Linkin Park Guitarist: 'Minutes To Midnight Is A Huge Departure For Us'

Minutes To Midnight is the highly anticipated third studio outing by multi-platinum selling act Linkin Park. The band spent close to a year and a half crafting their latest opus. Co-produced by the band’s Mike Shinoda and famed legendary producer Rick Rubin, it marks a change in the band’s musical direction and approach.

As Rubin stated recently when asked about the new record: "They [Linkin Park] really are reinventing themselves, it doesn't sound like rap-rock. There's very strong songwriting. It's very melodic...a progressive record." On the eve of the album release and just days before the band headed out on their current tour, Joe Matera spoke to Linkin Park guitarist Brad Delson about the new album, vintage gear and haunted houses.

Ultimate-Guitar: The band’s third studio album, Minutes to Midnight sees Linkin Park moving away from their sound of old. It is more of a redefined sound for the band, was it a conscious decision or the result of a natural progression?

Brad Delson: Minutes to Midnight is really a huge departure for us. We decided when we began writing this record that we really wanted to take the sound that we had established with Hybrid Theory and developed further with Meteora and kind of put it aside and really, almost, start from scratch in a sense with what the sound of the band could become. And through a lot of hard work and really smart guidance by our producer Rick Rubin, we were able to achieve what ultimately became this record.

You spent 14 months working on the album and in that period amassed around 150 song ideas?

Yeah but I would say it was more about a 17 month period. We started it about November of 2005 and then we worked on it and didn’t finish the record until the end of last month [March]. There were definitely a lot of songs there that we had to work with. Some of them were good enough to be on the record but there were also a lot of stuff that you know, hopefully no one will ever hear because they were awful. There definitely is a lot of stuff that didn’t make the record that may come out at some point in the future.

Was there pressure on you with the success of the first two albums, to try and replicate that success with the new album?

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves creatively to try and not rely on existing methods or formulas on how to write a song. We really wanted to, with this album, do something totally fresh and new and it took a long time and a lot of experimentation to find out to how we would achieve that.

Speaking of experimentation, the band has utilized a lot of different instruments this time on the recording. There is everything from acoustic guitars to banjos to marimbas?

In the past if you read the liner notes to the albums it would say Brad Delson – guitar, Mike Shinoda – keyboards etc. But this time when it came time to address the liner notes we really simply wrote, “Linkin Park is” because all six of us played really anything and everything instrument wise on this record. There were no boundaries in terms of what some one could contribute or how they could contribute to the creation of these songs. It was really a product of collaboration by all six of us.

"There is a lot of stuff that didn't make the record that may come out at some point in the future."

Rick Rubin co-produced the album with Mike Shinoda, what did Rick bring to the recording process?

He brought in a lot of perspective and a kind of a really great way of being able to guide us through a really challenging process and to do so while simultaneously creating a really positive and open atmosphere. Rick is really a big picture guy. You know, he’ll get immersed in the details when he needs to but in terms of basic tracking he usually relies on his engineers to kind of oversee that part of the process. So when it came to tracking guitars, I worked a lot with our engineer Andrew Scheps.

You’ve never really been happy with the whole “nu-metal” tag, are you hoping with this album that it will finally free you from any of sort of labelling by critics?

We definitely were in the past categorized in certain ways yet we never felt like we belonged to any clubs…any musical clubs. Nor did we ever aspire to belong to any one genre too. The idea of our band when we started it was to try to really define any sort of classification. But we understand that kind of a lot of different bands grew out of this kind of particular of genre. A lot of groups incorporated a certain sound into their music, some of whom you know, may have been influenced by some of the records we had made. With this new record though we really wanted to totally move the playing field and really kind of let go in a way stylistically of where we were coming from. And that was definitely risking in the sense that we had a lot of success making songs with a definitive sound and style and so to really start over and to do something totally new and unproven was a huge risk for the band. And with great risk can also come great reward so our hope is that when people listen to this album that they can connect with as much as all six of us - really all seven of us when you include Rick - connect with each of the songs that we chose.

Turning to the topic of gear, when it came to the recording process did you still use your famed Paul Reed Smith guitars?

I did use my Paul Reed Smith guitars because they’re so versatile. But I also supplemented them by relying on a lot of vintage gear. Stuff like a 1950s Stratocaster, a vintage Les Paul, a fender Jaguar, a Fender Telecaster and I completely abandoned the amps I was using. There really is no Dual Rectifier or any new Marshall on this record. I mainly used a vintage Soldano, a vintage Hi-Watt, a Sears amp and an AC-30 for my clean tones. I also had this really rare piece of gear which we called the “Bo Diddley” amp named after Bo Diddley himself who had this signature series of amps, I think he only had about 40 of them as he probably destroyed half of them. . It also had an analogue tape delay built into the back of the amp. Anyway our engineer had only seen this amp in a magazine before. He had never seen one in person and we were able to find one and rent it for the recording sessions. And it had this incredible clean tone.

Did using the vintage gear play a major part in inspiring you toa different approach when it came to your guitar playing?

Completely, especially when it came to guitar solos. With a lot of the textures in the past I didn’t have really have any solos as I thought that they just sounded somewhat clichéd in rock songs. And I felt that, at least in my tastes, popular alternative music has clearly come around full circle today and that in the case of this record some of the solos on the record really I think, made the song that so much more special.

Did you experiment with trying out different combinations of amplifiers and then blending the sounds you liked to make one tone?

Yeah, I found and got a lot of cool combinations between amps. I used a Soldano and Hi-Watt in combination and sometimes, I’d mix in like an old JCM800 amp where it created a really unique heavy tone. I wanted to do things differently with each song, so we weren’t married to one particular setup. It was like whatever sounded the best.

When it comes to touring the album how will you go about recreating the sounds you got on the album in the live environment?

That is a great question. The problem is using all these kinds of different amps, a lot of them are rare and old and so they’re delicate. And because we have multiple rigs, we also have to have back-ups. It is really impossible to incorporate these amps into our live rig. So I was thinking ‘how are we going to do this? It could be so expensive and it could be unreliable’. And I found this incredible solution. Randall is making this new guitar tube emulator. It is an amp emulator that has actual tubes inbuilt into it, 6” inches wide and about an inch tall. And I basically fill a rack with these different types of Randall tube emulators and what I’ve been able to do is dial in all the sounds. So I’ve got basically the Soldano, the Hi-Watt and the JCM800, all the amps that I used in the studio, I’ve got those tones down in my rack via these tube emulators. And I can switch between them in my pedal board during different songs.

"We put a lot of pressure on ourselves creatively to not rely on existing formulas on how to write a song."

Will Randall be making a signature Brad Delson emulator model?

It is looking that way where I’ll be having a signature guitar emulator with Randall. I’ve already done some new modifications on this brand new piece of gear and hopefully we’ll be able to make available the exact tones that I made use of on this record. But also with the ability for the player who purchases these emulators to dial them in as however they seem fit.

Do you get many song ideas when you’re out on the road?

In the past especially with Meteora, we started a lot of the ideas on the road. But for this record because we had some time off after the Meteora touring cycle had ended, we wrote and recorded this new entire album in Los Angeles. It was recorded at the Laurel Canyon mansion, which is one of Rick’s homes that is actually situated across the street from the Harry Houdini house.

It’s been noted by other artists who have recorded there that the house is haunted. Did you experience any supernatural happenings whilst there?

I think security that had worked in that house before on the System of a Down record told us that they had experienced some sort of paranormal activity. I personally didn’t see any of that nature as I made it a point to keep the lights on!

You’re about to announce the return of Projekt Revolution this summer?

Yes that is correct. We will be doing Projekt Revolution this summer for what I think is now the fourth time. It is going to be a huge summer tour going around the States and we will be announcing the final line-up probably in the next couple of weeks.

Are you looking forward to hitting the road again to tour behind the new album?

Absolutely and we will literally be starting the tour this week, which will lead us up to Projekt Revolution this summer. I can see us easily being on the road until the following year when we may do Projekt Revolution again. We will also be coming down to Australia at some point in time, hopefully either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

2007 © Joe Matera

Comments

[sakura'sdarkest]

Wait so there's gonna actually be solo's on this one.....Super.

[edibledevilboy]

good interview, looking forward to the new record.
anybody else notice brad always answers in full sentences?..

[ill niño]

The solo's really suck, just like the majority of the songs on the album. I used to be a huge Linkin Park fan but this record is a real disappointment.

[Jackolas]

This is NOT a "rant" - I think LP have potential - at least the cross over of music styles does, when done ever so correctly.

Does no one else find it funny how not one, but they ALL suddenly look so different? They probably look more like a boyband than ever now.

Also, the reason he didn't play solos IMHO is because they were, and are not (though they are more now than they were then, but only if they are short and contain little notes, usually trem picked or something) commerically viable. If Linkin Park had Kirk Hammett soloing in every song they'd not have got such a widespread fanbase. It's just the way it does.

