Linkin Park Say They Changed Music, Not Rubin

Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight is less than a week away from hitting store shelves, and many who are not prepared for their new sound don't blame the band.

The band's follow-up to Meteora was produced by Rick Rubin. Fans have been saying on several message boards and blogs that he's changed their sound. Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist -- and co-producer -- Mike Shinoda dispels any notion that the change in Linkin Park's style was made by the famous producer.

Video clip :

Watch video: Shinoda On Rubin Messing With Linkin Park Sound

"I don't agree with that. I go on the message board. You go ask anybody on the Linkin Park message boards, they know I'm on there and they know the band is watching. The band goes on occasionally we've always been very active with the fans and we stay that way. We know what people are saying out there, and I have to say: Number One - we call them the vocal minority. There are a smaller number of people who are very vocal, and then there's a lot of people who sit there and they do their own thing."

Shinoda says Minutes To Midnight will be a challenging, but ultimately rewarding experience for their fans.

Watch video: Shinoda Says Minutes Will Challenge Listeners

"Yeah, as we were writing the record we knew going into it that this would be a challenge for people. This is not the same kind of record. If you're expecting Hybrid Theory Part 3, I'm sorry. You're going to have to buy another copy of Hybrid Theory or some other band that's trying to do that style because we're not going to do it for ya."

Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight de-emphasizes the hip-hop elements in their songs, but with that being said, Shinoda's vocal work was very instrumental. Fans who buy the deluxe version of the set can hear and see Shinoda laying down early melody lines and vocals for the songs on the album. Their song "What I've Done" is topping radio airplay charts in virtually all rock formats.

Comments

[IlikeMetal]

Thank god fo leaked copies, completely prevented me from even think about picking this record up. Now I liked the old hybrid theory linkin park and i strongly believe that unless this is heavily and correctly marketed, that the new sound will be a total bust.

[daniel coogan]

i loved/idolised linkin park... but i recieved most the new songs, and my god some are aweful, it sounds like the album is dictated by mike with his rapping and new found "ability" to sing, and with brad who now does solos, i thought the idea of him not doing solos and keeping it simple was to show the nature of the band and how they wanted to keep their music simple, theres also little joe hahn, whats he going to do at download and stand there.??? theres little original linkin park in it... all hope in nu metal/metal genre is down to slipknot now.... RIP Linkin Park

[mosh_rocker2006]

You're all retarded...Bands are going to develop their sound no matter who they are, even lame ass emo bands will just a tad bit, but to say things like LP is dead just makes you a moron. Take Mike's advice go buy another Hybrid Theory...nu metal is ****ing dead, so deal with it!!

[Covin]

I think when a band changes their sound so dramatically, it takes a couple records to get back up to speed. I don't think this record will be BAD, but it definitely won't be their best. Their next one will be better.

[DEVILMAN 2012]

music is getting to shitty nowdays for bands like these to change thier sound, i havent heard it yet but ill prob be more dissapointed then i should be. jus like ive been dissapointed non-stop by bands who change thier sound, new deftones record sucked bad!!!, system of a down really ****in pissed me off!!! korn really ****in killed themselfs with SUOTOS!! and the list grows deeper....

[Nor'Easterbass]

I seriously hope it WASN'T Rubin, cause he's producing the next Metallica album. I don't think I can take another heartbreaker from 'Tallica...

[Nor'Easterbass]

DEVILMAN 2012 wrote:

music is getting to shitty nowdays for bands like these to change thier sound, i havent heard it yet but ill prob be more dissapointed then i should be. jus like ive been dissapointed non-stop by bands who change thier sound, new deftones record sucked bad!!!, system of a down really ****in pissed me off!!! korn really ****in killed themselfs with SUOTOS!! and the list grows deeper....

That's just cause all those bands suck and can't figure out how to write more than a couple good songs and keep the same sound.

[saty]

yeah... the only band that keeps up doing great albums, changing style or not, is TOOL...

