Album: Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight
Back in 2000, Linkin Park released a well-known album called Hybrid Theory. This was a new take on alternative rock that went into a genre known as Nu-metal, which is a mixture of influences from different genres. The mixture they brought was rap and rock. An upbeat flow of music that had singing and screaming as well as some rapping for the flavor. “Crawling” and “One Step Closer” are a couple of singles that brought the fans in. In 2002, after much success, they released Reanimation. This new album was a bunch of mixtures of songs from both Hybrid Theory and Hybrid Theory EP. Their popularity continued to grow. Their growth didn’t stop their, however. In March of 2003 Linkin Park released their sophomore album, Meteora, which instantly gained them worldwide success. Singles, such as Numb and Somewhere I Belong, received significant airplay. It’s no wonder that this band decided that when it came time to create a new album, they’d need to think really hard on how to go even further.
Now, in 2007, we finally are graced with the third album which has been highly anticipated by the fan base. After so much time in the recording stage and after going through 101 songs that were written, Minutes to Midnight was released on May 15. The first single released was What I’ve Done. There were some reservations with the new song. Some fans worried that the band may not have produced a satisfactory album. Having had to wait so long, it was understandable to feel a bit “iffy”. Now that the whole album has been released, there are much mixed feelings. The reaction seems to be the reappearing “love it or hate it” one for the most part.
My first reaction to this album was not entirely high. I felt that I was let down by a band I highly admired and enjoyed. They seemed to have quieted down their fast beats that I looked forward to whenever putting their CD in my radio. There are more ballad-like tracks, such as Leave Out All the Rest and Shadow of the Day. The only songs I found resembling the old Linkin Park I was used to had to be Bleed It Out and Given Up, which turned out to be two of my instant favorites upon first listen. After several repeated listening sessions, I have come to appreciate the work put into this album. When listening to the lyrics I get a sense of politics. I’m not usually one for bands going political, but Linkin Park did it well. Hands Held High strikes a chord in me, talking about the fucked up world we live in which is done so by Mike – most known for his rapping role in the band. One thing I didn’t mind so much had to be that we get to hear more of Chester’s smooth singing voice. It really worked well with the quieted down music produced. I was also shocked to hear Mike singing in the song In Between, having only ever heard him rap mostly. A pleasant surprise that turned out really well.
Verdict: Though this album didn’t meet any of my expectations after such a long wait, it turned out well in the end. It’s a very different album compared to what fans are used to, but still well done. Linkin Park once again experiments, trying to create an album that stands out. They may seem to have calmed down, but they still provide good music mixed with good lyrics.