I downloaded about 7 tracks off the new album. It just sounded a bit like dirge - potential on a few songs. Less rapping, less originality, clear signs of trying to appeal un masse more than ever.

Still drop riffs (though they seem to be in D), stuff a lot of bands could write over a cup of tea and the footy.

[evilbeavil]

awesome interview and also an awesome last sentence.. theyre coming to australia!

[Vinura]

woohoo finally some guitar solo's

[blajano]

Minutes to midnight is just awful. I mean, just drop riffs, almost nothing of that 'dj thing', less rapping, they're becoming into Green Day... But LP still have potential.

[Scourge441]

Also, the reason he didn't play solos IMHO is because they were, and are not (though they are more now than they were then, but only if they are short and contain little notes, usually trem picked or something) commerically viable. If Linkin Park had Kirk Hammett soloing in every song they'd not have got such a widespread fanbase. It's just the way it does.

A couple of comments...
1. I think Linkin Park have just stopped caring about what will sell records. This album has been held back a long time, and I believe them when they said they just wanted to step away from the nu-metal tag. Let's face it, guitar solos may be more "commercially viable" in a rock band now, but AFAIK banjos and marimbas aren't.
2. At this point, anything Linkin Park does will probably sell millions of records. If they continue to progress after this record, I think that could be a very good thing for rock music in the future.

[Learn_to_fly]

i luv the new record! it owns

[MattIgoe0108]

A lot of what Delson says here makes sense. The subtleties that put this album way above Meteora won't be heard on the first listen, because it's too much of a shock at first that Linkin Park created this record.

[sambargun]

These interviews are becoming too cliched. Same old answers(we're aware that we were tagged with that style,but wanted to move on and experiment, its a bold step blah, blah, blah.....) As for numetal, I always thought of LP as the typical numetal group. No power, no aggression, just a bunch of guys mixing rap vocals, and heavy background music.....

[cyanide02]

Scourge441 wrote:

Also, the reason he didn't play solos IMHO is because they were, and are not (though they are more now than they were then, but only if they are short and contain little notes, usually trem picked or something) commerically viable. If Linkin Park had Kirk Hammett soloing in every song they'd not have got such a widespread fanbase. It's just the way it does.

A couple of comments...
1. I think Linkin Park have just stopped caring about what will sell records. This album has been held back a long time, and I believe them when they said they just wanted to step away from the nu-metal tag. Let's face it, guitar solos may be more "commercially viable" in a rock band now, but AFAIK banjos and marimbas aren't.
2. At this point, anything Linkin Park does will probably sell millions of records. If they continue to progress after this record, I think that could be a very good thing for rock music in the future.

But Chester admitted, in an interview with this weeks Kerrag magazine (in the uk), that 'if it was a choice between making artistically credible music or selling records the latter would always win'.

[cyanide02]

kerrang*

[klaheto]

I am a huge fan of Linkin Park, but i just have a feeling that this one is gunna blow.

[shoopdawhoop]

Jackolas wrote:


Does no one else find it funny how not one, but they ALL suddenly look so different? They probably look more like a boyband than ever now.

funny. i thought you had to be attractive to look like a boyband, brad delson is too hairy for that

Checked

[jdsarge91]

Very little depth to this album at all. A couple catchy tunes, but its all very samey pop/rock. Lyrics are a bit of an improvement from there past stuff, but nothing amazing.

[Encore_God]

It's all very well to play loads of instruments and play a ton of vintage gear, but if you haven't got the music to back it up, what's the value of using it? And anyway, it'll probably still go through Pro-Tools...

[Muddy_Banks]

If a band knows where they wanna go they don't need producer. If they were going down as a band no producer can turn that around, only they can do it. But ye on the topic-it does sound like typical rock that's out there right now, lol but ye they got away from their style.

[axeslinger0u812]

disappointing cd. granted, never a huge fan of the band nayway, but I can appreciate a decently written song, and these songs blow. why is everyone trying to copy Edge from U2? The solo's are terrible. One of them is a decent attempt at showing something, but it's repetitive. I taught myself four of these songs in the course of listening to the first verse and the chorus. then laughed and turned it off. took them 17 months? *shakes head*

[Vicious00009]

Yes, they have stepped out of the "nu-metal" box. They're truly breaking the boundaries as they have gone from nu-metal...to Radio rock. Wow. "How can we 'change' our style without doing something original that will still guarantee us millions of fans?"

[njc3190]

people who say they "hate this record" are really quite musically shallow, i mean im sure they've listened to the first like 10-15 seconds of each song and told themselves they dont like it. i used to do that, but i don't think thats right anymore!

At first I was like "wow..this is different" i was unsure if it was them. but after listening to the songs in order, im starting to realise that change isn't bad. i prefer the old stuff too, but this is different in a really good way.

A band has every right to change their sound whenever they want, to suit their mindset or whatever and if you don't like it then listen to the stuff you 'used to like'

and finally i do agree like some ppl have said, that some songs on the album sound simple/samey but you need to look past that!

p.s. Jackolas, since when have boybands played their own instruments?

[axeslinger0u812]

sithian476 wrote:

axeslinger0u812 :
disappointing cd. granted, never a huge fan of the band nayway, but I can appreciate a decently written song, and these songs blow. why is everyone trying to copy Edge from U2? The solo's are terrible. One of them is a decent attempt at showing something, but it's repetitive. I taught myself four of these songs in the course of listening to the first verse and the chorus. then laughed and turned it off. took them 17 months? *shakes head*

I don't know about you, but I tend not to even put that much effort into things you "honestly" don't care about. Douchebag.

there was no effort. i always have my guitar in my hand, and I figured I would listen to the cd, and what do you know? 30 second of messing around resulted in figuring out the songs. and who are you "honestly" quoting?

[IbanezRG14]

Songs don't have to be hard for you to tab to be good songs. Simplicity is a great thing in music sometimes. I mean, everything doesn't have to Dream Theater to amazing music.

[DrewUr]

WOW? Acoustic Guitars!?!?

[axeslinger0u812]

IbanezRG14 wrote:

Songs don't have to be hard for you to tab to be good songs. Simplicity is a great thing in music sometimes. I mean, everything doesn't have to Dream Theater to amazing music.

I agree. And it's not like I hate the band. I own Live in Texas, and thought that was a great cd/dvd. I was impressed at their live show. And the whole M2M cd isn't terrible. It's just that they have so much potential that they haven't tapped into. The heavy songs aren't bad, and a couple of the slow ones are ok., it's just with all the hype, and all of the "we are changing our sound" and with Rubin producing,I expected too much from them I guess.

[But mom!]

This cd was a let down for me. Ive heard it and im not crying about saying this cd is not LP but this cd just sucks imo

[Anarion614]

DrewUr wrote:

WOW? Acoustic Guitars!?!?

Haha amazing, I know.

This album better be damn good and different, with all this hype about it.

Checked

[kaze_no_oto]

Horrible album. I'm glad I didn't go and buy it without listening first. What has happened to this band, which used to be one of my favorites? This is all middle of the road alt-rock stuff, there's no intensity what-so-ever, and I'm not speaking specifically about how heavy it is. It's like all the passion was sucked right out of the band and this was just to make some cash. Talk about U2 with a little more distortion and worse vocals. Damn.. What a disappointment.

[scarfacesuit]

ill niño wrote:

The solo's really suck, just like the majority of the songs on the album. I used to be a huge Linkin Park fan but this record is a real disappointment.

how would you know that? the album's not out yet...

[mr. riff]

scarfacesuit wrote:

ill niño wrote:

The solo's really suck, just like the majority of the songs on the album. I used to be a huge Linkin Park fan but this record is a real disappointment.


how would you know that? the album's not out yet...

It's been leaked already.

My local rock radio station played the whole album from start to finish and I'd have to say it's pretty damn good. The guitar work doesn't have like crazy solos or anything but it definetly fits the songs.

[Guitar_Jester]

I have been a Linkin park fan since the beginning and I love the new album!

[soadrocker103]

minutes to midnight was flat out horrible. listened to the cd straight through once and tossed that piece of shit in the garbage

[defguy]

anyone who isn't open to new sounds and wants the band to sound the same over and over again on a record is not going to like this record. Its a good record though.

[Covin]

Why does everyone think that a song has to have intricate guitar work to be a decent song? I know this is a guitar site, but this attitude is ridiculous...simplicity is really underrated these days.

[PuertoCarina]

Covin wrote:

Why does everyone think that a song has to have intricate guitar work to be a decent song? I know this is a guitar site, but this attitude is ridiculous...simplicity is really underrated these days.

