If there is a fitting single to start off the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack, it is this one. As mentioned on their website, this song actually came from a batch of songs they came up with for the whole cast of characters from the movie. For example, they would have a song with a working title named Optimus Prime and another named Megatron, which eventually became New Divide.
So they knocked around a few of the songs and found this one to be the most fitting of all. Rightly so, New Divide talks about a conflict, about a separation within Megatron's psyche in both metaphorical and figurative ways. The song symbolizes a union between the Fallen and Megatron, best exemplified by the line "Like a startling sign that fate has finally found me. Your voice was all I heard that I get what I deserved." This shows the level of storytelling the song has and is an example of Linkin Park's sublime songwriting.
Their execution of the song was also just as impressive. From the beginning rift to the haunting first few lines to the change in tempo and intensity for the chorus and then to the energized techno interlude. The whole song is well arranged and the flow of it fits the emotional tension and mood to a T. Underneath it all, Ray Bourdon's drums are what provide the tribal feel and also the tempo for the track. And as usual, the rest of the band (Delson's guitar, Hahn's beats, Shinoda's keys) was just as fitting.
But the star of the song is Chester's vocals. Not only do you believe the actual words he sings, which sells the story, but it also provides the main strength and power of the song itself. People who have heard him on his Dead by Sunrise record would know about the intensity Chester provides with his singing and how it drives every one of his songs forward. Here, in New Divide, you get exactly the same energy. Just compare the acapella version of this song to the instrumental track (both included here) and you can tell that the vocals are actually more powerful than the instrumentals, which is amazing.
On a whole, New Divide delivers what it promises; a good morsel of music greatness. Listen to it in the car or on your Ipod, this single will slowly grow on you. Hail, Megatron!