[pfricky98]

personally i think its great that linkin park is changing their style. i ****ing hate that rap metal stuff. its so immature. i get bored listening to bands that put out the same album over and over again.

[darkfire_storm]

mosh_rocker2006 wrote:

You're all retarded...Bands are going to develop their sound no matter who they are, even lame ass emo bands will just a tad bit, but to say things like LP is dead just makes you a moron. Take Mike's advice go buy another Hybrid Theory...nu metal is ****ing dead, so deal with it!!

slipknot isnt dead... thats one band at least that we can hope for. i dont know why people dont like nu metal, but i digress. i havent heard the leaked linkin park stuff, but i like what ive done, it kinda reminds me of numb. of course, ive also heard a really heavy song that was supposedly on the new album... it was called QWERTY on youtube, is that song on the new record?

[daniel coogan]

lipknot isnt dead... thats one band at least that we can hope for.

slipknot is all we can rely on considering linkin park are pretty much now dead and KoRn seem to be falling apart. =[

[Scourge441]

If anything, Linkin Park's new stuff is better than the old.

The nu-metal genre is dead, and it sucked when it was alive. The only good band to come out of it was Mushroomhead, and quite frankly, Savior Sorrow was a piece of crap album. Hell, even the guys in LP have said that they don't like the nu-metal genre as a whole, and now they're taking steps to make the music into what they really want it to be.

Now, with that said, if What I've Done is the best the new album has to offer, then I won't be getting it.

all hope in nu metal/metal genre is down to slipknot now.... RIP Linkin Park

1. Like I said before, the nu-metal genre has been dead for ages.
2. Slipknot are the only hope for the metal genre? Listen to Dark Tranquillity, Orphaned Land, Dream Theater, Pain of Salvation, and The Absence, and THEN tell me that Slipknot are metal's only hope.

Please, for the love of God, keep nu-metal seperate from the rest of metal. Yes, nu-metal is a legitmate subgenre of metal, but it's too far removed from the rest of the genre to be mentioned along with it.

pfricky98 wrote:
i ****ing hate that rap metal stuff. its so immature.

Whats so immature about it? Just because your ONE person that doesnt like a particular genre, doesnt mean your right. In my opinion, Rap is good.

[AVAincuCHAIR]

I don't know why so many people hated nu-metal...its amazing powerful music, and in my opinion better because it mixes my favorite elements of rap and rock. Keep nu metal alive!

[f_the_radio69]

everybody is sooo into there own opinion "oh they suck now" whatever they are just growing as a band some people can't except change. i'm glad they changed good for them. they were gettin kinda stale so they revamped. i think this cd is gonna be badass.
**** rap metal outdated and gaaay example limp bizkit

[mosh_rocker2006]

"Keep nu metal alive"....hey bud first you have to bring it back, and for the sake of the way the music industry with all this emo nonsense is i'd hope there is someone out there who can finally start changing things...

[CapnKickass]

hurray nu metaaalll! It's super awesome special!

Actually it's alright, but I hope a whole bunch of Nu-Metal bands come out all of sudden so the know-it-alls who say it's dead will have it thrown back in their faces. (it might be worth a chuckle )
Neways Linkin Park is a music making entity, it shall make what it shall, so **** what everyone else thinks. If someone wants to play a certain style they should go for it. .\m/ have a happy day.

[xXevenflowXx]

I have heard the leaked stuff. At first I didn't like it because it wasn't the LP that I was used to, but after about the third listen I really started to like it. I like their old stuff a lot, but the new stuff is good too. It is more understated and has more hooks in it.
I like the direction that they are taking.

[FS Guitar]

i'm all for musical progression and band evolution and all that jazz.

but seeing bands like this...that just happen to be fully dedicated to nu-metal, and are now all of a sudden "moving forward" and "trying new things" after the nu-metal craze died is just kind of discouraging.

[Learn_to_fly]

the leak has really grown on me and now i luv it, even though at first i really thought it was crap.

Checked.