I definently agree. Linkin park is different because of the way they use mechanical sound effects mixed with phat beats. Chester's rough edgy voice mashed with mike's smooth rap style is what makes their songs classics. Im a LINKIN PARK fan 4 LIFE no matter what u haters say.

[universeatwar]

PuertoCarina.. That's the thing. This album is far less mechanical, Chester sings the majority of the time, there is a significantly reduced amount of Shinoda. The things that you are pointing out as their positive traits are the things they abandoned on minutes.

[Logan_B]

Linkin Park has always been great and always will. Im quite glad and kinda sad we wont be hearing Mike singing as much, but i think its good that they stepped awa yfrom the rappy rock stuff. Their first album wasnt that great, but Meteoro was a huge album for them and thats why i like them. This album is going to be their best yet hands down. **Brad is the man**

[BILLY_D]

sambargun wrote:

These interviews are becoming too cliched.

Oh THANK GOD someone else noticed

[Metal_sky]

We're not haters, we're just disappointed. This album is pretty sub-par.

[jetfuel495]

like i said before, the leak sounds like shit compared to the real tracks. just go on aol music or some shit and hear it for urself

[Kbassist014]

did any1 actually read all dat

Checked.

[TheLPFan]

Oh man!!! I'm so sick of these "vocal minorities" trashing the band and the worst part is that some of them are LP fans. If you want to hear the same thing just go back to Hybrid Theory or Meteora. Linkin Park or as they were called Hybrid Theory is a band about changing and constantly mixing new sounds and besides just as LP grew up you should do the same.

[zepphead101]

agree.

[jdsarge91]

defguy wrote:

anyone who isn't open to new sounds and wants the band to sound the same over and over again on a record is not going to like this record. Its a good record though.

Yeah, they changed there sound... to be even more radio friendly! I mean come on, 17 months for a whole cd worht of same sounding pop/rock? The CD is only 40 minutes in the first place]! Sad really, this band had huge potential, but they're definitely not using it.

[Handthatfeeds25]

Linkin Park = smart

They move with the music industry to achieve longevity. Instead of making the same album over and over again until the point where people stop caring about you , they decided to evolve and attract a new audience , aswell keeping alot of the long time fans on the way. Its 2007 , nu-metal is dead , everybody has moved on , so they decided to aswell.

7 years after the debut album , people still care about them. Thats a feat on its own.

[toatbs]

Well first listen to the whole album. Yes was horrified by some of the songs but you really need to listen to the cd all the way thorough it takes some getting used too. The solos arent that great but the music overall is good I really enjoy about 4 -5 songs on the album for me a dissapointment where meteora I loved almost every song on there but that is where everyone is different taste yes I am a fan of lp and still buying the album preordeded it on itunes I know there adding a few songs to that so keeping my fingers crossed that those will be good.. But again just give it a listen again dont do the 15 20 second listen and think it sucks..

[yawn]

It's a solid record. It definitely grows on you.

[supreme dean]

Handthatfeeds25 wrote:

Linkin Park = smart

They move with the music industry to achieve longevity. Instead of making the same album over and over again until the point where people stop caring about you , they decided to evolve and attract a new audience , aswell keeping alot of the long time fans on the way. Its 2007 , nu-metal is dead , everybody has moved on , so they decided to aswell.

7 years after the debut album , people still care about them. Thats a feat on its own.

no all theyve done know is dumb down their music and image and make it overtly pop without any originality in a ploy to match the success of ht and meteora. and on evolving your sound you should NEVER EVER leave your roots wholly and enteriely to remain relvant, its that sort of changing to whats hot which damages and cramps individuality, creativity and music, whatever genre it was; look at metallica st anger in an attempt to remain relevant they make an album which all their fans hated but sure the band got their money and are relevant but still but thats just poor

[Waterboy799]

Handthatfeeds25 wrote:

Linkin Park = smart

They move with the music industry to achieve longevity. Instead of making the same album over and over again until the point where people stop caring about you , they decided to evolve and attract a new audience , aswell keeping alot of the long time fans on the way. Its 2007 , nu-metal is dead , everybody has moved on , so they decided to aswell.

7 years after the debut album , people still care about them. Thats a feat on its own.

they decided to move with everyone else who was steering away form nu-metal and honestly they should have stuck with nu-metal. the new album was crap compared to their older albums, the guitar sounds really weak, the solos are nothing amazing,and the singing just wasn't as good.

[liledman_76]

i bought it the other day and its brilliant, although lots will hate it....

[Kestral]

The only problem people seem to have with this new record is that its no longer in the same vein as Hybrid Theory or Meteora, and thats what alo of people will expect even after being told for months that it wont be anything like the other records.

Linkin Park are evolving as a band, if they stayed exactly how they were they would be left behind. Look at Papa Roach, Infest was great, their lastest album, blew chunks, because they didnt do anything new or innovative.

This album is great, i still hear the old LP in songs like Behind Your Lies, and i see only good things if they manage to continue to evolve and push their limits. bravo LP.

[CapnKickass]

I just downloaded I one of the songs (No More Sorrow). And I think its actually pretty sweet, nice and melodic, good rythym, strong guitars. It does sound like radio music but it still stands out, and isn't boring.
The main thing I notice about the few songs that I've heard off the album that could've been better, is that the verses seem to be cut short. I get the impression they might have had writer's block trying to think up one more line, but then decided, "Ah, f*ck it. Next song." But yeah, if the album is consistently good with what I've heard so far, then it will be a good buy.

[toatbs]

Well No more sorrow is def the best track on the album imo I do like bleed it out which has been growing on me but the reptetive track sounds like it was the same key from faint at one point but it does sound good one that I have gotten used to now also is -The Little Things Give You Away doesnt sound like lp but chesters voice is what brings me to like the song its not fast paced by any means but is a good song. Again ya just have to give it time. But if your expecting meterora you will be dissapointed..

[ready2breakdown]

what gets me about the whole thing is, they came out after new metal was already established(a little earlier, but nonetheless, it was already out there). And now it seems like they're doing the same exact damn thing here. The whole throwback to older rock, just more modern, rock stuff thats already been established and around. Bands like the flaming lips, death cab for cutie, muse, coldplay, and 30 seconds have done that already.(which "coincidentally" most of those bands are project revolution this year. Seem strange to anyone else?)

Their just gonna get lumped in again. Either they have really bad luck, or im sensing something...

[Ethicdoom]

lol
I didn't know radio rock was such a bad thing. My car likes radio rock...

[Noah58]

njc3190 wrote:

people who say they "hate this record" are really quite musically shallow, i mean im sure they've listened to the first like 10-15 seconds of each song and told themselves they dont like it. i used to do that, but i don't think thats right anymore!

At first I was like "wow..this is different" i was unsure if it was them. but after listening to the songs in order, im starting to realise that change isn't bad. i prefer the old stuff too, but this is different in a really good way.

A band has every right to change their sound whenever they want, to suit their mindset or whatever and if you don't like it then listen to the stuff you 'used to like'

and finally i do agree like some ppl have said, that some songs on the album sound simple/samey but you need to look past that!

p.s. Jackolas, since when have boybands played their own instruments?

lmao. i agree, but i still like their old nu-metal style too. oh well, still love the band and im looking forward to it.

[Schecter_player]

Bottom line, I think its good they mess with their sound. I agree this album isent the best, and Ive never been a hardcore fan but at least this band has talent. The fact that people are mad cause his solos dont rival Van Halen or something is BS. Its not like he has ever been a technical player. Has anyone heard them sing live though? I mean ive heard him like 4 times and only 1 time did he sound bad. He's not that bad. And my final point...if anyone else wants to complain about simple riffs...ever heard smoke on the water? Most guitarist learned that song first because it was simple yet I dont hear them complaining how he sucked at guitar because his riffs were to easy.

[latinosuperstud]

well i like the single... mpst;y i just like the guitar tone, not necessarilly the riff, but that tone seems awesome...not too achievable for me seeing as he using some rare equipment though

[BigCq8713]

i heard that the new cd isnt very cd...im still going to buy it though hopefully people are wrong

[RSOB Bass]

evilbeavil wrote:

awesome interview and also an awesome last sentence.. theyre coming to australia!

Sweet...

[bertha_mctubbs]

ive only heard two songs on their myspace , "what ive done" is ok , "given up" is something you would expect to hear from a band just starting out and the lyrics on the song are not very original or catchy as some of their songs have been in the past. lp said that they are trying something new that might not appeal to the masses but from what ive heard so far they sound a lot like mainstream mediocre rock . i havent heard the album so it could be ok i just havent been impressed so far .

[Ivory_Soul]

Has anyone else noticed LP won't admit their album sucks? And they won't comment on what the fans have said so far? This album is so disappointing...everyone I know absolutely hates it and they all returned their concert tickets and pre-orders.

