Linkin Park Compare 'Minutes' To Previous Albums

It what is certainly one of the most anticipated albums of 2007, Linkin Park's 'Minutes To Midnight' finds the band moving in a different direction from anything they have released in the past, while completely reinventing their sound and their songwriting and recording process as well. For 'Minutes to Midnight,' Linkin Park took far more time in the studio working on vocals, melodies and lyrics compared with their previous multi platinum selling albums 'Hybrid' and 'Meteora.' Although some fans understandably might feel apprehension in a sonic change, the band feels this is by far their best work yet.

Video clip :

We caught up with Linkin Parks keyboardist, vocalist and guitarist Mike Shinoda, who also co-produced the album with Rick Rubin, and bassist, Phoenix, to discuss the band taking more time on this album than anything in the past.

Watch video: Linkin Park Take Their Time With Minutes To Midnight

"In comparison to the other albums, I mean 'Hybrid Theory' took, we spent two months on that in the studio, obviously writing a lot before we got in. Then 'Meteora' was about three months in the studio and this record was a year and a half in the studio. Nine to twelve months on lyrics, melodies and vocals, so with all that said I think we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to somehow reinvent the band you know. It was a serious of happy accidents getting there."

Linkin Park's first single, 'What I've Done' debuted at Number 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock singles chart, which was only the third song ever to do so, following 'What's The Frequency, Kenneth?' by R.E.M., and 'Dani California' by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Does the band follow the charts closely?

Watch video: Linkin Park Dont Follow Rock Charts

"We don't follow albums charts really closely. We know some of the facts because, 'What I've Done' debuted at number one on whatever Rock Chart and it was one of only a few songs to do that and our manager gets excited about stuff like that. He sends out the email 'Oh my god! Check this out.' It's not that we don't love that and feel pride 'Wow it's cool that our song did that!' But at the same time it's not our main focus. I'm not at Billboard checking that everyday. I'm more screwing around on You Tube."

So with close to a year and a half in the making of 'Minutes To Midnight' the band is rehearsing the new songs into their live set and they are finally ready to start touring again.

Watch video: Linkin Park Finally Done And Ready To Tour

"I think our first goal was to have the album done and for us to be touring last summer. Which at this point is like eight months ago. Is that right? Nine months ago? Gradually we'd get up to that deadline and say 'You know what, things are going really well this is not a good place for us to clamp down and finish the album, but let's continue writing and see where it goes. And now release the album in Fill in the Blank.' And when we get to that point it keeps kind of inching along until we reach a point where we kind of sit down in a room and everybody says 'Wow this is done! We're done!' Let's talk to Warner Brothers, let's talk to our agent, let's get the album out and start touring."

Linkin Park's first U.S. tour date in support of 'Minutes To Midnight' will be at the Bamboozle Festival on May 6th in New Jersey. Also slated to perform along with Linkin Park are My Chemical Romance, Muse, Taking Back Sunday and many others. It was also recently announced that Linkin Park will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on May 12th just a few days before 'Minutes To Midnight' is released in the U.S. on May 15th. Look for the band to announce extended world tour dates on their Projekt Revolution Tour in the very near future as well.

Comments

[Turvz]

That's cool.

It will be interesting to hear what the new album sounds like compared to their older stuff.

[KoRnogra4]

Linkin Park on SNL? This should be good.

Can't wait for this album to come out!

[Blood_Shrike]

I have already heard most of the tracks and I live in the US.

[Blood_Shrike]

I heard that it was leaked or something like that though.

[myguitarskucks1]

I wonder how this is going to turn out. Im going to be seeing them on the 6th on bamboozle like it says here. Weird Al is going to be there too haha. =)

[Shabalaba]

I like the new song, its good. I think the focus was more on guitar than in the other two albums where alot of it was turntabling

[jetfuel495]

i like what ive done but im kind of afraid to hear the rest of the album

[Scourge441]

Linkin Park were my favorite band when I was 12, and now I can't stand them.

With that said, What I've Done is an improvement on their previous material, although it could have been a lot better. If it's the best song on the album, the album will probably be a disappointment. If there are better songs, then we might have something good on our hands.

[duncang]

That song is fantastic. I couldn't stand Meteora or Hybrid Theory (apart from Breaking The Habit), but I might just buy this one.

[Maiden2]

ummm....
still thinking maiden.

i doubt this will be some great album.

[Handthatfeeds25]

Linkin Park never let me down.

Their is a new clip of a new song on the upcoming album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFnwWAn9bnI

Its pretty heavy.