[xXevenflowXx]

FS Guitar wrote:

i'm all for musical progression and band evolution and all that jazz.

but seeing bands like this...that just happen to be fully dedicated to nu-metal, and are now all of a sudden "moving forward" and "trying new things" after the nu-metal craze died is just kind of discouraging.

I see what you are saying, but its not like they released a nu-metal album that did bad and said, "hey that did awful, let's change our style." They waited for 3 or 4 years and saw where music was going,evolved their sound, and did their thing. If anything, they are smart. Plus they weren't totally dedicated to the nu-metal genre becuase Mike did Fort Minor and Chester was planning to do that solo album with his band

[jetfuel495]

the leak is shit compared to what the tracks sound like on the official website and aol music

[mosh_rocker2006]

For one...a band doesn't just stick to one genre (unless your emo), and if a genre died why would someone keep making that kind of music if no one will want to hear it?! Besides Linkin Park has always been a band that wants to try new things!

[Wuppie666]

I don't care about that shit I just wanna get my hands on that ****in album lol.

[trigun2789]

FS Guitar wrote:

i'm all for musical progression and band evolution and all that jazz.

but seeing bands like this...that just happen to be fully dedicated to nu-metal, and are now all of a sudden "moving forward" and "trying new things" after the nu-metal craze died is just kind of discouraging.

Please explain how they were fully dedicated to nu-metal. They released two full cd's some random ep's and a smashup with Jay-Z. Hybrid Theory and Meteora where quite different anyways, and who is that stupid to stick with the same old stuff when its marketing value is like nothing right now?

Yes they would still do amazingly well if they stuck with there old style, but that gets boring after a while. Just wait till it comes out and listin to the full non leaked cd and see if its good, if you dont like it get over it and go buy the new Megadeth album, its amazing.

Also mosh_roker666 wtf do you mean by "a band doesn't just stick to one genre (unless your emo)"? I can name plenty of emo bands that change up style and everything (and i hardley listin to anything other then metal) and A LOT of bands that arnt emo and never change style.

[Handthatfeeds25]

Anyone body who is complaining about the lack of nu-metal in the new album needs to wake up. Its 2007 , not 1999 , everybody else has moved on , Linkin Park has , now its your turn

[Jake042]

i heard a couple of songs off the new album and i really didnt think it was them but this album is definately not gettin bought by me

[jeydee]

Come on guys let's try to be serious! I don't give a f..k if they changed their music,the point is that "their new music" is...the worst thing I've heard the last months...Completely unispiring music!!!

[fourthsecret]

Honestly, I think it's great that LP takes risks, and remains true to themselves in writing honest lyrics and song structures. If we look at it in another way, they're actually making a progression.

[omega_supreme]

haha, stinkin fart, their new album sucks ass! the end of linkin park!

[omega_supreme]

their new album, in my opinion is total crap.

[HellRazer]

Being a hardcore linkin park fan when i first heard it i thought it was a bit disappointing. At the time the crappier songs were more memorable than the good ones but since hearing it a few more times the album is actually pretty good. U people are judging the album becuz of linkin park's past style which isn't really fair. Give it time and u will learn to really like it

[maggot118502]

**** u omega supreme the album rocks

[gareno]

linkin park's new album is pretty disapointing, especially for the first impression

[guitarpalooz]

I've never heard their old sound, so this is an unbiased perspective;

This music, esp. the lyrics, is uninspired and unoriginal. Every song is about guilt or depression with a few hints of suicide dashed in there. This album is gonna sell a couple million copies, you think they could be happy for a song or two.

But do yourself a favor, listen to the lyrics and ask yourself if you've heard it all done before, but better. Listen to the music and think about how much effort it REALLY took to come up with something like that.

Just because some people dont like the album doesnt mean they "cant accept change" or whatnot. It just means they dont like the music. If anything, some of the 600k people who bought the album because it has LP's name on it cant accept the change that LP has gone from interesting, creatively driven music to rehashed, uninspired churnout.

[omega_supreme]

well **** u, maggot118502. linkin park suck.