[Walternativo]

"They [Linkin Park] really are reinventing themselves, it doesn't sound like rap-rock. There's very strong songwriting. It's very melodic...a progressive record."

sounds like an excuse for making music without balls to me. So does the record.

[Vexian]

Learn_to_fly :
LP4EVR wrote:

GUYS GO TO WWW.GOMUSIC.RU I GOT THE WHOLE ALBUM FOR $2!!!


or just download it off torrent sites for FREE...

A Real fan buys the album.

I think the most of you people are too negative about this album. They announced months ago that they wanted to make a album that hasn't got the same style like hybrid theory and meteora.
This album contains more ballads than heavy rock/metal numbers but I don't consider that as a bad thing. I think that minutes to midnight is an great album that shows that linkin park can make more than the predictable nu-metal sounds.

[con job]

I'm really sick of reading negative comments from people about this album. OK, fair enough it's your opinion, but
1. Don't force your opinion on other people and try to make them see it your way, they enjoy the record, what's wrong with that?
2. Why read a Linkin Park interview when some of you clearly don't like them, and then leave comments flaming the band? Sounds like some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

As for me, dying to get this album, sounds very promising from the first two singles

[happyemo]

What i love bout this one was the experimentation emotionally and musically, lyrics were sincere. It was really polished and true.I don't see whats so bad bout the solo.Mike's vocals on in between were great, never knew the guy could sing.You either love it or hate LP probably thinks that too.

[Laslow]

they aren't the same band, simple as

[BlindedAngel]

Can this be? Brad Delson was quoted in Total Guitar saying "Guitar solos are hogwash!" do I sense hypocritical action from mr. Delson?

Check

[Quikslayer666]

Guys this album grows on you just give it a chance and you might like it, I've probably listened to each song 5-10 times and I'm really liking Bleed It Out, In Pieces, and The Little Things Give You Away love the experimentation on that song. The only bad track on this album is Hands Held High I could do without the ahhhh men part the rapping is good just seems really soft. This is good for one record but I hope they mix it up a bit on there next one with some soft and then very heavy songs who knows these songs might sound a lot better live and these songs will probably get remixed "again" down the road.

[shiznac]

i downloaded some of the songs, i like it, the softer ones vaguely remind me of U2 or the cure, while the heavier ones remind me of post-grunge bands like seether or shinedown, its very good, i love the guitar solos

[buckethead101]

BlindedAngel wrote:

Can this be? Brad Delson was quoted in Total Guitar saying "Guitar solos are hogwash!" do I sense hypocritical action from mr. Delson?

yeah dude i've heard about that....

[XxWildChildXx]

Alright, listen up all you ppl bitching and moaning about the new cd. Change is good. Change means things can continue on. If this cd was just another meteora it would be good no less...but the same damn thing again. Creativity fuels change. And unless your a big record selling band you need to shut the **** up cuz you dont know your ass from a hole in the ground. If you have 2 cd's that sound the same and talk a big game about your new one and its the same....think anyone is really gunna care? sorry but no. I have the cd. It's amazing. The sound is totally different but at the same time you still know its linkin park. So I suggest everyone pick up a copy : D

[linkinmark]

well, IMHO, at least linkin park is becoming less hip-hoppy...

adding a little emo is a good thing for them too...

[Surrylic]

I've listened to it a few times and yeah it's pretty different, but still definitely linkin park and still definitely good. I'm sort of surprised so many people are disappointed... I really really like it. For sure going to purchase the day it comes out.

[linkinmark]

to those of you who think that linkin park is sucking because of their sudden change, well that's your opinion..

but you don't have to persuade others not to like them now because you don't..

fyi, they were previously named "Hybrid Theory"..and, if you analyze the name, Hybrid means mixed!..

[SystemFailure]

soadrocker103 wrote:

minutes to midnight was flat out horrible. listened to the cd straight through once and tossed that piece of shit in the garbage

If it's that bad, sell it on ebay, jackass.
Anyways i'm really looking forward to the new album.
If the band say it's all new styles, then think of it as a new band playing them not as "the old Linkin Park"

[tavi620]

is it just me or does the new song sound like all the same other stuff they did in the past?

[Rocker3829]

Man i'll give em credit for tryin somethin different, I didn't think it was all that good but from what they have written before it is definitely a step in evolving instead of Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory Pt. 2 (also known as Meteora)

[axeslinger0u812]

Quikslayer666 wrote:

Guys this album grows on you just give it a chance and you might like it, I've probably listened to each song 5-10 times and I'm really liking Bleed It Out, In Pieces, and The Little Things Give You Away love the experimentation on that song. The only bad track on this album is Hands Held High I could do without the ahhhh men part the rapping is good just seems really soft. This is good for one record but I hope they mix it up a bit on there next one with some soft and then very heavy songs who knows these songs might sound a lot better live and these songs will probably get remixed "again" down the road.

yeah, Hands Held High sounds like that Fort Minor single.

[saty]

hey ppl... i start notcing that, as far as time goes, more ppl is enjoying the new album... wich is good... this album shows how versatile linkin park can be... there is only room grow from now on !

i am just curious about one thing : the live shows ! so all this new rig, vintage stuff... they will keep playing their older songs live !

Checkers

[burndttoast]

MattIgoe0108 wrote:

A lot of what Delson says here makes sense. The subtleties that put this album way above Meteora won't be heard on the first listen, because it's too much of a shock at first that Linkin Park created this record.

I heard it once, and it wasn't really my thing. But I think you're right. They're respectable musicians, so I'll give it another listen.

[aeon20k]

no more sorrow and what ive done are awesome tracks and i didnt mind give up il hear the rest tonight on the radio but il go on a limb and say im buying it

[saty]

seriously guys, the little things give you away is one of the best songs that linkin park ever wrote...

[heminder]

i watched the new video "What I've Done" on YouTube, and in my opinion it's not that great...
although it sounds like linkin park, they seem to have sold out...
i loved Hybrid Theory and Meteora, but this seems rather unoriginal...
i doubt i'll be buying this record...

[Indie Purist]

Woot! Departure from "s**t" to "ultra s**t."

[Jackolas]

They have actually got alot worse. At least hybrid theory was dark.

This is actually less mature! The lyrics are really not as good, for example.

[METSOAD]

i think alot of the kind of energy has been sucked out of them, and the hip-hop element went with for minor, who are just like old lp without guitars, however what that has left behind is actual musical consideration and subtlety that has clearly been lacking in their first two records

[ducky!!]

wow, well way to go linkin park, take a ton of time to make 3 good songs, awesome, oh yeah, and u forgot qwerty on ur freakin album,

EVERYONE!!! THIS ALBUM SUCKS!!! FACE IT, BUY HYBRID THEORY IF U WANNA BUY A GOOD CD!!!

well now that i got that outa my system, yeah, and there's like 2 solo's in the cd

but for the people who think that im lieing and do buy the cd, listen to tracks 2,6, and 8. the rest sound like a bad Fort Minor cd.

have fun and i hope somebody who knows something about something listens to me

[RHDIII]

hybrid theory was a masterpeice, meteora to me was just sort of a copy, as was reanimation and collision course.

the lyrics i wouldnt say suck, but theyre nothing like what theyve done before

in my mind linkin park broke up a long time ago

[me12345]

actually this cd is different. it sounds like the majority of the songs have solos of some sort. it was a pretty damn good album. im definately buying this one.

[jetfuel495]

soadrocker103 wrote:

minutes to midnight was flat out horrible. listened to the cd straight through once and tossed that piece of shit in the garbage

well if the album isnt out till the 15th then u listened to a leak. i listened to the leak too, and trust me, it sounds like shit.

the real stuff on the site and on aol sounds way better.

how the **** do u toss a download into the garbage?

[saty]

soadrocker103 wrote:

how the **** do u toss a download into the garbage?

i was just thinking about that...

about the aol stuff, i've to check it out... sounds worth it.

[deanfreeman]

I am offended that Rubin would call Linkin Park progressive in any sense of the word.

[ixhaze]

From reading about 50 of these comments, I could say that over half of you are retarded and lack true appreciation for music. Bunch of you are probably 12 year old kids who are whining about how the album isn't as "hard" as Hybrid Theory or Meteora and need a song to relate to so you can listen to it while crying in bed over your emo girlfriend.

[mitchrosko]

its a shame that theres not an interview like this one for brand new. theyve recreated their sound on every record theyve made, not just on one like LP. I do like the fact that they are using many instruments, though.

[AbsoluteRed]

I have always, and still remain a Linkin Park Fan; however, I am deeply disappointed with Minutes to Midnight. The sound and style, which is what made LP famous to begin with, has nearly vanished. I can appreciate a band wanting to take a new direction with their music, but for a band to abandon what they pretty much wrote the book on in favor of a more common style is something that has for the most part kept their CD in its case. The single most aggravating part about Minutes to Midnight is the separation of Mike Shinoda from the rest of the band. Yes, they are still a group, but there are only two songs on the entire album where he performs. To top it off, the combination of Mike and Chester in the same song doesn't even happen once. The form, style, depth, and other unique characteristics of the band that made them so great to listen to are gone. I had really high hopes for this album, especially after how good Meteora was. The third time wasn't a charm; maybe they can see that what they've abandoned is what made them Linkin Park.