[ohmerrymayhem]

Then 'Meteora' was about three months in the studio and this record was a year and a half in the studio. Nine to twelve months on lyrics, melodies and vocals

Nine to twelve months just for lyrics, melodies and vocals? Give me a muh****in break. That's self-indulgent. Write your shit, take a month to lay the tracks, and get your ass back out on tour. God damn rock stars these days are spoiled.

[debweb]

Blood_Shrike wrote:

I have already heard most of the tracks and I live in the US.

No dude, you haven't trust me

[tbean1060]

ohmerrymayhem wrote:

Then 'Meteora' was about three months in the studio and this record was a year and a half in the studio. Nine to twelve months on lyrics, melodies and vocals

Nine to twelve months just for lyrics, melodies and vocals? Give me a muh****in break. That's self-indulgent. Write your shit, take a month to lay the tracks, and get your ass back out on tour. God damn rock stars these days are spoiled.

Good god, calm down, its called putting together a GOOD album as compared to something that is RUSHED, and will SUCK.

[nin_freak92]

i think this album will change their entire fanbase.....i will go from having every album to thinking "wtf!?" to myself every time i hear it. the single does not do shit for me and i don't see how it debuted at # 1, the only thing i can think is people were as stoked as i was that a new single was out before i heard it, and to hear it sound half-assed wasn't pleasing at all...good luck LP..

[ROCK.ON]

Handthatfeeds25 wrote:

Linkin Park never let me down.

Their is a new clip of a new song on the upcoming album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFnwWAn9bnI

Its pretty heavy.

If thats a legit song on the new album then sweet

Checked/Deleted.

[sithian476]

Man, I can't wait. That's all I gotta say.

[Septerra]

I'm gonna check the album out, but I get the feeling I won't like it as much as the others. *sigh* It's okay though.

[Handthatfeeds25]

ROCK.ON wrote:

Handthatfeeds25 wrote:

Linkin Park never let me down.

Their is a new clip of a new song on the upcoming album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFnwWAn9bnI

Its pretty heavy.

If thats a legit song on the new album then sweet

It is. I was taken from an Itialin radio station , where Shinoda introduced the clip.

[Renfordoggz]

trust me the "leaked" album is not by linkin park....only one song of their's is in their the rest is of some band called grey daze or summing like tht

[SeijyuroHiko790]

tbean1060 wrote:

ohmerrymayhem wrote:

Then 'Meteora' was about three months in the studio and this record was a year and a half in the studio. Nine to twelve months on lyrics, melodies and vocals

Nine to twelve months just for lyrics, melodies and vocals? Give me a muh****in break. That's self-indulgent. Write your shit, take a month to lay the tracks, and get your ass back out on tour. God damn rock stars these days are spoiled.

Good god, calm down, its called putting together a GOOD album as compared to something that is RUSHED, and will SUCK.

The Brian Jonestown Massacre put out 6 albums from 95-97; and not only do they not sound alike (like this new song sounds like all of Linkin Park's previous tripe), but one album ("Take it From the Man") which is sorta more generic rock than the rest of them, shows more brilliance than any Linkin Park album ever will.

[Gregoric]

Renfordoggz wrote:

trust me the "leaked" album is not by linkin park....only one song of their's is in their the rest is of some band called grey daze or summing like tht

grey daze was chester's old band before he joined linkin park i think. Anyways I can't wait for this album to come out

[yawn]

1. The leaked album is fake. There have only been two songs leaked - What I've Done and Giving Up (or something like that).

2. What I've Done is too typical and expected. Giving Up is too metalcore-esque. It's nice that they're expanding their musical grounds, but it'd be nice to see some innovation along with that as well. Still, can't judge an album from two tracks.

3. It was probably unnecessary for me to number these, because I really only have two things to say. And I said them. Zing!

[Twist of Cain]

Handthatfeeds25 wrote:

Linkin Park never let me down.

Their is a new clip of a new song on the upcoming album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFnwWAn9bnI

Its pretty heavy.

kinda sounds like AFI... IMO

Checked.

[Kurdt2k]

Good god if a band wants to take 9-12 months to do whatever and they have the time, money and freedom to do so then let them be. As long as the band is happy with what they are producing as artists then surely thats what matters? If you dont like it then fair enough go someplace else and bitch. Guaranteed you bitches are the same people that would be complaining that they were 'selling out' if they brought out 2 albums a year.

[darkfire_storm]

ohmerrymayhem wrote:

Then 'Meteora' was about three months in the studio and this record was a year and a half in the studio. Nine to twelve months on lyrics, melodies and vocals


Nine to twelve months just for lyrics, melodies and vocals? Give me a muh****in break. That's self-indulgent. Write your shit, take a month to lay the tracks, and get your ass back out on tour. God damn rock stars these days are spoiled.

better that they take their time and put out a good, dare i say possibly great, album than go in there with a half-assed attitude and crap out some lame material. grow up.

