!) The piano rhythm is way too slow and could have been written by a preschooler with a keyboard, and don't even get me stared on the lyrics. Once you compare it with O, All Your Friends or Up with the Birds the weaknesses really start to show. Overall I'm neither sad nor disappointed, just rather bewildered, with the band seemingly unable to capture the magic of what made them great in the first place, even though they evidently tried their hardest to do so. Kaleidoscope will be a dreadful end to an era that can't come soon enough. I still hold on to my belief that Ghost Story and Atlas are the most original Coldplay songs post-Viva. Both songs masterfully written and crafted. Songs that fill your head with a lot of what ifs... In fact Coldplay's career these past 10 years is filled with what ifs. The older members will know I've called for the band to go on a prolonged hiatus since Viva only to be more disappointed with every release year after year . Hopefully in 2017 the time will come.