[Pyro_TheVampire]

AbsoluteRed, You are absolutely right
You took the words right out of my mouth. Where is the aggression? The Power? Thats what made Linkin Park. The records that Sold of LP's were the ones that had chester screaming his nut off, and the simple but powerful and Effective. Thats what they are lacking. Effectiveness. (I even spelled it right!) If it was for a proper reason, like chester not wanting to harm his voice, well thats ok, but since it is because of them changing them selfs, its not. E.g. Greenday changed, but it they didn't loose to much of what made them good.

I really hope Chester's solo project sounds better, or otherwise I'm going to remove myself from whats left of the Linkin Park Scene.

[mike_anderson25]

ixhaze wrote:

From reading about 50 of these comments, I could say that over half of you are retarded and lack true appreciation for music. Bunch of you are probably 12 year old kids who are whining about how the album isn't as "hard" as Hybrid Theory or Meteora and need a song to relate to so you can listen to it while crying in bed over your emo girlfriend.

****ing good call mate, i 100% agree and da new cd is quality, do urself a favour and buy it

[EatsP1es]

i saw them play some of the new tracks on tv last night and, tbh, i wasnt particularly impressed...

they just felt kinda... mediocre...

[veepirate]

i heard a few of the songs from the album, its a new sound for lp but all of the songs sound alike cant tell one from another...still there is no need for arrogance... in short this is pop music, emo pop if you will

[f_ck_it]

The album lacks at times, but i think if linkin park really are thinking the way they say they're thinking, then this album is just the beginning, it may miss the point in places, but it opens up a whole lot of potential for the band. Its is a good album though, with a few really great songs.

[SportzO289]

not gunna lie my dudes.. the cd is the pitts. its absolutely terrible.. i LOVE linkin park dont get me wrong.. ive been down with them since hybrid theory when i was like 10 years old.. im turning 18 now and ive just watched them make their second wrong turn.. the first of which being reanimation..the solos in this cd are novice that a 7 year old could play.. the chord progressions are lame and predictable.. and there are really only 2 good songs on it.. "what i've done" and "no more sorrow"


oh yeah, and any part that shinoda has.. because hes the best part about this band

Checked. I'm just going to delete comments that annoy me

[I_Forgot_My_Pen]

I don't get it. They weren't the best band ever but the rhythms were good and chester's vocals were really good. If he is screaming less to take care of his voice I think that's a load of crap. Chino tore his throat apart but he still screams his ass off every time they play. Linkin Park is soft. The kind of stuff my mom might like

[mosh_rocker2006]

Here's what I think...if you don't like this album then good for you, don't bitch! Go sit in your room listen to "the good ol days" of your linkin park music. They've moved on...if you haven't that's your problem. They'll pick up new fans with their change in music, and leave you out of it...

[jas_LP]

tomorrow is the reaaal big day man!
i'm so ****in' happy!

[cyclefreak207]

k i liked most of the songs, but one thing i did not understand, was if anyone here saw saturday night live, they played bleed it out. Now every single version of bleed it out i found was completely different, so if anyone knows what it is i would be appreciative.

[will102387]

when meteora came out, people bitched how they sounded the same. now people are bitching because they changed. lol.

[twitch1331]

They're doing it for music. Thats all that matters.

[guitarplayin]

i got a sneak peak on all of the songs and there all really good. I think it's good that they are opening up to different things. They may loose some fans but they are attracting a whole new kind at the same time.

[jasonkan]

i respect them for changing their style, after all they should play what they want to play rather than fufill the mainstream audience criteria.
personally i prefer their old stuff, my fav album is reanimation, so it may take some while to get use to their new sound.

[nightrune]

This change isn't really for music. The clips I heard of the itunes store sound just like some of the emo bands nowadays. They even do the wierd three clicks right before they go back into the song. They need they originality of the first album not the sound thats what I want, I miss their creativity.

[jamie_hough]

Linkin Park have and always will be a commerical pop/rock boyband. i loved their first few records but this new one sucks donkey dong. they need producers on every album because they cant do it all themselves, they need someone to tell them whats 'in' right now and to push them in that direction. theyve always been a sellout kinda band but now theyve completely lost the edge that used to save them from being a total disapointment.

[D4CE]

I like the new album... there are alot of great songs on it... First I didnt like it to, but I listened it again, and actually it sounds great...
and I totally not emo...

[mosh_rocker2006]

Some of you people have weird ****ing opinions on what emo is...and this album is not one of those lame ass panic at the disco or hawthorne heights bands...

[Gregoric]

PuertoCarina wrote:

Covin wrote:

Why does everyone think that a song has to have intricate guitar work to be a decent song? I know this is a guitar site, but this attitude is ridiculous...simplicity is really underrated these days.
I definently agree. Linkin park is different because of the way they use mechanical sound effects mixed with phat beats. Chester's rough edgy voice mashed with mike's smooth rap style is what makes their songs classics. Im a LINKIN PARK fan 4 LIFE no matter what u haters say.

You have to understand that people who say this album is really bad aren't 'haters' as you put it but you have to admit that this CD blows in comparison to HT and Meteora, I've been an LP fan for years but I expected so much more than this, espescially after 17 months in the making and all the hype.

[Gregoric]

linkinmark wrote:

to those of you who think that linkin park is sucking because of their sudden change, well that's your opinion..

but you don't have to persuade others not to like them now because you don't..

fyi, they were previously named "Hybrid Theory"..and, if you analyze the name, Hybrid means mixed!..

They were called Hybrid Theory because they mixed the rock with the hip hop and electronica stuff....and that mix isn't on this album. It's rock by numbers, Mike raps on 2 songs ON HIS OWN, makes him sound like a ferakin side show or a commodity and I think it sucks.

[satcher]

so you want serious "intervention"
okay
i'm wondering if linkin park is really a rock band
i know you'd tell they're not a traditional rock band
but i think that would not convince me

[D4CE]

linkin park is definitely rock
They are just different...
I think every rocker once listened to LP, or like some of their song, even when they say they hate LP...
I hate hiphop, I hate rap, but somehow I can live with LP's rap, I dont know why..
They use techo, they have a rapper, but they are definitely rock, you are not gonna tell me that 'one step closer' isnt rock...

[Handthatfeeds25]

I just heard Minutes to Midnight in full for the first time.My thoughts on this album are basically this...

If more bands made an album that sounded like this , more people would actually care about rock music then they do right now.

[Renfordoggz]

mantha1017 wrote:

man i hate this band they suck all hardcore they should die or quit making their crappy music that makes my ears bleed whenever i hear it.just cuz they are popular doesn't mean they are good.

i say they're good nd I stand by it nd those ppl who say this tracks emo....to me the lyrics sounds like it deals with mid-life crisis

[Shazazmic]

I listen to some heavy shit, like Vader or Celtic Frost (new album = heaviest).
But sometimes I'll listen to stuff just as simple and soft as The Goo Goo Dolls.
So far, I've heard the whole leaked version, and I really like it. I'm open to all kinds of metal/rock (no emo, screamo SHIT, though). And sometimes instead of expecting the exact same thing from a band is dumb. Most bands change over time (except Slayer... besides the whole 240 bpm thing on Raining Blood), and it's something that should be appreciated.

CHANGING IS NOT THE SAME AS SELLING OUT!

Most people don't even know that. "Oh LP changed their style, they must be in it for the money!" But some people should just learn to appreciate what these guys have become. Sure Shinoda is off doing Fort Minor and other side projects, but that's his deal. LP isn't the same with most of his vocals gone, but it is a step ahead (maybe not the best one, but nonetheless).

Maybe he'll be back the next album (hopefully!)

[bfloyd89]

i've always been a LP fan, but if you listen to this new album and then look back at Hybrid Theory and Meteora, all of the old stuff sounds the same, (heavy riffs, repetitive keyboard/synthesizer background, chester trying to scream himself hoarse). that nu metal sound was great back in the day, but this album really shows how versatile they are.

[RG_FANMAN]

i'm on track seven right now on "Minutes..." and have to say, i'm really dissapointed.

Really excessive amounts of profanity (not to be a prude or anything, it just really doesn't fit LP that well...Slipknot definitely, but LP, no way).

Also, guitar parts are almost non-existent...it sounds more like a pop record now than anything.

Still interesting, but Meteora owns ass compared to this....Dammit LP, i waited 3 freakin years for this? I'm dissapointed.