[ad4mZX]

The whole Billboard/Youtube thing sounds like the kind of statement that's supposed to attract its target audience (10-13 year olds.)
Then a year and a half in the studio is just plain excessive, most independent bands spend a week and make better stuff.

[Sebz]

I cant believe QWERTY isnt gonna be on the album o_0
when i heard it i actually got excited...but hearing what ive done....its a very ordinary song, with the only good thing being chesters vocals..but they always are.
and the snippet of that other song, 'given up' its kinda oridinary aswell

[Leonheart]

It's spelled "series" in the article.

And I'm looking forward to this album.

[musicidot]

it's great, i like their first single what i've done, and the video is awesome too, but there's another songs in that ablum makes me unlike, u know

[mosh_rocker2006]

Sebz you don't know what you're talking about...how can a bunch of people know this is something fresh and new and then you say it's ordinary?...

[Sativa132]

grey daze was band chester used to play for before joining xero which eventually turned into linkin park

[Sebz]

lol mosh_rocker..."how can a bunch of people know this is something fresh and new" is that even possible...it just sounds alot like the mainstream rock put out today. The intrumental work is not very creative, dare i say almost boring (ok im exaggerating a bit)...theres nothing special about it, its just a stock standard mainstream rock soong.
lol and who is this bunch of people? and how do they know this?

[Will-Low]

Man I am looking forward to this upcoming release. Anyone who doesn't support Linkin Park's change is just jumping on the bandwagon of other more nu-style artists. Linkin Park is one of the only bands that hasn't changed and it is about time that they had. I support it 100%!

[myself101]

what are linkin park these days? nu-metal or something?

i remember "in the end" and "numb" they were pretty badass, haven't heard anything else by them but ill check out that single

[Saffron_Inferno]

WTF???linkin park touring with mcr and taking back sunday?!those are punk bands!they used to tour with papa roach, deftones, taproot and other great bands before and now they're in a line up with punk bands!if this is a hint at their re-invention of their sound then im gonna really be disappointed coz LP was the best nu-metal band ive eva heard before and i hope they don't mess it up!

[emr_steelmech]

Saffron_Inferno wrote:

WTF???linkin park touring with mcr and taking back sunday?!those are punk bands!they used to tour with papa roach, deftones, taproot and other great bands before and now they're in a line up with punk bands!if this is a hint at their re-invention of their sound then im gonna really be disappointed coz LP was the best nu-metal band ive eva heard before and i hope they don't mess it up!

Muse would be awesome though

Checked.

[chiefmegadeth]

i heard the full album and it sucks grunge meets rap,
last 2 albums where great.this one sounds like it was done in the garage

[Circus]

Listening to What I've Done now... the lyrics are predictable. Atm it's a bit... well like other people have said, if it's the best song on the album I won't be very happy, it doesn't have the same oomph that In The End and Somewhere I Belong had.

[Circus]

Oo! It has a "guitar solo!" Interesting...

chiefmegadeth wrote:

i heard the full album and it sucks grunge meets rap,
last 2 albums where great.this one sounds like it was done in the garage

Have you not read any of the posts? NONE OF THE ALBUM HAS BEEN LEAKED.

The songs you might have heard are from some sh[i][/i]itty band posing to be linkin park.

[hardrocker64]

I think it debuted at #1 because of hype,record co. pushing it and lack of music out there in general right now. The songs ok not great.

nin_freak92 wrote:

i think this album will change their entire fanbase.....i will go from having every album to thinking "wtf!?" to myself every time i hear it. the single does not do shit for me and i don't see how it debuted at # 1, the only thing i can think is people were as stoked as i was that a new single was out before i heard it, and to hear it sound half-assed wasn't pleasing at all...good luck LP..

[hardrocker64]

That leak is not LP. The song titled What I've Done is not even that song.

chiefmegadeth wrote:

i heard the full album and it sucks grunge meets rap,
last 2 albums where great.this one sounds like it was done in the garage

[Chiefwiddler]

I heard the new track, and it sounded the same as the old stuff but with slightly less distortion on the guitars! Well dont guys...12 months wasted then!!

[Peter21UK]

I quite like 'What I've Done' personally, it might be relatively simple, but it is catchy but i have to admit, the lyrics are a little predictable

Looking forward to the release

[xredsamx]

What I've Done is lame...Given up is QWERTY with different words and a different riff, Im not looking foward to it...at all.....