[breakingglass27]

For the record, I've always hated Linkin Park. I didn't expect that this CD would change my opinion, and I was right. My friend is a huge fan and he got an early copy of the album, and played it while I was over; it was pretty boring, and I wasn't impressed at all. What I think is the best is that they had about 150 songs to choose from, and these were the BEST of the bunch. I think these guys share the artistic merit of Larry the Cable Guy, who just released the wonderfully useless "Delta Farce" movie. Good going, pop culture!

[MyFuriousNipple]

Does noone else notice that stepping away from nu-metal is actually what's popular? You'd think it's a good think but not when it's moving towards pop-punk, emo, or pretty much any specific genre. I think the artist is better when classified as "nu-metal" b/c nu-metal is such a broad term that it doesn't really put boundaries on the artist's creativity. I mean, come on, I've heard people call new Dream Theater "nu-metal."

[<Insanity>]

At first I was kinda disappointed with this album. I kinda thought they sold out when I saw the "What I've Done video", and how they changed their style completely - but think about it, nu metal is dead. Plus, change is good, and I think they're heading in a good direction. I'm just disappointed that there aren't any songs that have Mike and Chester singing/rapping simultaneously. Anyway, after a couple listens this album really grows on you.

[xAnDr3w24x]

I've been a fan of LP (or formally Hybrid Theory) since their debut EP and almost every single song they released since then has been just genius. Heavy riffs, snazzy samples, and piercing screams with a twist of hip-hop left every song extremely catchy and an instant classic.

And now... this album.

Not the worst album I've heard. However, it's on my list of least-liked albums. The music is simply undeveloped, redundant, and boring. The vocals follow this same boring rhythm that makes me believe this really ISN'T Linkin Park. Some may say that "Linkin Park has matured and changed for the better." Its the Nu-Metal sound which MADE Linkin Park stand out in the crowd and become one of the most successful bands. Maybe they have matured and there's nothing wrong with change... but if this album were LP's only release... they would be nowhere. Qwerty (which isn't even on the album) was amazing and made me, and I'm sure alot of others, extremely excited for this album... but M2M is nothing of what I expected.

Simply put... this album is truly weak. Not one song stands from the others and leaves me WANTING to listen to it again. An album that needs time to "grow on you"... just isn't a good album. An album that leaves you amazed and wanting more... now there's a good album (Hybrid Theory, Meteora).

I'll never flee from the LP Fan-Nation, but this album truly disappointed me. LP... Nu-Metal isn't dead... so do what you do best.

Rock on.

[mosh_rocker2006]

This album i can tell will take a few times to listen and get the new vibe from linkin park. I know I can do it but im sure there's some people that will say it's shit right from the get go...good for you in that you have no taste and aren't open minded. Bands change their styles, and the ones that don't are part of the reason why everyone feels the need to copy and do what everyone else is doing aka nu metal (which is dead by the way). Sure Linkin Park started off with something great but there comes a time to change and if you don't like the change then that's your deal.

To be straight forward I'm glad with what Linkin Park has done. It takes guts to pretty much start from scratch, and they still have some of the same elements that made them a great band in the first place. Be open minded and take a few listens.

If you aren't big on it then it's cool atleast you gave it a chance, but im betting an album like this will grow on you and not be just amazing right away (Hybrid Theory/Meteora).

Checked.

[judgeyourself]

these guitar solos on here are the worst ever

[Jard_weirdo]

Parental Advisory Explicit Content~~~ my mom didnt like to buy it for me because of bad words

[Emma_Loves_Cops]

I really want this album! i love Linkin Park but... thats just me.

[TrooperDeth]

I may be showing my age here but this reminds me of when Kiss put out that Disco album because everyone said Rock was dead. They soon changed their ways back to what they did best. I hope LP will do that same. They have said in the past that they never felt they were part of any genre so why do they feel the need to distance themselves from "nu-metal"? All those labels are BS anyway. Either it's good music or it's not. and in this case...NOT

[music_consumed]

first of all trooperdeth makes a hell of a point. but just think about this instead of being pissed or "dissapointed" about minutes to midnight...if you miss mike...FORT MINOR will solve that. its not the same,but its something...something good in itself. which leads me to another point, if you heard any song from this cd w/o previously knowing it was LP's new stuff...would you like it? or did you all expect them never to change...great bands are going to make stuff the fans aren't going to like. do yourselves a favor...put ht or meteora in the sterio. for whatever reason they all changed...i still give them props...like brad said..."big risk". i tip my hat for that coz some bands never grow...they just change...and that isn't always the same thing.

[josh_hobson]

i really didnt like the album. there were maybe two songs that were alright, but the rest were just bad. i liked the old linkin park better.

[br4vw]

Well they sort of had to "reinvent themselves" seeing as the (as they put it) "rap/rock" genre isnt -cool- anymore..

**** I hate the word emo - most overused word in the current music world - shit I hope this isnt what this generation is remembered for

[Degenerate_182]

ok guys come on get a grip...i totally agree with mosh_rocker2006...LP has moved away from their original sound, they obviously don't want to do the same thing over and over again...if you don't like the album, don't come on here and bitch about! try listening to it for more than 30 seconds, and apprieciate what LP are trying to do...take blink182 for example, they did a lot of teenage potty humour punk rock in their early albums, but they brought out Untilted in 2003 and that had a completely different sound BECAUSE THEY MATURED...if u were a true LP fan, u would grit ur teeth and TRY to lyke the album...i think it rules!

[TrooperDeth]

If I have to "grit my teeth" while listening to any music then that tells me something. I'm not going to force myself to like something. The first time I heard LP it was F'ing magic. The magic is gone now. It's that simple. Truth is it happens to most bands.

[dbooker24]

The title of the 2nd song from this album says it all. Chester, Mike and the Boy's have truly put out a stinker here. Rick Rubin took a jugernaught and made it a trickle of it's former self. While many of us have become accustomed to the heart pounding, soul tearing pace of the songs and lyrics in Linkin Park songs, this album only manages to raise your blood pressure through the frustration that comes from listening to track after track of emotionally Anemic songs. The opening track “Wake” sets you up for what is to come. While a great song and title to open up with, it is the calm of it the eerily foreshadows most of the tracks to come. “Given Up” does it’s best to channel earlier Linkin Park efforts, but the song writing seams more like an attempt to channel every city’s 15 year old garage band that is imitating LP rather than the band itself. By the time Chester is begging someone to “put him out of his misery”, I felt obliged to try and help. “Leave out all the rest “ pushes some good music , and in my opinion is one of the better track's on the album. Even though it lacks the punch of what I want from LP, it does touch the emotional rawness that they often expose their listeners to. “Bleed it out” is likely to cause you to bleed out from banging your head against the wall asking what is this? A horrible …horrible song., that made me want to “throw it away “ just as Chester keeps asking me to do. “Shadow of the day” has more of a teenage beer induced pity-pot depression flow. Not bad lyrics but the whole flow and tone of the boring bass line would be more suited to U2 than LP. “What I’ve done however is the saving grace of this album and is an aching reminder of just what LP is capable of doing. “Hands Held High” and its outlook of the war from both and American and Iraq point of view is fantastic and is the best song Mike has ever laid lyrics to. “No more sorrow” only brings more sorrow as you listen to the feeble attempt to bring out some sort of 90’s grunge Metallica mix. The wailing guitar at the beginning just sounds out of place for LP. The pumping bass line does little to hide the poor lyrics being pushed on you by Chester. “Valentine’s Day” has no business even being on a LP album and makes me ask what were they thinking. By the time “ In between” In Pieces” and “The little Things” come along., you’ll be wanting to put your CD “In Between” a towel so you can break it “In Pieces” and throw all ”The little things “ that are left away. Truly a bad…bad effort by the boys. Hopefully they will pick themselves up from the boot straps and go back to what has worked for them. While I applaud their effort to make a statement about their feelings about the current state of the world, they could have served that purpose better by bring forth the raw emotive songs that previous albums have come with. Songs like “Crawling”, “Numb”, and “In the End” cause you to think , stir, and feel. The only emotion this album brought forth was anger and frustration that I wasted my money on it. The should have put In between at the beginning so Mike could apologize at the beginning of the album instead of at the end. By the way Mike, you are wrong "the only thing worse than one" is -this album.

[Strato-Maxster]

If guitar players want to hear some guitar solos that are sweet dont listen to Linkin Park, they are all about the beat and they put thought into the words. It didnt take them the 17 months to make guitar parts, it took them that long to lay down beats and vocals. I like what linkin park did though! Very nice guys!

[tmpststrm7]

Ok so I listened to this album, have it on my iPod and have listened to Linkin Park since the Hybrid Theory album. I have to say I am glad that they stepped away from the rap scene a bit. Like with the whole Reanimation album, I didn't like that it seemed like rap was starting to dominate their sound. I think that Chester has a very good rock voice perfectly suited to be used more often as they have in this new album. He IMO is a pretty talented vocalist I was impressed with how long he held a scream on the song "Given Up". But I also don't like the fact that most of the songs on the album are slow and not as heavy as I would've liked to have heard, I mean as I said before Chester has a good voice to make that all work. It shouldn't really matter that the guitar is somewhat simple but I don't really like the large alternative twist they took with the album. I think "The Little Things Give You Away" is a decent song it seems Chester really stepped out of his normal style with the singing but still did a good job with it. "Hands Held High" definetly has good lyrics. I'll have to agree with dbooker24 on the "Valentine's Day" track. I can't imagine what they were thinking with putting out that song. All-in-all I like a couple songs off the album but the whole thing seems entirely too slow, not heavy enough and doesn't seem to stir up any emotions when you listen to it.

[debweb]

dbooker24: YOu're soooo not funny. The lil' crap with the song's titles... come on. And btw, the guys told like, a year ago that the sound wasn't nu-metal anymore...

[de7ilznite]

Given Up is the most kickass song!!!!

Rest of the album is hmm, okay I guess, nothing outstanding. The guitar solos are awful. XD

[Degenerate_182]

ok soz about the 'grit my teeth' commment, but linkin park still hav their magic, its just changed

[7_seven_7]

Ivory_Soul wrote:

Has anyone else noticed LP won't admit their album sucks? And they won't comment on what the fans have said so far? This album is so disappointing...everyone I know absolutely hates it and they all returned their concert tickets and pre-orders.

What band admits that their album sucks? ..lol

[7_seven_7]

veepirate wrote:

i heard a few of the songs from the album, its a new sound for lp but all of the songs sound alike cant tell one from another...still there is no need for arrogance... in short this is pop music, emo pop if you will

emo pop? what the ****'s that? just cos a band sings about love doesn't make them emo, ****ing idiot.

[7_seven_7]

RG_FANMAN wrote:

i'm on track seven right now on "Minutes..." and have to say, i'm really dissapointed.

Really excessive amounts of profanity (not to be a prude or anything, it just really doesn't fit LP that well...Slipknot definitely, but LP, no way).

Also, guitar parts are almost non-existent...it sounds more like a pop record now than anything.

Still interesting, but Meteora owns ass compared to this....Dammit LP, i waited 3 freakin years for this? I'm dissapointed.

Profanity? so they swear on this album? wow.. I distincly remember Mike saying years ago, i think after the release of meteora.. "we will never swear on our records". it might have been on the dvd or something. But i know they said that. But yea .. i don't really care if they do, just saying.

And yea I'm one of the LP fans who loved Hybrid Theory.. it was their best IMO. Meteora got old, fast. but nevertheless still good. The thing with Jay-z was shithouse. I still haven't heard Minutes to Midnight yet. But yea, I'm not gettin my hopes up.

[7_seven_7]

br4vw wrote:

Well they sort of had to "reinvent themselves" seeing as the (as they put it) "rap/rock" genre isnt -cool- anymore..

**** I hate the word emo - most overused word in the current music world - shit I hope this isnt what this generation is remembered for

Amen.

[questionmarc]

well they havent lived up 2 what they were going to do theres still some rap on a bout half the album i have been a linkin park fan from the start but they have let us the fans down but we still support them so come move your ass the nest album better be better

[7_seven_7]

dbooker24 wrote:

The title of the 2nd song from this album says it all. Chester, Mike and the Boy's have truly put out a stinker here. Rick Rubin took a jugernaught and made it a trickle of it's former self. While many of us have become accustomed to the heart pounding, soul tearing pace of the songs and lyrics in Linkin Park songs, this album only manages to raise your blood pressure through the frustration that comes from listening to track after track of emotionally Anemic songs. The opening track “Wake” sets you up for what is to come. While a great song and title to open up with, it is the calm of it the eerily foreshadows most of the tracks to come. “Given Up” does it’s best to channel earlier Linkin Park efforts, but the song writing seams more like an attempt to channel every city’s 15 year old garage band that is imitating LP rather than the band itself. By the time Chester is begging someone to “put him out of his misery”, I felt obliged to try and help. “Leave out all the rest “ pushes some good music , and in my opinion is one of the better track's on the album. Even though it lacks the punch of what I want from LP, it does touch the emotional rawness that they often expose their listeners to. “Bleed it out” is likely to cause you to bleed out from banging your head against the wall asking what is this? A horrible …horrible song., that made me want to “throw it away “ just as Chester keeps asking me to do. “Shadow of the day” has more of a teenage beer induced pity-pot depression flow. Not bad lyrics but the whole flow and tone of the boring bass line would be more suited to U2 than LP. “What I’ve done however is the saving grace of this album and is an aching reminder of just what LP is capable of doing. “Hands Held High” and its outlook of the war from both and American and Iraq point of view is fantastic and is the best song Mike has ever laid lyrics to. “No more sorrow” only brings more sorrow as you listen to the feeble attempt to bring out some sort of 90’s grunge Metallica mix. The wailing guitar at the beginning just sounds out of place for LP. The pumping bass line does little to hide the poor lyrics being pushed on you by Chester. “Valentine’s Day” has no business even being on a LP album and makes me ask what were they thinking. By the time “ In between” In Pieces” and “The little Things” come along., you’ll be wanting to put your CD “In Between” a towel so you can break it “In Pieces” and throw all ”The little things “ that are left away. Truly a bad…bad effort by the boys. Hopefully they will pick themselves up from the boot straps and go back to what has worked for them. While I applaud their effort to make a statement about their feelings about the current state of the world, they could have served that purpose better by bring forth the raw emotive songs that previous albums have come with. Songs like “Crawling”, “Numb”, and “In the End” cause you to think , stir, and feel. The only emotion this album brought forth was anger and frustration that I wasted my money on it. The should have put In between at the beginning so Mike could apologize at the beginning of the album instead of at the end. By the way Mike, you are wrong "the only thing worse than one" is -this album.

So, how long did it take you to prepare this speech? Sure.. we get the picture that you don't like the album.. but a description and pun about every song.. is juuust a little overboard.

haha Sorry about that, it just annoyed me.

[MattIgoe0108]

Seems a lot of these comments are "I used to love linkin park, but..."

If you used to love linkin park, where the f**k were you when they were getting bashed to pieces for being "nu-metal"? There was very little support for the band and the HT/Meteora sound, certainly on this board, prior to about 5 months ago, which is why LP believed they had to change their sound. If you're dissapointed and miss the old sound, chances are you have no-one to blame but yourselves for either jumping on the nu-metal hate bandwagon, or not bothering to support the band for fear of being "uncool".

True fans don't write off a band after one experimental album, which IMO is fantastic.

[Sephirangel]

i dont like the new album....its just not them and i dont think they pull it off very well

[guitar.random]

there new album is great, but i have to admit... there style has completely changed. i heared the had wrote 150 songs for this album, then narrowed it down, that just shows how talented and progressive the band are and are becoming, keep it up guys =)

[ironwolg]

ooo solos! i can't wait! i never thought there guitarist was that good, maybe i was wrong? i hope so, i'll pick up the album as soon as i can

[SMK626]

i used to be such a huge fan of linkin park back in the middle school days. what happened to them... =[.. there demo was completely amazing and hybrid theory was pretty damn good too, reanimation just killed it and meteora just "eh", after jay-z thing, i hated them. i just miss the old LP

[Cwolf]

yeah this cd while good cuz they tried to change it up was just a bad move maybe they'll realize their mistake and go back to their roots cuz this just sounded way to expiremental and im not bashing them cuz everyband does it ..but it didnt effect me the way the last 2 did

[dmntr]

In Pieces is surprisingly good. The rest of the album however, eh its ok.

[D4CE]

I hate in pieces but I like the solo
I like many songs on the album, but none of the songs are realy fantastic..

[Bassin Fingers]

First off, to Cwolf:
Not attacking you, but I think you're contradicting yourself a bit. You stated in your last post that you weren't going to bash them for experimenting, yet you called trying to change it up a mistake, so yes, you are bashing them.

Ok, so maybe this is a little out of place, but I love how everyone decides that if they don't like something, then naturally it sucks. Not true. While I'll admit I'm not blown over by Minutes to Midnight, I don't think it's in any way a bad album, just different, and the band made it very clear that it would be in their interviews. And to anyone reading all these posts and thinking "Hmm, maybe I won't buy this after all," don't be turned away by all the negative feedback. Buy it with an open mind, give it a few listens, and make your own decision.

[cris9288]

MattIgoe0108 wrote:

Seems a lot of these comments are "I used to love linkin park, but..."

If you used to love linkin park, where the f**k were you when they were getting bashed to pieces for being "nu-metal"? There was very little support for the band and the HT/Meteora sound, certainly on this board, prior to about 5 months ago, which is why LP believed they had to change their sound. If you're dissapointed and miss the old sound, chances are you have no-one to blame but yourselves for either jumping on the nu-metal hate bandwagon, or not bothering to support the band for fear of being "uncool".

True fans don't write off a band after one experimental album, which IMO is fantastic.

dude if you don't like what you hear then you don't like that you hear, it's as simple as that, there's not a whole lot too it, none of this "if you don't like it, it's cuz of u blah blah blah" i heard it all the way through, and found myself bored before the last three or four tracks there are only about two (the single and hands held high) that were good and the rest was mediocre, i'm not bashing them for
"changing their sound" that's really not a bad thing, i just think they could've done a better job with it, i mean it took them a year and a half to write lyrics, the beatles had two albums a year, zeppelin had an album every year, not i great comparison i know but still i was expecting better

[MattIgoe0108]

cris9288 wrote:

MattIgoe0108 wrote:

Seems a lot of these comments are "I used to love linkin park, but..."

If you used to love linkin park, where the f**k were you when they were getting bashed to pieces for being "nu-metal"? There was very little support for the band and the HT/Meteora sound, certainly on this board, prior to about 5 months ago, which is why LP believed they had to change their sound. If you're dissapointed and miss the old sound, chances are you have no-one to blame but yourselves for either jumping on the nu-metal hate bandwagon, or not bothering to support the band for fear of being "uncool".

True fans don't write off a band after one experimental album, which IMO is fantastic.

dude if you don't like what you hear then you don't like that you hear, it's as simple as that, there's not a whole lot too it, none of this "if you don't like it, it's cuz of u blah blah blah" i heard it all the way through, and found myself bored before the last three or four tracks there are only about two (the single and hands held high) that were good and the rest was mediocre, i'm not bashing them for
"changing their sound" that's really not a bad thing, i just think they could've done a better job with it, i mean it took them a year and a half to write lyrics, the beatles had two albums a year, zeppelin had an album every year, not i great comparison i know but still i was expecting better

Sorry mate, i may not have been clear. Im happy to accept that some people won't like the album, thats just one of them things. What is annoying me is the amount of people who claim that they miss LP's old sound, when there was virtually no support for it by the users of this board and indeed in many places prior to the release of M2M. It's very hypocritical for a lot of people here to say they wish LP had stayed how they were, when looking back no more than a few months or so, people were happy to bash them for their sound.

[tommythecat00]

linkin park is still around? thought they'd joined hed pe, kottonmouth kings, papa roach, limp bizkit and all those other dipshits who thought the letter 'k' and having a dj was cool.

[incubus1982]

LP use to be the shit..i listened to some of the new record..it is different..but it is a good album in its own right, its just different from what the LP crowd is use to. But no one can tell me that hybrid theory wasnt the shit..unless you are some suburban prick wit a wholesome life and all that shit, that album lyrically was ****in awesome, wit songs like crawling..shinodas rapping is waaaay better on this album, he has always been crap to me

[incubus1982]

you cant say **** on here?

[incubus1982]

lol it keeps putting stars in place of the "f" word lol, thats funny

[Anonymous Mr. P]

It's hard to comment on the album without beginning into either stereotypical bullshit or experimental philosophy analogies. Fact of the matter is, in my opinion (don't, retards, let it detract from your possibly valid opinion. Even ignore it in favour of your flawed arguments, which you no doubt will anyway):

1. The album isn't shit. Dispense with that nonsense right away. Shit implies bad, terrible, etc. The album is, put simply, average. Average, average, average. The Garfield of albums. Not bad, there's too much talent for that. Not good either, it's missing something.

2. Change is necessary. Yet, changing yourself for anyone else is ridiculous. However, one could dispute that they're not changing for anyone (opinions be your own) except themselves. In which case, that's still stupid. You only get two cards in life, you can't discard them. Just because they're not aces doesn't mean you should discard your Jack and a Ten for the random draw. Enough said.

3. I'm amazed people still possess such bollocks and slap-worthy genre-definitions and stereotypes. Get the **** over yourselves, emotards. Just because the rap isn't screaming from Overlord Chav, Whiney-Git-From-Enter-Shi
kari, you disregard it as bullshit? It doesn't matter if you're white or black, that logic is wack.
On the opposite corner, yes, they're ****ing emos. Get off of it. It's the latest phase, choosing comverses or whatever bollocks over Pikachu (though Mewtwo is certainly a more comfortable choice). Che Guaverrez (apologies for the misspelt name) gets to roll over in his grave for the commercialisation of his name. You don't. Fact of the matter is they're susceptible retards who believe whatever rendered bullshit spin is applied to them while crying through their Dolce and Gabbana knock-offs. I'm sure the priests of the late 19th century felt the exact same way when crazy hippy-teenagers antics with floating tables got the respect of the Big G upstairs. Sh/it happens. Get over it.

Personal favourite song is Bleed it Out and Hands Held High. The latter is obvious, very true song (I avoid terms such as emotional and powerful - they often seem pathetic ways to express a lack of vocabulary, ergo producing ridiculous bullshit once again spouted from Generation X-Core (or Y, or 'Y on earth did rock end up this way?) with their ADHD certificate and poorly dyed off-black hair) while the former sticks in your brain and is infectious. I just wish they hadn't relegated it to filler - 2 minutes 46? If I wanted that, I'd buy Getting Away With Murder. More time spent on it would result in pure excellence.

Concluding thoughts, and main point for 'tl;dr'-nobjockeys: At least it isn't Paramour Sessions.

P.S. - Apologies for the numbered list. Comes off condescending and authorative, doesn't it? Alas, the limits of this little comment box. Also, any spelling mistakes... Oh well.

[Captain Planet]

huge departure my arse. you can even sing along to the What I've Done chorus with the lyrics from Numb!

[flyboyC17]

i used to like LP back when i used Mtv as my source of info on music, thank God i matured. I dont wanna sound like a douchebag but i dont see any potential in LP and yea every band has the right to change music styles but at least do something better

ill admit that What Ive Done has some great lyrics and its kinda catchy but to me LP is dead

i find it hilarious that back home in PR all their cd's were put in the Rap section at music stores, never in the Rock section, thats how much they suck

[Reages]

****

[qwerty_555]

hey peepz...ok the album is pretty good...i think they were really brave to take the next step...but whats up with the What I've Done video? it makes sense, but it doesn't make sense! and they've covered chesters face up with that massive pair of sunnies...mr hahn hidden in the background 2!! room 4 improvement guyz!

[qwerty_555]

hey guys i just read the interview again...umm don't bag me out but was who the heck is rick rubin? like, is he part of the band or did he just come into it?

[Shabalaba]

Rick Rubin is the Producer, it even says so at the top. I really don't like the new LP, i used to be a big fan but this new stuff is boring

[qwerty_555]

hey peepz if rick rubin just came in2 it then maybii it waz him who changed linkin parks sound.....i know thats a big assumption but i think it mite B tru

[Jovst]

Its a great album yea

[addvie]

isent it true he go s out wid avril lavgine?

[smalRaptor]

Honestly, to me, they are amazing. Average guys making a living playing music. Obviously, it is mucher harder to write songs, than it is to learn them, aye? I can play just about every Rise Against and Red Hot Chili Pepper song on just about every instrument, does that make me an amazing musician? No, I wish It did. Linkin Park makes amazing music, but if you don't like it, you don't like it, that's you. But unfortunately for you, enough people like it to where they can live off of it rather comfortably. They aren't Nirvana, or the Beatles, they're just average guys doing what they love to do.

Checked. Keep the genre arguing to a minimum. You blithering idiots throwing around the word "emo" like you know what the hell you're talking about are tedious at best.

[jonnieb123]

i thort the album was amazing. not as good as the last 2 but i think its cool that dont have just another "Linkin park album". its something different and interesting

[jasonkan]

this album is nothing exciting
if you ask me, reanimation is the most interesting album, and has a better sound than the others, not that meteora was bad at all.

[Zelton]

Goood

[Oblivion619]

I think the new album is cool but nothin compared to the others.in my opinion linkin park should go back to bein nu-metal.I hope that they see that it was a mistake to hire ruben 4 i think it was because of him that most of the songs are slow but the album aint bad though

[GATW]

I dont like there new shit that much aye, its too ahhh soft...

[GATW]

Oblivion619 wrote:

I think the new album is cool but nothin compared to the others.in my opinion linkin park should go back to bein nu-metal.I hope that they see that it was a mistake to hire ruben 4 i think it was because of him that most of the songs are slow but the album aint bad though

NOOOOO Ruben is goooood. The new metallica album thats coming out is actually gonna be one of there heaviest in years!!!!! So yeah!!!

[zakattacks1990]

linkin park is my favorite band ever since i was like 10, which was in the year 2000.